This article is found in the latest Canadian Social Trends (January 2008) from Statistics Canada that looks at how one might look at the differentiation between the suburbs and the city core within the context of urban communities. To quote:

In this article, we explore four possible approaches to the problem of differentiating between suburban neighbourhoods and central neighbourhoods in census metropolitan areas. The advantages and limits of the four approaches are discussed in detail. In the second part, we show, using census data and selected classification tools, how the various types of neighbourhoods differ in terms of population characteristics.

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Also, there is an article titled Dependence on cars in urban neighbourhoods

In this article, we focus on the relationship between the types of neighbourhoods in which people live and the use of cars for daily travel. How much do residents of peripheral areas and low-density (suburban) neighbourhoods depend on cars in their daily lives compared with residents of more “urban” neighbourhoods? To what extent can residents of central neighbourhoods go about their day-to-day business without necessarily using a car? In which metropolitan areas is exclusive use of the automobile most common?

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