This paper examines spatial change and regional structure of manufacturing industries in Taejon, Korea, during the period between 1907 and 1983.
Changes in spatial patterns of the manufacturing industry were analyzed by means of the Gini coefficient,...
This paper examines spatial change and regional structure of manufacturing industries in Taejon, Korea, during the period between 1907 and 1983.
Changes in spatial patterns of the manufacturing industry were analyzed by means of the Gini coefficient, the Lorenz curve, the location quotient, regression analyses, and the weighted mean centre analyses. The mean center for the 9 main industries was calculated in order to determine how certain characteristics of these industries are concentrated.
The following are results of this study.
Several industries in the study area had maintained larger locational quotients in manufacturing as compared to those in the national averages since early 1960's. Those include the food, tobacco, textile, apparel, and leather manufacturing.
Through a diagram of the location quotient, the inner structure of textile, apparel, leather manufacturing areas, can be classified into three districts. The location of these industries seems to be determined by availability of transportation and proximity to river and market areas.
According to the Gini coefficients and Lorenz curves, textile, apparel, and leather industries have played a leading role for spatial diffusion and dispersion among those. On the other hand, one of the other major industries such as fabricated metal products, machinery, transportation equipment, electrical machinery, equipment, and supplies, indicates high concentration in view of spatial agglomeration.
The first factory built in Taejon was located in Indong, and was the Jangyu distillery established by the Japanese. Since then the weighted mean centre of the manufacturing industry has progressively moved from the location of Chungang department store in 1921, to Hongmyong department store in 1923, to Sonwhail-Dong in 1937, to Samsongil-dong in 1963, to Jung-dong in 1972, to Jungchon-dong in 1983.
A growth model in the locational changes of manufacturing industry in Taejon city identifies five growth stages as showing:
(1) Initial stage of growth.
(2) Concentration of city center.
(3) Dominant growth of city center.
(4) The growth of city marginal area.
(5) Decentralized growth in suburbs.
This model implies the process of dispersion, diffusion, and decentralization in the locational patterns of the industries. These processes occurred through the changes in complex mechanisms of production and consumption, and the urbanization process itself.
In order to make an analysis of the following important factors; population, labour, access to markets, access to qualified labour supply, low labour costs, access to business services, loans to manufacturing industry, low tax base, cost of land and buildings, proximity to other plants in the same product line, and personal economic advantages of the locational change were made regression analysis. The equation concerning the regression analysis of population is: Y=24.172727X+243.273.
Second, the equation concerning the regression analysis of loans to the manufacturing industry is: Y=96.846153X-64.65382.
In conclusion, in order to understand the locational changes and spatial structure of the manufacturing industry the following should be examined with attention to the shifts in factors such as transport means, supply of labour and raw materials, power, market, technopolis, and the government policies.