Location Matters: Comparing the Distribution of Economic Activity in the Canadian and Mexican Urban Systems

Abstract

In this article, the authors compare location patterns for sixteen industrial classes (goods and services) in Canada and Mexico at two points in time. They argue that the classical tenets of location theory apply equally to nations at different stages of development. The spatial distribution of activity (measured by employment) is examined with reference to distance and to city size in both nations. They conclude that economic activity in Canada and Mexico, both in the manufacturing and the service sectors, by and large exhibits similar spatial distributions. In both nations, urban industrial specialization varies systematically with city size and distance. Where major differences existed, they could often be explained by differences in geography and levels of development and by the spatial interference of the U.S. border.