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Economy vs. History: What Does Actually Determine the Distribution of Firms' Locations in Cities?

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Helge Sanner

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine in which cases economic forces or historical singularities prevail in the determination of the long-run distribution of firms. We develop a relatively general model of heterogenous firms' location choice in discrete space. The main force towards an agglomerated structure is the reduction of transaction costs for consumers if firms are located closely, whilst competition and transport costs work towards a more disperse structure. We then assess the importance of the initial conditions by simulating and comparing the resulting distribution of firms for identical economic parameters but varying initial settings. If the equilibrium distributions of firms are similar we conclude that economic forces have prevailed, while differences in the resulting distributions indicate that 'history' is more important. The (dis)similarity of distributions of firms is calculated by means of a measure, which exhibits a number of desirable features.

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Paper provided by Universität Potsdam, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät in its series Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge with number 67.

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Date of creation: Jun 2004
Date of revision: Sep 2004
Handle: RePEc:pot:vwldis:67b

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Related research
Keywords: Firm location choice Discrete space Path dependency

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
R12 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-50, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Darlene Chisholm & George Norman, 2002. "Heterogeneous Preferences and Location Choice with Multi-Product Firms," Discussion Papers Series, Department of Economics, Tufts University 0205, Department of Economics, Tufts University. [Downloadable!]
  3. Winfried KOENIGER & Omar LICANDRO, 2004. "Substitutability and Competition in the Dixit-Stiglitz Model," Economics Working Papers ECO2004/05, European University Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Nicholas Economides & Jamie Howell & Sergio Meza, 2002. "Does it Pay to be First? Sequential Locational Choice and Foreclosure," Working Papers 02-19, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  5. Tjalling C. Koopmans & Martin J. Beckmann, 1955. "Assignment Problems and the Location of Economic Activities," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 4, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
  6. Eaton, B Curtis & Lipsey, Richard G, 1975. "The Principle of Minimum Differentiation Reconsidered: Some New Developments in the Theory of Spatial Competition," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(1), pages 27-49, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Pal, Debashis & Sarkar, Jyotirmoy, 2002. "Spatial competition among multi-store firms," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 163-190, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Dixit, Avinash K & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1977. "Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 297-308, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Chisholm, Darlene C. & Norman, George, 2004. "Heterogeneous preferences and location choice with multi-product firms," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 321-339, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Masahisa Fujita & Paul Krugman & Anthony J. Venables, 2001. "The Spatial Economy: Cities, Regions, and International Trade," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262561476, December.
  11. Capozza, Dennis R & Van Order, Robert, 1978. "A Generalized Model of Spatial Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(5), pages 896-908, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Norbert Eickhof & Kathrin Isele, 2005. "Do Economists Matter? Eine politökonomische Analyse des Einflusses wettbewerbspolitischer Leitbilder auf die europäische Fusionskontrolle," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 74, Universität Potsdam, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät. [Downloadable!]
  2. Klaus Schöler, 2007. "Gibt es eine optimale Stadtgröße?," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 89, Universität Potsdam, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät. [Downloadable!]
  3. Verena L. Holzer, 2004. "Does the German Renewable Energies Act fulfil Sustainable Development Objectives?," Volkswirtschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 73, Universität Potsdam, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät. [Downloadable!]
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