No longer just work and play? Exploring recent residential growth within America’s “edge cities”

Edge cities, also known as suburban downtowns or sub-centers, have long been conceptualized primarily as centers of employment and retail activity. However, given the rising interest in more sustainable urban typologies, and the potential benefits of mixing commercial and residential land use at densities high enough to support transit and reduce automotive dependency, it is worth considering whether edge cities are taking on a more residential character. To this end, this study examines change in housing units and residential population within U.S. American edge cities (ECs) over the first two decades of the twenty-first century and compares their recent demographic evolution to the encompassing urbanized area (UA) and nearest primary city center/central business district (CBD). ECs were identified as clusters of office employment at the census tract level that met both density and total employment thresholds. A series of hierarchical regression models were developed to identify features of edge cities associated with their growth. The results suggest that while edge cities added a significant number of residents and residential units over the study period, jobs remain dominant over housing. Additionally, walkability, transit frequency, school quality, and interstate highway connectivity were identified as the most significant predictors of residential growth within edge cities.