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Ce mémoire se penche sur la localisation des industries culturelles dans les petites villes canadiennes dans le but de comprendre pourquoi certaines petites villes canadiennes s’y spécialisent plus que d’autres. L’étude examine le niveau de spécialisation de 109 régions urbaines canadiennes dans 13 industries culturelles à l’aide des données sur l’emploi par industrie tirées du recensement de 2006. Les résultats suggèrent que les explications à la base de la spécialisation culturelle vont au-delà de la taille urbaine, puisque plusieurs petites villes affichent des niveaux d’emploi culturel très élevés. Cinq facteurs explicatifs sont mis de l’avant pour comprendre la localisation de l’emploi culturel au-delà des métropoles: la distance aux métropoles, la base économique, les aménités, la présence de populations âgées et les choix du secteur public. Les résultats suggèrent que, au-delà des politiques et stratégies de planification culturelle, les industries culturelles se localisent en fonction de facteurs structurels associés aux caractéristiques des différents lieux et de leur processus de production This thesis looks at the location of cultural industries in small Canadian cities, with the primary goal of understanding the underlying factors making some more attractive than others. The study examines 109 small Canadian urban areas in 13 cultural industries, using employment data drawn from the 2006 Canadian census. The results suggest that cultural specialization is not merely a matter of urban size as several small urban areas emerge as cultural centers. Five explanatory factors are put forward to explain the location of cultural industries in small places: location with respect to metropolitan areas, industrial structure, amenities, elderly populations and public sector choices. The results suggest that, beyond cultural planning policies and strategies, the location of cultural industries is driven by structural factors associated with the characteri

The paper examines the evolution of urban hierarchies in 74 nations since 1950 and 52 nations since 1900, focusing on cities at the top. The principal constraint is empirical: constructing an appropriate data base with consistent urban definitions and populations over time. Given the data constraints, only ranks are considered. The universe studied comprises 375 urban areas for 1950 and 288 for the year 1900, each ranked within their respective national urban systems. Rank-correlations are carried for both sets for all cities and for sub-sets. As would be expected, correlations with current ranks are stronger with 1950 than with 1900 rankings. Europe shows significantly greater stability than New World or Developing nations, suggesting that urban hierarchies stabilize as they mature. Changes at the top are exceptional in Europe. Outside Europe changes at the top are less unusual. Some cases stand out: the Rio de Janeiro/São Paolo reversal, the Montreal/Toronto reversal, and the fall of Kolkata (Calcutta) from first to third place since 1900. A systematic explanation of why top cities move up or down the urban hierarchy is difficult to arrive at. The paper identifies five possible causes, but which still leave room for unexpected outcomes.