IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/feemsi/44225.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Pollution and the Efficiency of Urban Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Quaas, Martin F.
  • Smulders, Sjak

Abstract

We analyze the efficiency of urbanization patterns in a dynamic model of endogenous urban growth with two sectors of production. Production exhibits increasing returns to scale on aggregate. Urban environmental pollution, as a force that discourages agglomeration, is caused by domestic production. We show that cities are too large and too few in number in equilibrium, compared to the efficient urbanization path, if economic growth implies increasing aggregate emissions. If, on the other hand, production becomes cleaner over time (`quality growth') the urbanization path approximates the efficient outcome after finite time.

Suggested Citation

  • Quaas, Martin F. & Smulders, Sjak, 2008. "Pollution and the Efficiency of Urban Growth," Sustainability Indicators and Environmental Valuation Working Papers 44225, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:feemsi:44225
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.44225
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/44225/files/75-08.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.44225?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerlagh, Reyer & Liski, Matti, 2008. "Strategic Resource Dependence," Economic Theory and Applications Working Papers 44222, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    2. Gerlagh, Reyer & Liski, Matti, 2011. "Strategic resource dependence," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 699-727, March.
    3. Sonia Ben Kheder & Natalia Zugravu, 2008. "The pollution haven hypothesis: a geographic economy model in a comparative study," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne v08083, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    4. Esteban Rossi-Hansberg & Mark L. J. Wright, 2007. "Urban Structure and Growth," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 74(2), pages 597-624.
    5. Shah, J.J. & Nagpal, T., 1997. "Urban Air Quality Management Strategy in Asia. Jakarta Report," Papers 379, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    6. Shah, J.J. & Nagpal, T., 1997. "Urban Air Quality Management Strategy in Asia. Metro Manila Report," Papers 380, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    7. Andreoni, James & Levinson, Arik, 2001. "The simple analytics of the environmental Kuznets curve," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(2), pages 269-286, May.
    8. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    9. Henderson, J V, 1974. "The Sizes and Types of Cities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(4), pages 640-656, September.
    10. Jérôme Massiani & Paolo Rosato, 2008. "The Preferences of Trieste Inhabitants for the Re-use of the Old Port: A Conjoint Choice Experiment," Working Papers 2008.74, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    11. Puga, Diego, 1999. "The rise and fall of regional inequalities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 303-334, February.
    12. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    13. Lieb, Christoph M., 2002. "The environmental Kuznets curve and satiation: a simple static model," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 429-448, July.
    14. Henderson, Vernon, 2002. "Urban primacy, external costs, and quality of life," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1-2), pages 95-106, February.
    15. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
    16. Quaas, Martin F. & Smulders, Sjak, 2008. "Pollution and the Efficiency of Urban Growth," Sustainability Indicators and Environmental Valuation Working Papers 44225, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    17. Plassmann, Florenz & Khanna, Neha, 2006. "A note on ‘the simple analytics of the Environmental Kuznets Curve’," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(6), pages 697-707, December.
    18. Hannes Egli & Thomas Steger, 2007. "A Dynamic Model of the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Turning Point and Public Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 36(1), pages 15-34, January.
    19. Robert W. Helsley & William C. Strange, 1997. "Limited Developers," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 30(2), pages 329-348, May.
    20. Shah, J.J. & Nagpal, T., 1997. "Urban Air Quality Management Strategy in Asia. Greater Mumbai Report," Papers 381, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    21. Vernon Henderson, 2002. "Urbanization in Developing Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 17(1), pages 89-112.
    22. Anas, Alex & Xiong, Kai, 2005. "The formation and growth of specialized cities: efficiency without developers or Malthusian traps," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 445-470, July.
    23. Duncan Black & Vernon Henderson, 1999. "A Theory of Urban Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 107(2), pages 252-284, April.
    24. Shah, J.J. & Nagpal, T., 1997. "Urban Air Quality Management Strategy in Asia. Kathmandu Valley Report," Papers 378, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Martin F. Quaas & Sjak Smulders, 2008. "Pollution and the Efficiency of Urban Growth," Working Papers 2008.75, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin F. Quaas & Sjak Smulders, 2018. "Brown Growth, Green Growth, and the Efficiency of Urbanization," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 71(2), pages 529-549, October.
    2. Henderson, J. Vernon, 2005. "Urbanization and Growth," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 24, pages 1543-1591, Elsevier.
    3. Sushama Murty, 2014. "On the environmental Kuznets curve with fossil-fuel induced emission: Theory and some illustrative examples," Discussion Papers 1406, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    4. Brajer, Victor & Mead, Robert W. & Xiao, Feng, 2008. "Health benefits of tunneling through the Chinese environmental Kuznets curve (EKC)," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 674-686, July.
    5. Gilles Duranton, 2007. "From cities to productivity and growth in developing countries," Working Papers tecipa-306, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    6. Desmet, Klaus & Henderson, J. Vernon, 2015. "The Geography of Development Within Countries," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 1457-1517, Elsevier.
    7. Hannes Egli & Thomas Steger, 2007. "A Dynamic Model of the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Turning Point and Public Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 36(1), pages 15-34, January.
    8. Sushama Murty, 2014. "Necessary and sufficient conditions for an environmental Kuznets curve with some illustrative examples," Discussion Papers 1407, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    9. Jeyhun I. Mikayilov & Marzio Galeotti & Fakhri J. Hasanov, 2018. "The Impact of Economic Growth on CO2 Emissions in Azerbaijan," IEFE Working Papers 102, IEFE, Center for Research on Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy.
    10. J. Vernon Henderson, 2010. "Cities And Development," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 515-540, February.
    11. Pierre Philippe Combes & Gilles Duranton & Henry G. Overman, 2005. "Agglomeration and the adjustment of the spatial economy§," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 84(3), pages 311-349, August.
    12. Michael Storper, 2010. "Agglomeration, Trade, And Spatial Development: Bringing Dynamics Back In," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 313-342, February.
    13. Managi, Shunsuke, 2006. "Are there increasing returns to pollution abatement? Empirical analytics of the Environmental Kuznets Curve in pesticides," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 617-636, June.
    14. Hart, Rob, 2020. "Growth, pollution, policy!," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    15. Ching-Yao Irene Lai & C.C. Yang, 2014. "Scale Effect Versus Induced Policy Response In The Environmental Kuznets Curve: The Case Of U.S. Water Pollution," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 32(2), pages 435-450, April.
    16. Dinda, Soumyananda, 2005. "A theoretical basis for the environmental Kuznets curve," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 403-413, May.
    17. Breinlich, Holger & Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P. & Temple, Jonathan R.W., 2014. "Regional Growth and Regional Decline," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 4, pages 683-779, Elsevier.
    18. Massimiliano Mazzanti & Antonio Musolesi, 2011. "Income and time related effects in EKC," Working Papers 201105, University of Ferrara, Department of Economics.
    19. Klaus Desmet & Esteban Rossi-Hansberg, 2014. "Spatial Development," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(4), pages 1211-1243, April.
    20. Alexandra-Anca Purcel, 2020. "New insights into the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis in developing and transition economies: a literature survey," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 22(4), pages 585-631, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Environmental Economics and Policy; Community/Rural/Urban Development;

    JEL classification:

    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:feemsi:44225. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/feemmit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.