Réseaux métropolitains, formes locales d’organisation et ancrage de l’activité économique

Abstract

The paper focuses on the impacts of metropolitan area networks (MAN) both on spatial reorganization of economic activities and their local anchoring. Because this network technology differs from other inputs in the production function, we study the location of firms from their external communication structures. From the typology of Markusen (1996), we derive a study of interactions, externalities, organizational forms and anchoring of each kind of firms’ agglomeration. We discuss the relevance of a local policy based on a MAN development according to each form of local development and conclude our analysis by some case studies.