Territorial organization and function of the Buenos Aires Metropolis

Abstract

This article examines the territorial restructuring of the metropolis of Buenos Aires from a functional approach, using commuting relational data along with indicators of concentration and density of population and employment. It is observed that metropolitan growth follows patterns of dispersion and polycentricism, which appear in various areas of the metropolis. The sub centers of employment have the ability to structure the metropolitan operation and exercise different degrees of influence in the respective corridors. However, the central city plays a structuring role mainly in relation to the labor flows in higher skilled and trained occupations, which come mainly from the North and Northwestern corridors. The complexity of these processes must be considered in the formulation of public policies designed to mitigate the unwanted impacts of the dispersion, while the sub centers of employment are consolidated to articulate metropolitan dynamics.