Vers la construction d'un cadre d'analyse de la croissance endogène localisée. Une revue de littérature sur les nouveaux modèles de représentation des phénomènes d'agglomération et de leur évolution

Economic geography and the new urban theories create an original analytical framework in spatial economics in order to study location issues within an environment of increasing returns and imperfect competition. Two research topics are related : the first one wonders when a symmetric equilibrium, without spatial concentration, is unstable. The work related to this topic tries to identify the reasons for concentration and polarization in manufacturing and the forces that strengthen this process. The second one wonders whether a spatial concentration of economic activity is sustainable. This topic overpass the problem of the static allocations or resources within global space and tries to study the couple « industrial growth ? spatial concentration ». This paper aims to prove, through some selective literature review, that the models of the new economic geography slowly evolve from the first to the second question. They enter, thus, within the larger domain of endogenous growth?s models, while still working on regional development issues. Classification JEL : L11, R11, R12, R30.