Location intelligence co-location archetypes

@@ -13,38 +13,37 @@ bcsc_class: current-fact
language_protocol: PROSE-TOPIC
last_edited: 2026-09-04
editor: pointsav-engineering
short_description: "Three co-location archetypes — Retail Centres (PRO), Urban Fringe (VWH), and Commuter (PKS) — identifying distinct commercial clustering patterns across 17 countries in North America and Europe."
short_description: "Three co-location archetypes — Retail Centres, Urban Fringe, and Commuter — identifying distinct commercial clustering patterns across 17 countries in North America and Europe."
paired_with: site-selection/location-intelligence-archetypes.es.md
---

The Location Intelligence platform identifies retail and commercial gravity
through three co-location archetypes: Retail Centres (PRO), Urban Fringe
(VWH), and Commuter (PKS). Each archetype describes a distinct clustering
pattern that reflects a different type of commercial activity and a different
through three co-location archetypes: Retail Centres, Urban Fringe, and
Commuter. Each archetype describes a distinct clustering pattern that
reflects a different type of commercial activity and a different
relationship to the surrounding urban geography.

The three-letter codes were ratified on 1 June 2026.

## The three archetypes

| Code | Name | Anchor type | Status |
|------|------|-------------|--------|
| **PRO** | Retail Centres | Predicate-gate composition test — grocery hypermarket plus hardware/warehouse/lifestyle anchor combinations | Live — Regional/District/Local/Fringe tier pipeline |
| **VWH** | Urban Fringe | Hardware + trade-supply ecosystem (MRO, tool rental, builders merchant, auto parts) | Live — production co-location pipeline across three tiers |
| **PKS** | Commuter | Regional transit anchor (airport, rail, bus) + park-and-ride + car rental/hotel enrichment | Live — production co-location pipeline across three tiers |
| Name | Anchor type | Status |
|------|-------------|--------|
| Retail Centres | Predicate-gate composition test — grocery hypermarket plus hardware/warehouse/lifestyle anchor combinations | Live — Regional/District/Local/Fringe tier pipeline |
| Urban Fringe | Hardware + trade-supply ecosystem (MRO, tool rental, builders merchant, auto parts) | Live — production co-location pipeline across three tiers |
| Commuter | Regional transit anchor (airport, rail, bus) + park-and-ride + car rental/hotel enrichment | Live — production co-location pipeline across three tiers |

PRO is the base map product — the foundation of the site-selection dataset.
VWH and PKS are overlay archetypes that identify adjacent market structures
not captured by grocery-anchored clustering.
Retail Centres is the base map product — the foundation of the
site-selection dataset. Urban Fringe and Commuter are overlay archetypes
that identify adjacent market structures not captured by grocery-anchored
clustering.

---

## PRO — Retail Centres
## Retail Centres

PRO clusters represent grocery-anchored commercial co-locations, assigned to
one of four tiers by a predicate-gate test — each tier requires every listed
condition to pass, not an additive score against a threshold. The gate
definitions are set out in full in the
Retail Centres clusters represent grocery-anchored commercial co-locations,
assigned to one of four tiers by a predicate-gate test — each tier requires
every listed condition to pass, not an additive score against a threshold.
The gate definitions are set out in full in the
[[catchment-ranking-methodology|catchment ranking methodology]], which is
the canonical statement of the tier logic; what follows summarises what
distinguishes each tier.
@@ -87,24 +86,25 @@ footprint change.

---

## VWH — Urban Fringe
## Urban Fringe

VWH clusters identify concentrations of hardware and industrial-supply
retailers in the absence of grocery anchors. These sites occupy the urban
fringe — a band of distance beyond the immediate metro core but short of
standalone-market territory — and tend to cluster around highway interchanges
in areas with adjacent industrial landuse.
Urban Fringe clusters identify concentrations of hardware and
industrial-supply retailers in the absence of grocery anchors. These sites
occupy the urban fringe — a band of distance beyond the immediate metro core
but short of standalone-market territory — and tend to cluster around
highway interchanges in areas with adjacent industrial landuse.

### Definition

A VWH candidate is a location where one or more hardware retailers are
present, no grocery hypermarket is within the cluster span, and the site
An Urban Fringe candidate is a location where one or more hardware retailers
are present, no grocery hypermarket is within the cluster span, and the site
sits within the Urban Fringe metro-distance band. The typical built form is a
multi-storey warehouse or light-manufacturing building, distinct from the
one-storey big-box format of the retail park.

VWH locations serve trades contractors, light-manufacturing operators,
and just-in-time logistics tenants — not general retail consumers.
Urban Fringe locations serve trades contractors, light-manufacturing
operators, and just-in-time logistics tenants — not general retail
consumers.

### Co-location signals

@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ and just-in-time logistics tenants — not general retail consumers.
| Transit corridor nearby | Workforce access |

**Disqualifying:** Dense residential immediately adjacent; flood plain;
heritage conservation zone; location inside a PRO cluster.
heritage conservation zone; location inside a Retail Centres cluster.

### Production status

@@ -140,33 +140,34 @@ across several other North American and European markets.
Clusters are distributed across the three tiers in the expected shape: a
small minority reach the Full Trade Hub tier, a larger share reach the
Established tier, and the majority sit in the Emerging/Thin tier. That
T3-heavy distribution is expected — a full trade hub combining MRO, tool
rental, builders merchant, and auto parts is a legitimately rare
lower-tier-heavy distribution is expected — a full trade hub combining MRO,
tool rental, builders merchant, and auto parts is a legitimately rare
combination.

Some VWH clusters sit close enough to a grocery hypermarket to function as
dual-use commercial parks — valid VWH co-locations that also include grocery
retail.
Some Urban Fringe clusters sit close enough to a grocery hypermarket to
function as dual-use commercial parks — valid Urban Fringe co-locations
that also include grocery retail.

---

## PKS — Commuter
## Commuter

PKS clusters identify commercial concentrations near regional airports and
intercity train stations that sit in a Commuter belt beyond the immediate
metro core but short of standalone-market distance. The defining demand
pattern is park-and-fly or park-and-train travel: residents of a Regional
Market drive to a transit node, park, and travel to the Metro Market.
Commuter clusters identify commercial concentrations near regional airports
and intercity train stations that sit in a Commuter belt beyond the
immediate metro core but short of standalone-market distance. The defining
demand pattern is park-and-fly or park-and-train travel: residents of a
Regional Market drive to a transit node, park, and travel to the Metro
Market.

### Definition

A PKS candidate is a regional transit node — airport or intercity train
A Commuter candidate is a regional transit node — airport or intercity train
station — within the Commuter metro-distance band. Nodes closer than that
band are classified as suburban rather than regional; nodes beyond it are
considered standalone markets with a separate metro relationship.

The defining commercial signal at a PKS location is car rental. Auto parts,
fuel stations, quick-service restaurants, and convenience stores are
The defining commercial signal at a Commuter location is car rental. Auto
parts, fuel stations, quick-service restaurants, and convenience stores are
secondary signals.

### Co-location signals
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ secondary signals.
|--------|-----------|
| Regional transit anchor nearby | Airport or intercity station with direct metro service |
| Metro isolation within the Commuter band | Defines the regional relationship |
| PRO T1 or T2 cluster nearby | Same population generates parking demand |
| Regional or District Retail Centres cluster nearby | Same population generates parking demand |
| Sufficient regional population | Minimum demand for multi-storey parking |

**Significant:**
@@ -212,10 +213,10 @@ in each market, reflected in the current dataset.

### Major hub filter

Airports adjacent to a major PRO retail cluster are excluded as likely major
commercial hubs. The largest international airports generate their own retail
gravity and do not exhibit the park-and-transit pattern the archetype is
built to find; the adjacency filter removes them.
Airports adjacent to a major Retail Centres cluster are excluded as likely
major commercial hubs. The largest international airports generate their
own retail gravity and do not exhibit the park-and-transit pattern the
archetype is built to find; the adjacency filter removes them.

### Planned enhancements

@@ -230,11 +231,12 @@ The following are planned, not current capability:

## Map integration

VWH and PKS are available as overlay layers alongside the core Retail
Centres (PRO) view, so a reviewer can see Urban Fringe and Commuter
candidates together with the base retail-cluster map. PKS candidates are
further distinguished as integrated — near a PRO Tier 1 or Tier 2 cluster —
or standalone, consistent with the Commuter definition above.
Urban Fringe and Commuter are available as overlay layers alongside the core
Retail Centres view, so a reviewer can see Urban Fringe and Commuter
candidates together with the base retail-cluster map. Commuter candidates
are further distinguished as integrated — near a Regional or District Retail
Centres cluster — or standalone, consistent with the Commuter definition
above.

## Data Sources

@@ -242,11 +244,11 @@ Map and location data © [OpenStreetMap contributors](https://www.openstreetmap.

## See also

- [[catchment-ranking-methodology|Catchment Ranking Methodology]] — the canonical statement of the PRO tier gates
- [[co-location-methodology|Co-location Methodology]] — the anchor-composition test that drives PRO tier assignment
- [[co-location-ranking-system|Co-location Ranking System]] — the five-rank commercial density index that ranks PRO clusters
- [[catchment-ranking-methodology|Catchment Ranking Methodology]] — the canonical statement of the Retail Centres tier gates
- [[co-location-methodology|Co-location Methodology]] — the anchor-composition test that drives Retail Centres tier assignment
- [[co-location-ranking-system|Co-location Ranking System]] — how Retail Centres clusters are ordered within a country
- [[retail-brand-family-taxonomy|Retail Brand-Family Taxonomy]] — the anchor classes referenced throughout
- [[about-regional-markets-system|Regional Markets Intelligence System]] — the 400-market set built on PRO cluster data
- [[atlas-top-400-north-america|Top 400 Regional Markets — North America]] — qualifying set of suburban-regional PRO markets in NA
- [[atlas-top-400-europe|Top 400 Regional Markets — Europe]] — qualifying set of suburban-regional PRO markets in EU
- [[about-regional-markets-system|Regional Markets Intelligence System]] — the 400-market set built on Retail Centres cluster data
- [[atlas-top-400-north-america|Top 400 Regional Markets — North America]] — qualifying set of suburban-regional Retail Centres markets in NA
- [[atlas-top-400-europe|Top 400 Regional Markets — Europe]] — qualifying set of suburban-regional Retail Centres markets in EU
- [[od-catchment-methodology|Distance-Band Methodology]] — how demand zones are measured around each cluster centroid