THE LOCATION OF PRODUCER SERVICES IN EDMONTON

The focus of this paper is the intra-urban location of producer servic e firms. The literature review reveals a selective deconcentration of producer service activity over the years. Those moving out, among them exporters of producer services, are less likely to require the face-t o-face contacts a CBD location permits. The content of Edmonton's prod ucer service sector is described in terms of the number, type, revenue s, and markets of the firms. A stage development model describing and accounting for the intra-urban locational behaviour of producer servic e firms is then proposed. It is argued that a firm's location is depen dent on the stage it has reached in the development cycle and whether it exports its service or not. On this basis a three-phased stage deve lopment model is developed. It incorporates the accommodation requirem ents of firms in the various phases of the development cycle relative to the services they offer and their organizational status. The model is tested by mapping the addresses of 1523 producer service firms loca ted in Edmonton and generalizing these into composite areas to which t he numbers and types of service can be ascribed. Additionally a sample (172) of these firms was surveyed to establish the most important loc ational determinants relative to a firm's export orientation. In gener al, an empirical evaluation enabled a tentative acceptance of the mode l as a good approximation of producer service firms' locational behavi our. However, a more comprehensive data base is required for a full ev aluation and refinement of the stage development model proposed here. Non-exporting firms tend to locate in the CBD and inner city areas, wh ile exporting firms seek suburban office parks wherein access and spac e are available. The policy implications of the research are addressed and suggestions for refinement of the model conclude the statement.