A Treatise on the Geographical Scale of Agglomeration Externalities and the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem
Abstract
The modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) refers to the sensitivity of statistical research results to the initial spatial nomenclature used. Despite a substantial literature in the related field of geography on the potential influence of the MAUP, the urban economic modeling tradition has not paid much attention to this issue. In this article, we test to what extent the MAUP moderates the effect of agglomeration externalities on areal sectoral employment growth by varying the initial geographical scale of analysis. Using spatial cross-regressive modeling in which we account for spatial spillover effects of agglomeration externalities, we find different effects of agglomeration forces across geographical scales. As the MAUP is a theoretical as well as a methodological problem, research should not only work with proper statistical specifications of spatial agglomeration models incorporating different geographical scales, but also relate this more explicitly to hypotheses concerning the geographical scale at which agglomeration externalities operate.Download Info
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Paper provided by Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. in its series Research Paper with number ERS-2008-076-ORG.Length:
Date of creation: 14 Nov 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:dgr:eureri:1765013834
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Web page: http://www.erim.eur.nl/
Related research
Keywords: employment growth; agglomeration externalities; spatial econometrics; MAUP;This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2008-11-25 (All new papers)
- NEP-GEO-2008-11-25 (Economic Geography)
- NEP-URE-2008-11-25 (Urban & Real Estate Economics)
References
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- Henri L.F. de Groot & Jacques Poot & Martijn J. Smit, 2007. "Agglomeration, Innovation and Regional Development: Theoretical Perspectives and Meta-Analysis," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-079/3, Tinbergen Institute.
- Frank G. van Oort, 2007. "Spatial and sectoral composition effects of agglomeration economies in the Netherlands," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 86(1), pages 5-30, 03.
- Daan P. van Soest & Shelby Gerking & Frank G. van Oort, 2006. "Spatial Impacts Of Agglomeration Externalities," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(5), pages 881-899.
- Brülhart, Marius & Mathys, Nicole Andréa, 2007.
"Sectoral Agglomeration Economies in a Panel of European Regions,"
CEPR Discussion Papers
6410, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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- Marius BRÜLHART & Nicole A. MATHYS, 2007. "Sectoral Agglomeration Economies in a Panel of European Regions," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'Econométrie et d'Economie politique (DEEP) 07.04, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, DEEP.
- Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal, 2004. "Agglomeration economies and industrial location: city-level evidence," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 4(5), pages 565-582, November.
- Nijkamp, P. & Abreu, M., 2009. "Regional development theory," Serie Research Memoranda 0029, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Davide CASTELLANI & Valentina MELICIANI & Loredana Mirra, 2012. "The determinants of inward foreign direct investment in business services across european regions," Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia, Finanza e Statistica 104/2012, Università di Perugia, Dipartimento Economia, Finanza e Statistica.
- Friso Vor & Henri Groot, 2010. "Agglomeration externalities and localized employment growth: the performance of industrial sites in Amsterdam," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 409-431, June.
- Andersson, Martin & Klaesson, Johan & P Larsson, Johan, 2011. "Spatial Density and Productivity – an analysis on one-by-one kilometer squares," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 255, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
- Baltzopoulos, Apostolos, 2009. "The Firm and the Region as Breeding Grounds for Entrepreneurs," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 189, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
- Friso de Vor & Henri L.F. de Groot, 2008. "Agglomeration Externalities and Localized Employment Growth," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 08-033/3, Tinbergen Institute.
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