Office location patterns: A comparison of office location patterns in London and Hamilton, Ontario to the model of Toronto, Ontario

Since the early 1920s, geographers have been interested in the office location patterns that have come to characterize many major CBDs throughout the world. From the numerous published articles on this subject, two models have emerged. The first characterizes these patterns in a very general way, attributing certain key characteristics to the process of suburbanization and office location patterns. The second model is the case city of Toronto, to which many North American cities are compared. This particular model sets forth more detailed and specific characteristics for both suburbanization and the movement of offices within a city. This thesis seeks to utilize both of these models in investigating the office location patterns of London and Hamilton Ontario. It also evaluates the applicability of these two models and the degrees to which each of these cities fit the models or are different from them.;In order to do so, data were gathered on office floor space, vacancy rates and employment trends within the core and suburban areas of Toronto, London and Hamilton. These data were analyzed using a series of tabulations, percentages, and comparisons of trends over time. These findings were then further supplemented with personal interviews conducted in each city, with corporate executives, local government officials and real estate firms. The analysis concluded that the City of London is similar to the model of office location patterns in Toronto, as well as the literature, however, there is a real difference in the scale of these patterns between these two cities. The City of Hamilton proved to be quite different and unique. Therefore, it was further determined that office location patterns are influenced by the geographic proximity of a city to a major metropolis and also by more specific and unique factors to each city (e.g. economic specialization).