A continuous spatial choice logit model of a polycentric city

• I analyze household workplace and residence location choices in a polycentric city.
• The utilized continuous logit model is a random utility model in continuous space.
• The model predicts overlapping commuting zones of different business centers.
• The model allows for incomplete segregation of workers and farmers.
• It leads to asymmetric land price gradients around secondary business districts.

This paper analyzes a closed linear polycentric city where households probabilistically select their workplace and residence locations. The study utilizes a continuous logit model to describe household location choices. In contrast to the classic urban model with deterministic location choices, the continuous logit model predicts noticeable direct effects of more than one workplace on land rents, asymmetry of the land rent schedule around secondary business districts, incomplete segregation of citizens who work in different business centers and, therefore, cross-commuting, and incomplete segregation of workers and farmers.