Pre-Publication Manuscript Urban Studies 48(16) 3511–3536, December 2011 IMPACTS OF URBAN CONTAINMENT POLICIES ON THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF METROPOLITAN AREAS Myungje Woo Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia, 30308, USA Jean-Michel Guldmann Department of City and Regional Planning The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA ABSTRACT. This paper examines the impacts of different types of urban containment policies (UCPs) on the spatial structure of U.S. metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on UCP tightness. These UCPs include state-mandated urban growth boundaries (UGBs), locally-adopted urban growth boundaries, and urban service areas (USAs). Population and employment density gradients, taken as concentration measures, are estimated for 135 metropolitan areas, and are then used in a simultaneous equation model to assess the impacts of different UCPs on metropolitan spatial structure. The results suggest that state-mandated “strong” UGBs more effectively promote growth within the boundaries than locally-adopted UGBs or USAs. JEL Classification: R12, R14, R33, R52 Keywords: urban containment policies, spatial structure, density gradient, simultaneous equations