By Dr. Maurice Yeates and Dr. Tony Hernandez

Building on several CSCA Research Insights (CRI) that have looked at the changing nature of shopping centre space needs. In this CRI we investigate the degree to which ‘over-spacing’ may be occurring in Canadian metropolitan areas (CMAs) measured in terms of both space per capita and space per unit of personal income. Using a sample of 28 Canadian CMAs, we use cluster analysis to group together similar urban markets based on population size, growth and personal income per capita. The resulting cluster groups are then used to assess the degree of under- or over-spacing. Our analysis highlights the need to assess spacing not only in terms of population metrics but also other factors related to consumer market demand (e.g., measures of market income).