Spatial Analysis of Warehouses and Distribution Centers in Southern California

This paper analyzes the concentration of warehouses and distribution centers (W&DCs) in five counties in Southern California between 1998 and 2014, and it explores spatial relationships between W&DCs and other industry sectors through centrographic and econometric modeling techniques. Furthermore, the authors estimate factors that explain the concentration of W&DCs in the area. The analyses used aggregate establishment, employment, and other socioeconomic data for different industries, complemented with transportation-related variables. The results confirm the existence of logistics sprawl, although the analyses indicate that this trend did not continue to increase after 2007. Additional results follow: (a) W&DCs showed a lower spatial correlation compared with other industries, (b) the locations of the weighted geometric center shifted slightly differently for the W&DC industry and within its subindustries, (c) concentration levels for some subindustries were much lower than for the aggregated W&DC indus...