Freight flows and urban hierarchy

Varying hierarchy of freight flows between urban areas is the focus of this study. The results of a French survey that describes shipments sent by firms are used for understanding freight flows. The survey shows that the pattern of freight flows between urban areas in France is hierarchical, but varies depending upon whether the flows are generated by wholesale trade activities or by manufacturing. The differences are explained by the specific organizational characteristics of each of these two activities. Wholesale trade broadly reflects the traditional spatial organization of service activities, with interlocking areas of influence. The spatial organization of manufacturing flows is more complex, which can be attributed to the regional specialization of activities.