ABSTRACT
The rapid pace of suburbanization in America's major urban areas from 1950 to 1970 may well be the most significant social and economic force of that time. This time of rapid growth in population and employment was accommodated primarily by building out, rather than by building up. The percentage increase in the suburban population was associated with two variables; the population growth rate of the metropolitan area and the amount of land area added to the central city. A fundamental economic factor not yet mentioned is the changing location pattern of employment in urban areas. The massive growth of population in the suburbs brought with it massive growth in suburban retailing and other activities that directly serve consumers. Meyer, Kain, and Wohl pointed out that the jobs in retail trade and selected services primarily serve the nearby population, but it is striking that suburban employment in these categories grew at rates that far exceeded the suburban population growth rate.
