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Spatial Pattern and City Size Distribution

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  • Tomoya Mori

    (Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto University)

Abstract

This paper reviews the extant formal models that explain the spatial pattern together with the size distribution of cities, and discusses the remaining research questions to be answered in this literature. To obtain meaningful results about the spatial patterns of cities, a model needs to depart from the most popular, a two-region and the systems-of-cities frameworks in urban and regional economics in which there is no variation in interregional distance. This is one of the major reasons that only few formal models have been proposed in this literature. To draw implications as much as possible from the extant theories, this review involves extensive discussions on the behavior of the many-region extension of the extant models. The mechanisms that link the spatial pattern of cities and the diversity in city sizes are also discussed separately in detail.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomoya Mori, 2018. "Spatial Pattern and City Size Distribution," KIER Working Papers 996, Kyoto University, Institute of Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:kyo:wpaper:996
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cities; Agglomeration; Racetrack geography; Interregional distance; Power laws; Central place theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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