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A growing literature highlights the emergence of central techno neighbourhoods; however, does this mean that suburban techno districts are designed to decline? We examine the spatial dynamics (1996–2011) of computer service employment, subset of the new economy, in Canada's three largest metropolises using GIS and econometric techniques. The evidence is largely consistent with a growing weight of central neighbourhoods, especially in Montreal and Vancouver, although in all three cities, suburban techno clusters have continued to grow. The econometric results point to the higher weight of neighbourhood environment variables, including indicators of 'coolness', as predictors of computer service employment location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighbouring towns in urban clusters of Canada exhibit similar levels of socio-economic development. However, when measured by different development indicators, inter-town development association differs in both nature and degree. In core areas, for instance, only population and housing variables exhibit a strong spatial association, while that of employment-related variables - average income, and unemployment rate - is weaker. This tendency reflects the fundamental difference between the two groups of variables. While population and housing variables are associated with the clustering of residents in socially homogenous areas, inter-town development similarity in respect to employment-related variables is weaker, apparently due to long-distance commuting. The article discusses the importance of urban clustering as a factor in regional development policies and programmes, and provides support for including cluster-related elements in a strategy to enhance urban growth in underdeveloped regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]