IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/portec/v24y2025i3d10.1007_s10258-025-00272-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Industrial agglomeration, firm heterogeneity, and environmental pollution

Author

Listed:
  • Yiming Zhou

    (Hiroshima University)

Abstract

This paper introduces firm-level heterogeneity in productivity into the Pflüger model (Reg Sci Urban Econ 34:565–573, 2004) with a quasi-linear utility function. Our model features how firm heterogeneity and trade costs endogenously determine the spatial equilibrium of a regional economy. We analytically derive the break point and a sufficient sustain point of trade cost levels. We find that an increase in firm heterogeneity fosters industrial agglomeration. Moreover, we integrate the impact of environmental pollution on migration into the model. Industrial pollution produces an additional dispersion force. We demonstrate that the agglomeration force stemmed from a high degree of firm heterogeneity may outweigh the dispersion force caused by pollution externality, thereby fostering regional industrial agglomeration. The results have theoretical implications for empirical studies and the establishment of regional policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiming Zhou, 2025. "Industrial agglomeration, firm heterogeneity, and environmental pollution," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 24(3), pages 393-418, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:portec:v:24:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10258-025-00272-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10258-025-00272-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10258-025-00272-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10258-025-00272-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Richard Baldwin & Rikard Forslid & Philippe Martin & Gianmarco Ottaviano & Frederic Robert-Nicoud, 2005. "Economic Geography and Public Policy," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 7524.
    2. Okubo, Toshihiro, 2009. "Trade liberalisation and agglomeration with firm heterogeneity: Forward and backward linkages," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 530-541, September.
    3. José M. Gaspar & Sofia B. S. D. Castro & João Correia-da-Silva, 2018. "Agglomeration patterns in a multi-regional economy without income effects," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 66(4), pages 863-899, December.
    4. Rikard Forslid & Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano, 2003. "An analytically solvable core-periphery model," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 229-240, July.
    5. von Ehrlich, Maximilian & Seidel, Tobias, 2013. "More similar firms — More similar regions? On the role of firm heterogeneity for agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 539-548.
    6. Ikeda, Kiyohiro & Akamatsu, Takashi & Kono, Tatsuhito, 2012. "Spatial period-doubling agglomeration of a core–periphery model with a system of cities," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 754-778.
    7. Richard E. Baldwin & Toshihiro Okubo, 2006. "Heterogeneous firms, agglomeration and economic geography: spatial selection and sorting," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 6(3), pages 323-346, June.
    8. Hartmut Egger & Udo Kreickemeier & Philipp M. Richter, 2021. "Environmental Policy and Firm Selection in the Open Economy," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 8(4), pages 655-690.
    9. Elhanan Helpman & Marc J. Melitz & Stephen R. Yeaple, 2004. "Export Versus FDI with Heterogeneous Firms," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 300-316, March.
    10. Gianmarco Ottaviano & Takatoshi Tabuchi & Jacques-François Thisse, 2021. "Agglomeration And Trade Revisited," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 3, pages 59-85, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp408 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Borck, Rainald & Pfluger, Michael, 2006. "Agglomeration and tax competition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 647-668, April.
    13. Udo Kreickemeier & Philipp M. Richter, 2014. "Trade and the Environment: The Role of Firm Heterogeneity," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(2), pages 209-225, May.
    14. Rainald Borck & Michael Pflüger, 2019. "Green cities? Urbanization, trade, and the environment," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 743-766, September.
    15. Paul Krugman, 1991. "History versus Expectations," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 651-667.
    16. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo & Mark Sanctuary, 2017. "Trade Liberalization, Transboundary Pollution, and Market Size," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(3), pages 927-957.
    17. Krugman, Paul, 1991. "Increasing Returns and Economic Geography," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(3), pages 483-499, June.
    18. Okubo, Toshihiro & Picard, Pierre M. & Thisse, Jacques-François, 2010. "The spatial selection of heterogeneous firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(2), pages 230-237, November.
    19. Akamatsu, Takashi & Takayama, Yuki & Ikeda, Kiyohiro, 2012. "Spatial discounting, Fourier, and racetrack economy: A recipe for the analysis of spatial agglomeration models," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 36(11), pages 1729-1759.
    20. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo, 2024. "Premature agglomeration?: Two phases of development with spatial sorting," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 92(6), pages 636-662, December.
    21. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo, 2021. "Agglomeration of low-productive entrepreneurs to large regions: a simple model," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 471-486, October.
    22. Marc J. Melitz, 2003. "The Impact of Trade on Intra-Industry Reallocations and Aggregate Industry Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 71(6), pages 1695-1725, November.
    23. JunJie Wu & Jeffrey J. Reimer, 2016. "Pollution Mobility, Productivity Disparity, And The Spatial Distribution Of Polluting And Nonpolluting Firms," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(4), pages 615-634, September.
    24. Forslid, Rikard & Okubo, Toshihiro & Ulltveit-Moe, Karen Helene, 2018. "Why are firms that export cleaner? International trade, abatement and environmental emissions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 166-183.
    25. Ding, Jian & Liu, Baoliu & Shao, Xuefeng, 2022. "Spatial effects of industrial synergistic agglomeration and regional green development efficiency: Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    26. Gaspar, José M. & Ikeda, Kiyohiro & Onda, Mikihasa, 2021. "Global bifurcation mechanism and local stability of identical and equidistant regions: Application to three regions and more," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    27. Martin, Philippe & Rogers, Carol Ann, 1995. "Industrial location and public infrastructure," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 335-351, November.
    28. Lange Andreas & Quaas Martin F, 2007. "Economic Geography and the Effect of Environmental Pollution on Agglomeration," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 7(1), pages 1-33, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. José M. Gaspar, 2018. "A prospective review on New Economic Geography," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 61(2), pages 237-272, September.
    2. 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.
    3. Hangtian Xu & Yiming Zhou, 2023. "Inter-industry trade and heterogeneous firms: country size matters," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 57-81, January.
    4. Yiming Zhou, 2020. "Urban agglomeration and heterogeneous firms: a synthesis of Helpman and Melitz," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 275-296, August.
    5. von Ehrlich, Maximilian & Seidel, Tobias, 2015. "Regional implications of financial market development: Industry location and income inequality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 85-102.
    6. Richard E. Baldwin & Toshihiro Okubo, 2014. "International Trade, Offshoring and Heterogeneous Firms," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 59-72, February.
    7. Xu, Xilei & Dong, Xuebing & Chi, Ruonan & Li, Jixia, 2022. "How does heterogeneous spillover of knowledge affect economic geography? ——An extended local spillover model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    8. Fabien Candau, 2008. "Entrepreneurs' Location Choice And Public Policies: A Survey Of The New Economic Geography," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 909-952, December.
    9. Toshihiro OKUBO & Rikard FORSLID, 2010. "Spatial Relocation with Heterogeneous Firms and Heterogeneous Sectors," Discussion papers 10056, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Rikard Forslid & Toshihiro Okubo, 2015. "Which Firms Are Left In The Periphery? Spatial Sorting Of Heterogeneous Firms With Scale Economies In Transportation," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 51-65, January.
    11. Picard, P.M., 2015. "Trade, economic geography and the choice of product quality," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 18-27.
    12. Kristian Behrens & Frédéric Robert‐Nicoud, 2009. "Krugman's Papers in Regional Science: The 100 dollar bill on the sidewalk is gone and the 2008 Nobel Prize well‐deserved," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(2), pages 467-489, June.
    13. Maria Florencia Granato, 2011. "REGIONAL NEW ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY (refereed paper)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p747, European Regional Science Association.
    14. von Ehrlich, Maximilian & Seidel, Tobias, 2013. "More similar firms — More similar regions? On the role of firm heterogeneity for agglomeration," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 539-548.
    15. Forslid, Rikard & Okubo, Toshihiro, 2012. "On the development strategy of countries of intermediate size—An analysis of heterogeneous firms in a multi-region framework," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 747-756.
    16. Yiming Zhou, 2020. "Heterogeneous firms, urban costs and agglomeration," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 16(3), pages 329-348, September.
    17. Okubo, Toshihiro, 2009. "Trade liberalisation and agglomeration with firm heterogeneity: Forward and backward linkages," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 530-541, September.
    18. Picard, Pierre M. & Okubo, Toshihiro, 2012. "Firms' locations under demand heterogeneity," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 961-974.
    19. Takashi Akamatsu & Tomoya Mori & Yuki Takayama, 2015. "Agglomerations in a multi-region economy: Poly-centric versus mono-centric patterns," KIER Working Papers 929, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    20. Toshihiro Okubo, 2012. "Antiagglomeration Subsidies With Heterogeneous Firms," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 285-299, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:portec:v:24:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10258-025-00272-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.