Place-bound or footloose? Application of GIS approach to the locational trajectory of ICT firms in metropolitan Shanghai

This article focuses on the evolutionary tendency and influencing factors of ICT firms' location in metropolitan areas. Based on the information of firms in 2002 and 2008, the study maps out the spatial change of firm location and reveals the clustering process of firms based on density analysis. By adopting spatial regression model, the study attempts to explain the underlying factors responsible for the spatial distribution of ICT firms in Shanghai. Comparing the spatial patterns of firm location between 2002 and 2008, it is found that the central city as a primary firm location is replaced with multiple industrial clusters in the outskirt of the city. During the process of this territorial dispersion, the choice of firm location and relocation is largely shaped by firm type and capital availability. The results from regression analysis indicate the factors responsible for the firm location include former distribution pattern, ICT policies and accessibility.