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The geography of COVID-19 and the structure of local economies: the case of Italy

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Ascani

    (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

  • Alessandra Faggian

    (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

  • Sandro Montresor

    (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyse the sub-national spread of COVID-19 in Italy using an economic geography perspective. The striking spatial unevenness of COVID-19 suggests that the infection hits economic core locations harder, and this raises questions about whether, and how, the sub-national geography of the disease is connected to the local economic base. We provide preliminary evidence consistent with the possibility that the local specialisation in geographically concentrated economic activities acts as a vehicle of disease transmission, thus generating a core-periphery pattern in the spatiality of COVID-19, which might follow the lines of the local economic landscape and the tradability of its outputs.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Ascani & Alessandra Faggian & Sandro Montresor, 2020. "The geography of COVID-19 and the structure of local economies: the case of Italy," Discussion Paper series in Regional Science & Economic Geography 2020-01, Gran Sasso Science Institute, Social Sciences, revised Apr 2020.
    • Handle: RePEc:ahy:wpaper:wp1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; local economic structure; geographical concentration; tradability;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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