An Examination of the Determinants of Employment Center Growth: Do Local Policies Play a Role?

:Using 1990–2000 data from the Los Angeles metropolitan region, this article examines the association between local development policies and employment center growth. Three local policy measures are used: expenditure on developmental activities, growth control index, and local business fees. The article does not find evidence that local policies directly influence employment center growth. The findings suggest that municipalities may influence employment center growth indirectly by facilitating access to the labor force.