The Relationship between the Physical Growth of the Central City and Metropolitan Socio-Economic Growth in US Metropolitan Areas from 1950 to 2000*

This paper examines Rusk’s central city elasticity theory that the expansion of central city borders from annexations and consolidations relates to economic growth and development in US metropolitan areas. The theory, as explored and discussed in the literature appeared to lack an adequate and full range of empirical data to deeply or fully understand the relationship between his central city elasticity theory and metropolitan geo- and socio-economic conditions. Two major findings are that: central city elasticity levels are strongly supported over all five dependent variables for metropolitan geo- and socio-economic conditions for the both 92 central and 244 non-central neighboring cities. Accordingly, Rusk’s central city elasticity theory that metropolitan socio-economic conditions depend on the growth of central cities is championed. In conclusion, Rusk’s central city elasticity theory is an important contribution to explaining the relationship between central and non-central neighboring cities in US metropolitan areas