The diverse processes behind neighborhood-level business agglomeration: the cases of Mile-End and Chabanel in Montreal

Recent studies in economic geography observe neighborhood-level clustering of similar businesses and present it as evidence that neighborhoods are key loci of interaction and information exchange. Case studies of specific industries show that this <i>can</i> occur, but are not sufficient to infer that business interactions necessarily accompany clustering: when neighborhoods have been theorized, their nature, and the degree to which local actors interact, are shown to be complex. In this paper we identify three recurrent dimensions – industry-mix, institutional infrastructure and morphology – evoked by economic geographers, and use them to structure our exploration of two Montreal neighborhoods, Chabanel and Mile-End. Whilst some businesses in each neighborhood interact, others locate there solely for reasons of image and accessibility: local clustering does not imply local interaction. Local institutions facilitate networking activities and, in some neighborhoods, can contribute to revitalization efforts. The materiality of neighborhoods – their buildings, physical limits, location, and amenities – can support interaction, but does not determine behavior.