Beyond monocentricity: examining the spatial distribution of employment in Tehran metropolitan region, Iran

This research examines the spatial distribution of employment in Tehran metropolitan region as one of the most populated regions in West Asia. For this aim, our approach includes three steps; first, the paper investigates the level of monocentricity or the primacy of the main core, then, the paper utilises various methodologies to identify the employment subcenters in the region; and finally, the importance of identified centres is estimated by polycentric employment function. To do this, data obtained from Statistical Centre of Iran for 2006 and 2011 is provided in sub-district level, the smallest geographical unit. Results revealed that monocentric model is not able to explain the spatial distribution of employment in TMR; also, the main core loses its importance with the passage of time. Applying different methodologies for TMR identified 3 subcenters in 2006; whereas, it reached to 7 subcenters in 2011. In the last step, the deployed polycentric employment function explained 42% and 51% of total employment distribution throughout TMR in 2006 and 2011 respectively.