Trade Centers of Minnesota - A 1997 Update

Project summary:

The Upper Midwest Economic Study of the early 1960's described the trade centers and trade areas of the Midwest, including Minnesota, in a hierarchy of eight levels, from the major metropolitan areas at the top to the small hamlets on the bottom. A study by CURA in 1989 updated this work and was found to be very useful by policy makers and managers in both the public and private sectors. MnDOT used the updated work in its development of regional funding strategies and implementation of transportation programs on a regional basis. As its seems apparent that some significant changes may have occurred in the trade center hierarchy since the 1989 study, a study that looks at conditions in 1997 would be very valuable to MnDOT. This project will look at the trade centers using July 1997 data and using the same analysis format used in the 1989 study will measure change in the hierarchy levels 2,3,4, and 5. These levels of the hierarchy are the ones subject to most significant change and are the ones MnDOT is most interested in. A final report will show changes up or down in the hierarchy and will include appropriate tables and maps. See "Trade Centers of the Upper Midwest: Changes from 1960 to 1989" by Thomas L. Anding, John S. Adams, William Casey, Sandra de Montille, Miriam Goldfine