Change in the spatial structure of a metropolitan region: Work-residence relationships in Melbourne, 1961–1971

Abstract

O'Connor K. and Maher C. A. (1979) Change in the spatial structure of a metropolitan region work-residence relationships in Melbourne 1961–1971, Reg. Studies 13, 361–380. Change in metropolitan spatial structure consists not simply of physical growth or decline, but also of a reorientation of relationships between locational entities. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the large-scale relocation of activities occurring in the modern metropolis. By examining change in three elements of spatial structure—jobs, population and linkages between these—structural evolution is seen to be a process of increasing complexity. In particular, growing sub-regional foci are seen to be broadening their influence in Melbourne through extending the range of commuting from a local to a regional scale.