Abstract
The Washington D.C., National Capital Region is surrounded by a series of edge cities. These edge cities developed rapidly in the 1980s and are tied to extensive commercial and retail centers within the larger urban field. Economically they focus on the delivery of high technology information-oriented services and are populated by small and medium sized firms. The region has been recently titled "The Capital Netplex" because of its concentration on advanced information network technologies. An examination of the intra-regional differential associated with firm size, start up rates and industrial composition is evaluated. An assessment of the economic impact of the Netplex firms on the regional economy and selected policy issues are examined.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armington, C., 1986, ‘The Changing Geography of High-Technology Businesses’, in J. Rees (ed.), Technology Regions and Policy, New York: Bowman and Littlefield Publishers.
Beam, D. R. and T. J. Conlan, 1993, ‘The Growth of Intergovernmental Mandates in an Era of Deregulation and Decentralization’, in L. J. O'Toole (ed.), American Intergovernmental Relations; Foundations, Perspectives, and Issues, 2nd Edition, Congressional Quarterly, Washington, D.C.
Campbell, H. and R. R. Stough, 1994, ‘Forecasting the Future of Northern Virginia’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Conlan, T. J., 1988, ‘New Federalism; Intergovernmental Reform from Nixon to Reagan’, Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution.
Conway, R. S., Jr, 1990, ‘The Washington Projection and Simulation Model: A Regional Interindustry Econometric Model’, International Regional Science Review 13(1 & 2).
Fuller, S., 1994, ‘Federal Spending Trends in Northern Virginia, 1984–1993 and The Growing Importance of Small Business as Sources of Employment Growth’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings on the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Garreau, J., 1991, Edge City; Life on the New Frontier, New York, NY: Doubleday.
Haynes, K. E. and J. Riggle, 1994, ‘The Role of Infrastructure in Regional Systems Dynamics’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings on the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Haynes, K. E., R. R. Stough and W. Bowen, 1995, ‘Transportation, Technology and Governance in Edge Cities’, Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Asian Urbanization, Taipei, Republic of China.
Hicks, D. A. and J. Rees, 1993, ‘Cities and Beyond: A New Look at the Nation's Urban Economy’, in J. Sommer and D. A. Hicks (eds.), Rediscovering Urban America: Perspectives on the 1980s. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Research.
Pelay, C. E. and J. L. Knapp, 1993, An Economic Profile of the Northern Virginia Planning District, Center for the Public Service.
Popino, J. and R. R. Stough, 1994, ‘The Northern Virginia Region’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings on the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Scott, A. J., 1988, New Industrial Spaces, London: Pion.
Soja, E. W., 1986, ‘Taking Los Angeles Apart: Some Fragments of Critical Human Geography’, Environmental Planning D: Society and Space 4, 255-277.
Stanback, T. M., Computerization and the Transformation of Employment: Government, Hospitals and Universities, Boulder CO: Westview Press.
Storper, M. And A. J. Scott, eds., Pathways to Industrialization and Regional Development, London: Routledge.
Stough, R. R. et al., 1995, Technology in the Greater Washington Region, Washington, D.C.: The Greater Washington Board of Trade.
Stough, R. R. (ed.), 1994, Proceedings of the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Stough, R. R., 1994, ‘Northern Virginia and the National Capital Region’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings on the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Stough, R. R. and K. E. Haynes, 1994, ‘The Vulnerability of the Northern Virginia Economy’, in R. R. Stough (ed.), Proceedings on the First Annual Conference on the Future of the Northern Virginia Economy, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University.
Stough, R. R. and J. Popino, 1994, Employment, Income and Fiscal Effects of the Northern Virginia Technology Sector. Phase I Report, Fairfax, VA: Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University for the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology.
U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, Sept. 1994, ‘Federally Induced Costs Affecting State and Local Governments’, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1980, ‘Summary of Social and Economic Indicators’, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990, ‘Summary of Social and Economic Indicators’, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, 1985, ‘Uniform Crime Report’, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations, 1992, ‘Uniform Crime Report’, Washington, D.C.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stough, R.R., Haynes, K.E. & Campbell, H.S. Small Business Entrepreneurship in the High Technology Services Sector: An Assessment for the Edge Cities of the U.S. National Capital Region. Small Business Economics 10, 61–74 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007930720118
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007930720118