Industry in Motion: Using Smart Phones to Explore the Spatial Network of the Garment Industry in New York City

Industrial agglomerations have long been thought to offer economic and social benefits to firms and people that are only captured by location within their specified geographies. Using the case study of New York City’s garment industry along with data acquired from cell phones and social media, this study set out to understand the discrete activities underpinning the economic dynamics of an industrial agglomeration. Over a two week period, data was collected by employing the geo-locative capabilities of Foursquare, a social media application, to record every movement of fashion workers employed at fashion design firms located both inside and outside the geographical boundaries of New York City’s Garment District. This unique method of studying worker activity exposed the day-to-day dynamics of an industrial district with a precision thus far undocumented in literature. Our work suggests that having access to the cluster provides almost the same agglomeration economies as residing within its borders.Rockefeller Foundatio

The Emergence of Los Angeles as a Fashion Hub: A Comparative Spatial Analysis of the New York and Los Angeles Fashion Industries

The US fashion industry is a useful lens through which to view the transformation of the country's urban economic systems. Initially an industrial vanguard, fashion has evolved into a more design-oriented sector and a central part of the 'cognitive-cultural economy'. Fashion is also a clear demonstration of place-specific comparative advantage and specialisation, intensely linked to 'place in product'. The paper traces the fashion industry's evolution from 1986 to 2007, focusing on New York and Los Angeles. The composition of the industry in each locale demonstrates each city's comparative advantage and these advantages maybe key determinants of their future fortunes. Using geographical information systems (GIS), fashion's current spatial form is studied. Within the industry's sub-sectors, spatial patterns and similar geographical clustering emerge. The industry may be facing somewhat of a reconfiguring of its economic geography; however, the fashion industry's spatial-structural patterns persist within each city. We also find that fashion, like high technology and Hollywood, tends to produce regional network agglomerations, strong headquarter cities and co-location of particular sectors. Our findings are consistent with the larger theoretical and empirical observations on the post-industrial landscape.

The Great Divide: Economic Development Theory Versus Practice—A Survey of the Current Landscape

As a scholarly field, economic development is a theoretical exploration with very real implications for place. As a practice, economic development is an essential component of local policy and governing and a perceived driver of success and vitality for cities and regions alike. The notable distinction between practice and theory may explain the lack of scholarly consensus and the ambiguity in effectiveness of the practice of development. Using a three-tiered approach, we undertake a comparative analysis of the way in which practitioners and scholars undertake economic development. Through a study of Economic Development Quarterly journal keywords and a review of nine cities' economic development initiatives, we assess the most frequent topics and initiatives within the discipline. Using the International Economic Development Council best practice awards, we look at what is generally viewed as “successful.” We conclude with an assessment of the general development landscape, considering implications to our findings.comparative analysis; economic development practice; theory; urban policy

All trip routes made during the two week period.

<p>All trip routes made during the two week period.</p

Average check-in count by hour.

<p>Home location or point of origin removed.</p

Number of Fashion Business Establishments: County Business Pattern Data 2011.

<p>See <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0086165#pone.0086165.s002" target="_blank">Table S1</a> for North American Industry Codes (NAICS) used to come up with these establishment numbers. These NAICS codes were identified from Williams & Currid-Halkett 2011.</p

Example of one trip with 2 stops.

<p>Example of one trip with 2 stops.</p

Mid-Level Designers Stops.

<p>Home studio locations excluded from stop totals as business movements were defined by those areas outside the studio.</p

Participant Firms per Neighborhood.

<p>Participant Firms per Neighborhood.</p

Trip Diversity Of Designers Located Outside The FBID.

<p>Home studio locations excluded from stop totals as business movements were defined by those areas outside the studio.</p>*<p>Note in cells above clarifies the number of participant designers that made those stops. It should be noted that there were a total of 44 design employees who were based outside the Fashion Center BID, which was defined as the agglomeration. There were 33 design employees located inside the Fashion Center BID.</p