Trip Generation, Trip Chains and Polycentric Development in Metropolitan USA: A Case Study of the Wasatch Front Region, Utah

Published in Applied Geography, 2021

Core contribution: This article distinguishes morphological polycentricity from functional polycentricity. It argues that multiple employment centers or dispersed urban form are not enough: functional polycentricity must be demonstrated through trip generation, trip chains, travel modes, and center-to-center daily mobility.

Highlights
  • Uses employment centers and trip-chain behavior to compare morphological and functional polycentricity.
  • Shows that the Wasatch Front is morphologically dispersed but remains functionally dominated by downtown Salt Lake City.
  • Finds that walking and biking trip chains are common in urban centers, while automobiles dominate outside them.
  • Identifies jobs, amenities, walkability, compact centers, and transit options as levers for functional polycentricity.
Conceptual poster showing that functional polycentricity requires mobility evidence from trip chains
Graphical abstract