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Zipfs Law for Cities: An Empirical Examination

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Author Info
Y Ioannides
Henry Overman

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Abstract

We use data for metro areas in the United States, from the US Census for 1900 û 1990, to test the validity of Zipf's Law for cities. Previous investigations are restricted to regressions of log size against log rank. In contrast, we use a nonparametric procedure to calculate local Zipf exponents from the mean and variance of city growth rates. This also allows us to test for the validity of Gibrat's Law for city growth processes. Despite variation in growth rates as a function of city size, Gibrat's Law does hold. In addition the local Zipf exponents are broadly consistent with Zipf's Law. Deviations from Zipf's Law are easily explained by deviations from Gibrat's Law.

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Paper provided by Centre for Economic Performance, LSE in its series CEP Discussion Papers with number dp0484.

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Date of creation: Nov 2000
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Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0484

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Related research
Keywords: Urban growth; Zipfs Law; Gibrats Law; estimation of Brownian motion;

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  1. Julie Gallo & Coro Chasco, 2008. "Spatial analysis of urban growth in Spain, 1900–2001," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 59-80, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Claude LACOUR (GREThA) & Sylvette PUISSANT (GREThA), 2008. "Medium-Sized Cities and the Dynamics of Creative Services," Cahiers du GREThA 2008-08, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée. [Downloadable!]
  3. Cuberes, David, 2008. "A Model of Sequential City Growth," MPRA Paper 8431, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  4. Adolfo Meisel Roca & Gerson Javier Pérez V, 2006. "Geografía física y poblamiento en la Costa Caribe colombiana," DOCUMENTOS DE TRABAJO SOBRE ECONOMÍA REGIONAL 002767, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA - ECONOMÍA REGIONAL. [Downloadable!]
  5. Cuberes, David, 2007. "A Model of Sequential City Growth," MPRA Paper 2172, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Juan-Carlos Candeal & Antonio Montañés & Irene Olloqui, 2003. "Spurious Zipf's Law," ERSA conference papers ersa03p67, European Regional Science Association. [Downloadable!]
  7. Rubens Augusto de Miranda & Bruno Dutra Badia, 2006. "A Evolução Da Distribuição Do Tamanho Das Cidades De Minas Gerais: 1920-2000," Anais do XII Seminário sobre a Economia Mineira [Proceedings of the 12th Seminar on the Economy of Minas Gerais], in: João Antonio de Paula & et alli (ed.), Anais do XII Seminário sobre a Economia Mineira [Proceedings of the 12th Seminar on the Economy of Minas Gerais] Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. [Downloadable!]
  8. Cordoba, Juan, 2001. "Balanced City Growth and Zipf's Law," Working Papers 2002-03, Rice University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  9. Yannis M. Ioannides & Henry G. Overman, 2000. "Spatial Evolution of the US Urban System," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0018, Department of Economics, Tufts University. [Downloadable!]
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  10. Claude LACOUR (GREThA-GRES) & Sylvette PUISSANT (GREThA-GRES), 2008. "Medium-Sized Cities and the Dynamics of Creative Services," Cahiers du GRES 2008-07, Groupement de Recherches Economiques et Sociales. [Downloadable!]
  11. Juan Carlos Cordoba, 2003. "On the Distribution of City Sizes," Urban/Regional 0302002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Xavier Gabaix & Yannis M. Ioannides, 2003. "The Evolution of City Size Distributions," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0310, Department of Economics, Tufts University. [Downloadable!]
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  13. Jan Eeckhout & Boyan Jovanovic, 2002. "Knowledge Spillovers and Inequality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1290-1307, December. [Downloadable!]
  14. Esteban Rossi-Hansberg & Mark L. J. Wright, 2006. "Urban structure and growth," Staff Report 381, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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