An old downtown, for new uses? Spatial distribution of knowledge-intensive services [KIS] in the Concepción Metropolitan Area [AMC], Chile

Abstract

In the context of the interest that middle cities are taking in the search for more balanced urban systems (Diez & Amilozzi, 2015), the research had as its main objective to discuss and relativize the a priori applicability of predominant academic consensus on metropolization, polynucleation, and outsourcing, analysis, and understanding of intermediate urban systems. In order to characterize the recent trends in location and spatial distribution of tertiary services in general, and Knowledge-Intensive Service (KIS) in particular, for the Metropolitan Area of Concepción (AMC), Chile, a database was created with the commercial patents issued by the municipalities. For 5 years (2012–2016), this for each commune that makes up the metropolis. Subsequently, the bases were filtered, standardizing the local categories to the international ones (Glossary: Knowledge-Intensive Service), information that was georeferenced with the Arcgis 10.2 software, analyzing, contrasting, and interpreting its results. Finally, it is concluded that neither the commercial sub-centralities nor the industrial peripheries have been relevant factors in explaining the distribution of KISs in the AMC, with the downtown being the one that best explains their locations, concentrations, and expansions. The main finding identified a change in the functional axis of the central core of the AMC, historically formed by the Concepción and Talcahuano, to a new central axis formed by Concepción and the San Pedro de la Paz, accounting for an emerging restructuring, guided by the proximity, environmental and landscape attributes of this last commune.