Dispersed city form in Canada: A Kitchener CMA case example

This case study illustrates that some Canadian cities are nor as compact an d centralized as conventional wisdom would have us believe. The spatial str ucture of Kitchener CMA is shown to be 'dispersed' based on empirical trend s towards lower population densities, outward spreading of jobs, retailing and other activities, CBD decline, increased open space, a transportation s ystem that is singularly dependent on auto use, and an overriding demand fo r residential settings deemed to be 'private' and 'rural-like'. The paper a cknowledges factors unique to the case study locale that have precipitated dispersed city form. It argues that some other Canadian cities can be expec ted to share fundamental features of Kitchener's dispersed city form, most notably metropolitan areas that amalgamate two or more historically autonom ous cities, but also smaller metropolitan areas and/or ones specialized in manufacturing industry. As regards Canadian cities in general, the paper al so makes the point that most parts of all cities built since World War II a re primarily dispersed in form. Conceptually, this paper explains dispersio n as a change in balance between three sets of factors - 'space', 'proximit y', and 'place' - that configure in the locational decision making that und erlies urban development.