Centrality, Flow, and Spatial Inequalities in Urban Food Services: Evidence from a Global South City-Tanta, Egypt

Abstract

This study analyzes the spatial distribution of restaurant services in Tanta, Egypt, using a multi-scalar framework that integrates spatial autocorrelation, kernel density estimation, diversity measures, and spatial econometric modeling. It is theoretically grounded in Central Place Theory (CPT) and Central Flow Theory (CFT) to examine how urban hierarchy and mobility dynamics jointly shape food service geography in a mid-sized Global South city. The findings reveal significant spatial inequalities, with nearly half of all restaurants concentrated in a limited number of central neighborhoods, while peripheral areas remain underserved. Spatial regression analysis indicates that these patterns are not adequately explained by population distribution, as total population and density variables showed non-significant effects in the OLS model. Instead, clustering is more strongly associated with accessibility and infrastructure. The transition from OLS to the Spatial Error Model (SEM) significantly improved the explanatory power (R2 increased from 0.369 to 0.534), with a highly significant Lambda coefficient (λ = 0.69, p < 0.00001) confirming that unobserved spatial processes and mobility flows are the primary drivers of restaurant concentration. Correlation results further indicate that road density (Coefficient = 2.10, p < 0.01) and educational facilities have significant positive relationships with restaurant density, whereas most demographic indicators show weak effects. Furthermore, a significant negative interaction between population and road density (−2.63, p = 0.014) underscores that mobility corridors can override traditional residential thresholds, providing empirical support for CFT. Diversity analysis highlights clear intra-urban disparities, with high-diversity clusters located along major accessibility axes. Kernel density results point to a hybrid spatial structure, where traditional urban cores coexist with emerging secondary nodes. Overall, the study demonstrates that restaurant distribution in Tanta is better explained through a hybrid CPT–CFT framework, where accessibility and mobility flows outweigh population thresholds. These findings challenge traditional models and emphasize the need for dynamic, accessibility-oriented planning approaches to address spatial inequalities in urban services.