Freight flows and Urban Hierarchy : Some Evidence from France

International audienceThis paper considers the varying hierarchy of freight flows between urban areas, distinguishing between manufacturing and wholesale trade activities. It draws on the results of a French survey that describes shipments sent by firms. It shows that the pattern of freight flows between urban areas in France is hierarchical, but that it varies according to 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, and seems to be much more the result of regional specialization of activities