From suburb to regional hub: Exploring logistical geographies in Abbotsford, B.C.

Deindustrialization, globalization, and the changing demands of global supply chains are driving spatial changes at local and regional scales. The movement of goods and related infrastructure has seen a shift away from inner-city locations toward suburban and exurban sites that can provide large plots of land close to major transportation networks, ideal for the construction of large-footprint warehouses and distribution centres. This research explores the relationship between the global logistics industry and local governments, who, through local land use planning policies, play a direct role in the ability of firms to develop warehouses. I focus on the City of Abbotsford, a suburban municipality in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, and its efforts to accommodate large-scale industrial users, including warehousing and logistics. I find that while logistics remains a challenging industry to plan for and manage at the local level, suburban actors are attempting to take advantage of this economic and spatial shift by developing new narratives to propel industrial growth forward.