Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles) ISSN (Print) 1468-2702 - ISSN (Online) 1468-2710 Published by Oxford University Press[406 journals]
Authors:Iammarino S; Rodriguez-Pose A, Storper M. Pages: 273 - 298 Abstract: Regional economic divergence has become a threat to economic progress, social cohesion and political stability in Europe. Market processes and policies that are supposed to spread prosperity and opportunity are no longer sufficiently effective. The evidence points to the existence of several different modes of regional economic performance in Europe, responding to different development challenges and opportunities. Both mainstream and heterodox theories have gaps in their ability to explain the existence of these different regional trajectories and the weakness of the convergence processes among them. Therefore, a different approach is required, one that strengthens Europe’s strongest regions but develops new approaches to promote opportunity in industrial declining and less-developed regions. There is ample new theory and evidence to support such an approach, which we have labelled ‘place-sensitive distributed development policy’. PubDate: Fri, 27 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby021 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Maystadt J; Duranton G. Pages: 299 - 334 Abstract: We exploit a 1991–2010 Tanzanian household panel to assess the effects of the temporary refugee inflows originating from Burundi (1993) and Rwanda (1994). We find that the refugee presence has had a persistent and positive impact on the welfare of the local population. We investigate the possible channels of transmission, underscoring the importance of a decrease in transport costs as a key driver of this persistent change in welfare. We interpret these findings as the ability of a temporary shock to induce a persistent shift in the equilibrium through subsequent investments rather than a switch to a new equilibrium in a multiple-equilibrium setting. PubDate: Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby020 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Heuermann D; Schmieder J. Pages: 335 - 372 Abstract: We use the expansion of the high-speed rail (HSR) network in Germany as a natural experiment to examine the causal effect of reductions in commuting time between regions on the commuting decisions of workers and their choices regarding where to live and where to work. We exploit three key features in this setting: (i) investment in HSR has, in some cases dramatically, reduced travel times between regions, (ii) several small towns were connected to the HSR network only for political reasons, and (iii) high-speed trains have left the transportation of goods unaffected. Combining novel information on train schedules and the opening of HSR stations with panel data on all workers in Germany, we show that a reduction in travel time by 1% raises the number of commuters between regions by 0.25%. This effect is mainly driven by workers changing jobs to smaller cities while keeping their place of residence in larger ones. Our findings support the notion that benefits from infrastructure investments accrue in particular to peripheral regions, which gain access to a large pool of qualified workers with a preference for urban life. We find that the introduction of high-speed trains led to a modal shift toward rail transportation in particular on medium distances between 150 and 400 km. PubDate: Tue, 17 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby019 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Nathan M; Vandore E, Voss G. Pages: 409 - 432 Abstract: We explore place branding as an economic development strategy for technology clusters, using London’s ‘Tech City’ initiative as a case study. We site place branding in a larger family of policies that develop spatial imaginaries and specify affordances and constraints on place brands and brand-led strategies. Using mixed methods over a long timeframe, we analyse Tech City’s emergence and the overlapping, competing narratives that preceded and succeeded it, highlighting day-to-day challenges and more basic tensions. While a strong brand has developed, we cast doubt on claims that policy has had a catalytic effect, at least in the ways originally intended. PubDate: Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby018 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Waights S. Pages: 433 - 464 Abstract: I investigate the welfare effect of conservation areas that preserve historic districts by regulating development. Such regulation may improve the quality of life but does so by reducing housing productivity—that is, the efficiency with which inputs (land and non-land) are converted into housing services. Using a unique panel dataset for English cities and an instrumental variable approach, I find that conservation areas lead to higher house prices for given land values and building costs (lower housing productivity) and higher house prices for given wages (higher quality of life). The overall welfare impact is found to be negative. PubDate: Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby002 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Montolio D; Planells-Struse S. Pages: 465 - 504 Abstract: Given the recent increase observed in crime related to football matches, we determine the extent to which this private leisure activity is responsible for negative crime externalities. We conduct an Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis and spatial regressions at the census tract level drawing on data for the matches played by Football Club Barcelona and geocoded crime data for the city of Barcelona (Spain); focusing on thefts (mainly pick pocketing) and assaults (interpersonal violence or hooliganism). We find an increase in the number of thefts across the whole city but, especially, in those census tracts within a 700-m radius of the stadium. These results are confirmed by the low number of crimes committed during away matches in the census tracts around the stadium. A similar spatial pattern is found for assaults. Our results provide evidence of a displacement effect of violent supporters (hooligans) towards the stadium on football days. PubDate: Wed, 24 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lbx041 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Simon C. Pages: 505 - 534 Abstract: Costa and Kahn (2000, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115: 1287–1315) documented that power couples tended to be located in large cities, postulating a need to solve a co-location problem peculiar to dual-career, highly educated spouses. Using data from the 2008 to 2014 American Community Surveys, I find that young full-power couples are more likely to move to larger, better-educated cities relative to couples in which just the husband has a college degree and wife-only power couples more likely than couples in which neither spouse has a college degree. I also present new evidence that larger, better-educated cities offer superior joint husband-and-wife career outcomes as measured by occupational attainment for wives and husbands with college degrees. PubDate: Thu, 15 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lby009 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2018)
Authors:Cole M; Elliott R, Okubo T, et al. Pages: 373 - 408 Abstract: In this paper, we use the 1995 Kobe earthquake as a natural experiment to examine the impact of a large exogenous physical shock on local economic activity. For the first time we are able to control for local spatial heterogeneity in the damage caused by a natural disaster using geo-coded plant location and unique building-level surveys. In a survival analysis of manufacturing plants, our results show that building-level damage significantly affects a plant’s likelihood of failure and this effect persists for up to 7 years. Further analysis demonstrates that the plants most likely to exit as a result of earthquake damage are the least productive which is suggestive of a cleansing effect as the average productivity rate of the remaining plants increases. We also find that continuing plants experience a temporary increase in productivity following the earthquake consistent with a ‘build back better’ effect. In terms of local regeneration our results indicate that plant births increase in areas with more severe damage consistent with redevelopment plans for Kobe. PubDate: Fri, 10 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT DOI: 10.1093/jeg/lbx037 Issue No:Vol. 19, No. 2 (2017)
Hybrid journal (It can contain Open Access articles)
[406 journals]
