IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/wirtsc/v105y2025i6p428-433n1014.html

Regionalentwicklung und Regionalpolitik im Lichte von NIMBY

Author

Listed:
  • Gehr Katja
  • Pflüger Michael

Abstract

A new political economy-based approach to urban and regional development puts the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) interests of urban “insiders” centre stage. Based on the analysis of Gehr and Pflüger (2025), we show that a quantitative model sheds new light on German cities and regions, and receives strong external validation. As this approach implies welfare differentials between cities and regions, new perspectives and levers for regional policy emerge. These contrast with some of the central insights of the paradigm of spatial equilibrium with free labour mobility that currently dominates regional analysis and policy advice.

Suggested Citation

  • Gehr Katja & Pflüger Michael, 2025. "Regionalentwicklung und Regionalpolitik im Lichte von NIMBY," Wirtschaftsdienst, Sciendo, vol. 105(6), pages 428-433.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:wirtsc:v:105:y:2025:i:6:p:428-433:n:1014
    DOI: 10.2478/wd-2025-0110
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2025-0110
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/wd-2025-0110?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Treb Allen & Costas Arkolakis, 2025. "Quantitative Regional Economics," NBER Working Papers 33436, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Henderson, J V, 1974. "The Sizes and Types of Cities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 64(4), pages 640-656, September.
    3. Pablo D Fajgelbaum & Cecile Gaubert, 2020. "Optimal Spatial Policies, Geography, and Sorting [“Theories of Systems of Cities,”]," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 135(2), pages 959-1036.
    4. Albouy, David & Behrens, Kristian & Robert-Nicoud, Frédéric & Seegert, Nathan, 2019. "The optimal distribution of population across cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 102-113.
    5. Braun, Stefanie & Lee, Gabriel S., 2021. "The prices of residential land in German counties," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    6. Chang-Tai Hsieh & Enrico Moretti, 2019. "Housing Constraints and Spatial Misallocation," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(2), pages 1-39, April.
    7. Desmet, Klaus & Henderson, J. Vernon, 2015. "The Geography of Development Within Countries," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 1457-1517, Elsevier.
    8. Sebastian Weinand & Ludwig von Auer, 2020. "Anatomy of regional price differentials: evidence from micro-price data," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4), pages 413-440, October.
    9. Hans R A Koster, 2024. "The Welfare Effects of Greenbelt Policy: Evidence from England," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 363-401.
    10. Simon Büchler & Maximilian v. Ehrlich, 2023. "Quantifying land-use regulation and its determinants," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(5), pages 1059-1096.
    11. Gyourko, Joseph & Hartley, Jonathan S. & Krimmel, Jacob, 2021. "The local residential land use regulatory environment across U.S. housing markets: Evidence from a new Wharton index," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    12. Pablo D. Fajgelbaum & Cecile Gaubert, 2025. "Optimal Spatial Policies," NBER Working Papers 33493, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Marcel Henkel & Tobias Seidel & Jens Suedekum, 2021. "Fiscal Transfers in the Spatial Economy," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 433-468, November.
    14. Edward L. Glaeser & Joshua D. Gottlieb, 2008. "The Economics of Place-Making Policies," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 39(1 (Spring), pages 155-253.
    15. Gilles Duranton & Diego Puga, 2023. "Urban Growth and Its Aggregate Implications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(6), pages 2219-2259, November.
    16. Joseph Gyourko & Albert Saiz & Anita Summers, 2008. "A New Measure of the Local Regulatory Environment for Housing Markets: The Wharton Residential Land Use Regulatory Index," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(3), pages 693-729, March.
    17. Katja Gehr & Michael Pflüger, 2025. "Cities, Aggregate Welfare, and Growth," CESifo Working Paper Series 11716, CESifo.
    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. Katja Gehr & Michael Pflüger, 2025. "Cities, Aggregate Welfare, and Growth," CESifo Working Paper Series 11716, CESifo.
    2. Gehr, Katja & Pflüger, Michael P., 2023. "The Worth of Cities in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 16127, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Rainald Borck & Tadashi Morita & Yasuhiro Sato, 2026. "Optimal City Size with Endogenous Fertility," CESifo Working Paper Series 12595, CESifo.
    4. Marcel Henkel & Tobias Seidel & Jens Suedekum, 2021. "Fiscal Transfers in the Spatial Economy," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 433-468, November.
    5. Gilles Duranton & Diego Puga, 2023. "Urban Growth and Its Aggregate Implications," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(6), pages 2219-2259, November.
    6. Pflüger, Michael, 2021. "City size, pollution and emission policies," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Marcel Henkel, Eunjee Kwon, Pierre Magontier, 2022. "The Unintended Consequences of Post-Disaster Policies for Spatial Sorting," Diskussionsschriften credresearchpaper37, Universitaet Bern, Departement Volkswirtschaft - CRED.
    8. Farid Farrokhi, 2021. "Skill, Agglomeration, And Inequality In The Spatial Economy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 62(2), pages 671-721, May.
    9. Nathaniel Harris & Chuanhao Lin, 2024. "Planning Regulations: Two Tests to Determine if We Have Confused the Cure With the Disease," Working Papers 2024-02, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    10. Rothenberg, Alexander D. & Wang, Yao & Chari, Amalavoyal, 2025. "When regional policies fail: An evaluation of Indonesia’s Integrated Economic Development Zones," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    11. Büchler, Simon & Götze, Vera & Hauck, Lukas & Stalder, Nicola, 2025. "The amplifying effect of spatial planning restrictions on house prices and rents," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    12. Michael Pflüger, 2020. "City Size, Pollution and Emission Policies," CESifo Working Paper Series 8448, CESifo.
    13. Juan Carlos Lopez & Tadashi Morita, 2024. "Public good provision and progressive income taxation in a spatial economy," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 73(3), pages 979-1003, October.
    14. Seidel Tobias, 2024. "Optimale regionale Transfers," Wirtschaftsdienst, Sciendo, vol. 104(11), pages 763-767.
    15. Parkhomenko, Andrii, 2023. "Local causes and aggregate implications of land use regulation," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    16. John Landis & Vincent J. Reina, 2021. "Do Restrictive Land Use Regulations Make Housing More Expensive Everywhere?," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 35(4), pages 305-324, November.
    17. Redding, Stephen, 2020. "Trade and Geography," CEPR Discussion Papers 15268, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    18. Gilles Duranton & Tomoya Mori, 2025. "How Masa Fujita shaped the present of spatial economics and how he will inspire its future," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 76(4), pages 691-716, October.
    19. Yang, Yong & Chih, Yao-Yu & Wen, Chenfei & Luo, Xuan, 2026. "Antipollution willingness and urban population distribution: Evidence from Chinese cities," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Dobbels, Gregory & Tavakalov, Suren, 2024. "Not in My Back Yard: The Local Political Economy of Residential Land-Use Regulations," MPRA Paper 122679, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R13 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General Equilibrium and Welfare Economic Analysis of Regional Economies
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    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:vrs:wirtsc:v:105:y:2025:i:6:p:428-433:n:1014. 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: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.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.