THE SERVICE ECONOMY IN THE SUNBELT

This thesis is an urban and regional economics study that investigates the rapid growth of cities in the Sunbelt area of the U.S. after World War II. Two main hypotheses are developed: The American economy as a whole has evolved through several distinct phases. The older industrial stage has given way to a new stage in which service industry predominates. Second, the shift to services has given a dramatic impetus to the growth of new urban centers in the Sunbelt.;Statistical evidence dealing with the decline of the older manufacturing industries and the expansion in the service sector is examined. The main concern is with intermediate functions. Contrasted with tourism and other consumer services, these are services to producers (intermediate rather than final users). Included are finance, insurance and real estate; business services, such as data processing; corporate law, accounting and other professional services; and finally, traditional intermediaries, such as wholesalers and transportation firms.;The thesis also examines the growth of the hotel industry, amusement services, (e.g., Disney World), and domestic tourism in general. It synthesizes recent theoretical work designed to explain the growth of services in the U.S.;Case studies investigate the Atlanta, San Diego and San Antonio standard metropolitan statistical areas. Historical and econometric analyses are used to demonstrate that services are the strategic factor in promoting employment growth in these areas. The case studies provide strong support for the central propositions of the thesis regarding the shift to services and its impact on new urban centers in the Sunbelt.;There is a body of literature within the field of urban and regional economics that deals with problems very similar to those of the thesis, that is, the evolution of industry, the impact of industry on regional development and related topics. The dissertation adapts concepts (and quantitative methods) of an export base type to set up an analytical framework for the problem under study.;The last section of the thesis uses an employment analysis to type sixteen city-regions in the Sunbelt by economic specialization. One urban type is found to specialize in intermediate functions, the other in consumer services, e.g., tourism, health, etc.