Understanding city and town regions is important to understanding the dynamics of the economy in a region. City and town regions are characterised by flows (travel patterns) into and out of them, and these flows differ depending on the dataset / activity being monitored. Good data already exists about commuting flows, but there is less good data available about the flows to retail and leisure facilities.

The study presents data from a range of Experian surveys that has enabled an analysis of flows from home to leisure and home to retail facilities. The data is presented in maps of catchment areas and tables of proportional flows. The data is based on surveys from 2004 and 2005. Flows are summarised at Local and Unitary Authority level.