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Viewpoint: Agglomeration research in the age of disaggregation

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  • William C. Strange

Abstract

This paper selectively reviews recent research on the economics of agglomeration. Theory offers a long list of forces that might explain the spatial concentration of economic activity. The increased availability of disaggregated data - by firm, by worker, and by geographical unit - presents opportunities to substantially advance the understanding of urban growth and industrial clustering. At present, however, there remains great uncertainty about the forces that produce agglomeration. This suggests that public policy towards cities ought to be characterized by caution.

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  • William C. Strange, 2009. "Viewpoint: Agglomeration research in the age of disaggregation," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 42(1), pages 1-27, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:42:y:2009:i:1:p:1-27
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2008.01497.x
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    2. Abdullah M. Khan, 2014. "Impact of Employment Agglomeration on Patented Innovation in U.S. Manufacturing Industries from 1986 to 2008," International Journal of Business and Social Research, MIR Center for Socio-Economic Research, vol. 4(10), pages 25-42, October.
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    4. Forslid, Rikard & Okubo, Toshihiro, 2017. "Early agglomeration or late agglomeration?: Two phases of development with spatial sorting," CEPR Discussion Papers 11977, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Johan Larsson, 2014. "The neighborhood or the region? Reassessing the density–wage relationship using geocoded data," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 52(2), pages 367-384, March.
    6. Kuechle, Graciela, 2014. "Regional concentration of entrepreneurial activities," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 59-73.
    7. Kristian Behrens, 2016. "Agglomeration and clusters: Tools and insights from coagglomeration patterns," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 49(4), pages 1293-1339, November.
    8. Larsson, Johan P., 2013. "The Neighborhood or the Region? Untangling the density-productivity relationship using geocoded data," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 318, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    9. Matthias Wrede, 2013. "Heterogeneous skills and homogeneous land: segmentation and agglomeration," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(5), pages 767-798, September.
    10. Martin Andersson & Johan Klaesson & Johan P Larsson, 2014. "The sources of the urban wage premium by worker skills: Spatial sorting or agglomeration economies?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(4), pages 727-747, November.
    11. Gvozdeva, Margarita (Гвоздева, Маргарита) & Kazakova, Maria (Казакова, Мария), 2017. "Review of Theory and Practice of Analysis of Interregional Inequality [Обзор Теории И Практики Анализа Межрегионального Неравенства]," Working Papers 041702, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.
    12. Matthias Wrede, 2015. "Akzeptanz der Förderung gleichwertiger Lebensverhältnisse und Arbeitsbedingungen," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 35(1), pages 103-119, February.
    13. Leonid Limonov, 2013. "St. Petersburg Metropolitan Region: Problems of Planning Coordination and Spatial Development," ERSA conference papers ersa13p70, European Regional Science Association.
    14. David C. Maré & Andrew Coleman, 2011. "Patterns of business location in Auckland," Working Papers 11_08, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    15. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2011. "Urban Density, Human Capital, and Productivity: An empirical analysis using wage data," Discussion papers 11060, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    16. Abdullah M. Khan, 2014. "Impact of Employment Agglomeration on Patented Innovation in U.S. Manufacturing Industries from 1986 to 2008," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 4(10), pages 25-42, October.
    17. Leonid Limonov, 2014. "Suburban Development of St Petersburg: comparison of 2 subjects of Federation long-term visions," ERSA conference papers ersa14p216, European Regional Science Association.
    18. Marcelo Resende, 2015. "Industrial coagglomeration: some state-level evidence for Brazil [Industrial coagglomeration: some state-level evidence for Brazil]," Nova Economia, Economics Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), vol. 25(1), pages 181-194, January-A.

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