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Zipf'S Law In The Case Of Moroccan Cities

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  • Elhadj Ezzahid
  • Oumar ElHamdani

Abstract

type="main" xml:lang="en"> In this paper, we explore the validity of rank-size rule in the Moroccan urban system. We use data from the 1982, 1994, and 2004 censuses. Three thresholds are considered to truncate the data: 5000, 50000, and 100000 residents. Power law states that the rank (r) of a city is proportional to a power of its size (S r ), that is, r ̴ S-super-•-super-α. The ordinary least squares (OLS) method is used to estimate α. Using OLS method without Gabaix-Ibragimov correction (GIC) provides evidence of the validity of Zipf's law for cities of more than 100 000 dwellers.When the GIC is used, it appears that the zipfian distribution (α = -1) is also valid for cities of more than 50000 inhabitants. Over the period 1982–2004, it seems likely that intermediate cities grew more rapidly than other cities. This may lead to a more balanced distribution of the Moroccan urban system.

Suggested Citation

  • Elhadj Ezzahid & Oumar ElHamdani, 2015. "Zipf'S Law In The Case Of Moroccan Cities," Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 118-133, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:revurb:v:27:y:2015:i:2:p:118-133
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    Cited by:

    1. Arshad, Sidra & Hu, Shougeng & Ashraf, Badar Nadeem, 2019. "Zipf’s law, the coherence of the urban system and city size distribution: Evidence from Pakistan," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 513(C), pages 87-103.

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