Spatial structure and population density in the MZMV, 1995-2010: Evolution of a polycentric urban system

© EURE. This article estimates the effect of polycentrism on population distribution in the Metropolitan Zone of the Mexico Valley (MZMV) between 1995 and 2010. According to NUE [[]New Urban Economics] polycentric models, the higher the distance to employment centers, the lower the population density. It was found that sub-centers have a positive effect on population density, despite the strong monocentric inertia in the metropolitan area. However, the results also show an increasing gap between employment and housing spaces. This gap makes it increasingly difficult to reduce commuting distances. On the other hand, transportation infrastructure has a strong structuring capacity, and its effect on population density becomes stronger at the expense of the influence of employment sub-centers.