Abstract
This study examined the development of Clear Lake-NASA Area, Texas into an edge city and challenged the Garreau edge city model by addressing the question, Do all edge cities follow the Garreau model of development? Objectives of the study focused on the empirical testing of Garreau's edge city model, developing a GIS-based shift-share methodology for urban development studies, and identifying urban policy changes attributable to edge city growth. The area was delineated for the four decades from 1960 to 1990 using historical data sets and census tract data on population and industries. 1992 TIGER/Line data for the study area were downloaded into a SUN workstation and converted into coverages using ARC/INFO TIGERTOOL. Data files were transferred to PC ArcView and databases were built linking census industry populations for manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and professional and related services by census tract number. The Shift-share formulation was modified to address local industry strength and population dynamics unique to this area and study. Using Excel spreadsheet, decennial industry economic activity levels were calculated by shift-share analysis and then graphed according to local and regional growth indices. The Clear Lake-NASA area reached edge city status in the mid 1980s but not according to Garreau's temporal setting. Initial input of the large scale high technology NASA/JSC facility clearly accelerated the development and economic conditions of the area in ways not identified by Garreau. Rapid development of this area has profoundly impacted the natural and built environment resulting in numerous policy changes of regional scope. Urban development studies must be expanded to include the combined effect of all edge cities on the parent metropolitan area and this can be accomplished with GIS-based shift-share analysis. Key words: edge city, GIS, shift-share analysis, Clear Lake-NA SA Area, Texas, Houston, Texas.
Crate, Frances Margaret (1997). A test of the Garreau model for edge city development using GIS-based shift-share analysis: a case study for the Clear Lake-NASA Area, Texas. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1997 -THESIS -C73.