Traditionally, city classification studies have been considered descriptive. Empirical results have typically not been applied to explain or predict other urban characteristics. This pattern was reversed in the 1980s by the application of the results of two well-known classification studies as independent variables in a regression analysis. However, in performing statistical inference, it was implicitly assumed that the classifications provide measures of unobservable theoretical constructs. In this paper, it is argued that knowledge of a classification's validity is required prior to performing such inference. An example of a construct validation is provided by proposing that the physical and spatial characteristics of urban areas may in part be described by four independent dimensions and an attempt is made to operationalise and validate appropriate measures.
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