幼教機構兼具教育功能與商業行爲的特性，隨人口密度與都市發展分佈於都市地區，因都市的特性與幼教機構的社經需求改變，形成特殊的幼教空間發展型態。臺灣都會區因人口聚集與家庭結構等社會因素，對於幼托服務產生高度需求，幼兒教育事業因而蓬勃發展。本文以臺中市爲個案，探究幼教機構的空間發展，以幼兒居住點、幼兒教育服務圈等基礎調查，運用「空間自相關分析法」(spatial autocorrelation analysis)，解析1992、1996、2001、2006年等四個年度幼教機構的區位分佈，進而說明都市幼教產業的空間發展與變遷。 研究發現：臺中市幼教機構的空間分佈顯示區域內相同性質的空間單元可能有一個以上的聚集區，且於1992~2006年時期呈現隨時間擴散變化、集約度增高的聚集狀態。空間分佈變遷模式由1990年代初期聚集分佈於市中心區後向北北西移動，經由時間的變化逐漸轉向西北移動，並於2000年中期旋轉向西發展；其分佈中心點主要位於中港路與西屯路之自然科學博物館一帶。

Migration from rural to urban areas has led to the growth of cities and the concentration of large numbers of people. Kindergarten location and development is influenced and altered by the demands of early childhood educational institutions and other characteristics of the city. The family unit has had to adapt to such societal changes and the proliferation of early childhood educational institutions in Taichung city is rooted in such factors. Although educational in nature, these institutions do have commercial characteristics. Thus the preferred location of such institutions is affixed to city planning and high population densities. An investigation into the spatial allocation of early childhood educational institutions in Taichung City reveals that their distribution is tied to considerations of urban growth and commercial viability. Population statistics and direct surveys from previous research have both been drawn upon in this study. Spatial autocorrelation analysis has been employed to interpret the changes that have occurred over time. The research is based on data from a sample of four years (1992, 1996, 2001, 2006). The location of these early childhood educational institutions in Taichung City may be clustered in more than one area and a shifting phenomenon has also been observed during 1992-2006 period. This study finds that the cluster of early childhood educational institutions first shifted north-north-west in the early nineties, and then it shifted north-west. In mid-2000 the cluster moved west. Since 2000, the center of the shifting cluster has been within the boundaries of Taichung Gang Road and Shi-Tuin Road.