Spatial Distribution of Employment in Hermosillo, 1999-2004

While the suburbanisation process has been well documented in some large cities of several developed countries, much less attention has been devoted to the case of small and middle-sized cities in developing countries. This article focuses on an exploratory spatial data analysis to investigate the location of the central business district (CBD) and other employment centres in Hermosillo, Mexico. The results reveal the significant presence of spatial dependence and spatial heterogeneity, although their extent varies with the sector under study. These spatial effects take the form of a persistent cluster of high values of employment around the historical district of the city shaping a huge CBD, although a sub-centre of high values emerges to the south and to the north-west of the CBD in 2004. Overall, Hermosillo is still characterised by a traditional monocentric model, but the role of its CBD has changed.