Changing patterns of central business district office activity in Melbourne

Abstract

Summary Although the future role of office activity within city centres has been widely discussed, an appreciation of dynamic macro‐level processes has been missing from the urban planner's insights into causes of change in the Central Business District. This paper looks at recent patterns of office employment in Melbourne's Central Business District and finds that there are trends which suggest a reduction in linkages between firms, a potential for reduction in white‐collar jobs due to technological innovations, and structural employment changes which favour suburban job growth. It is concluded that greater attention should be paid to understanding processes of organizational, technological and structural change, and how they are likely to impinge upon the city centre.