Industrial diversity in building units and factors associated with diversity: A case study of the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Whereas previous studies have not paid much attention to spatial units in buildings, and have merely measured diversity at the regional level, this study aims to calculate the industrial diversity in building units in the Seoul Metropolitan Area and examine the factors associated with such diversity using the multi-level model method. The results show that a vertical factory is an important industrial zone correlated strongly to diversity in building spaces. Industrial composition also positively associated with diversity. Industrial diversity tends to increase in technology-intensive industries, but decreases in traditional ones. Furthermore, this study reveals a pattern in which buildings with high diversity are spatially clustered in certain areas. Meanwhile, industrial parks have a negative association with diversity. High land prices also hinder the agglomeration of industries that aim for urban location, and may ultimately have a negative association with diversity.