This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Testing urbanization economies in manufacturing industries: urban diversity or urban size?

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Fu, Shihe
Hong, Junjie

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Whether urbanization economies are caused by urban diversity or urban scale is not clear in regional and urban economics literature. Many empirical studies have used either city population size or urban industrial diversity to measure urbanization economies and have reached different conclusions. This paper argues that city size mainly captures the pure scale economies of urban public goods, and may generate net diseconomies when a city size is too large. Urban industrial diversity can also enhance firm productivity. Using the 2004 China manufacturing census data, we test simultaneously the effects of urban size and industrial diversity on firm productivity, controlling for localization economies and human capital externalities. We found that city size effect does exist, but too large a city size indicates net diseconomies. Firms also benefit from industrial diversity, and the strength of such benefit increases with city size but decreases with firm size. The overall results support Jacobs's idea that small firms benefit more from urban diversity.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/10078/
File Format:
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 10078.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: Aug 2008
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:10078

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Schackstr. 4, D-80539 Munich, Germany
Phone: +49-(0)89-2180-2219
Fax: +49-(0)89-2180-3900
Web page: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Ekkehart Schlicht).

Related research
Keywords: Urbanization economies; Industrial diversity; Jacobs externalities; City size;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
R30 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - Production Analysis and Firm Location - - - General
R12 - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Stuart S. Rosenthal & William C. Strange, 2003. "Geography, Industrial Organization, and Agglomeration," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 56, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Duranton, Gilles & Puga, Diego, 1999. "Diversity and Specialization in Cities: Why, Where and When Does It Matter?," CEPR Discussion Papers 2256, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Chun-Chung Au & J. Vernon Henderson, 2006. "Are Chinese Cities Too Small?," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 73(3), pages 549-576, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Shihe Fu, 2005. "Smart Café Cities: Testing Human Capital Externalities in the Boston Metropolitan Area," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 609, Boston College Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Ottaviano, Gianmarco I.P. & Peri, Giovanni, 2005. "Cities and cultures," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 304-337, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  6. Lafourcade, Miren & Mion, Giordano, 2007. "Concentration, agglomeration and the size of plants," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 46-68, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Sveikauskas, Leo A, 1975. "The Productivity of Cities," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 89(3), pages 393-413, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Moomaw, Ronald L., 1985. "Firm location and city size: Reduced productivity advantages as a factor in the decline of manufacturing in urban areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 73-89, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Wheeler, Christopher H., 2006. "Productivity and the geographic concentration of industry: The role of plant scale," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 313-330, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. Quigley, John M, 1998. "Urban Diversity and Economic Growth," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 127-38, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Arnott, Richard, 1979. "Optimal city size in a spatial economy," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 65-89, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Glaeser, Edward L & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1992. "Growth in Cities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(6), pages 1126-52, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
    • Edward L. Glaeser & Hedi D. Kallal & Jose A. Scheinkman & Andrei Shleifer, 1991. "Growth in Cities," NBER Working Papers 3787, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Baldwin, John R. & Beckstead, Desmond & Brown, W. Mark & Rigby, David, 2007. "Urban Economies and Productivity," Economic Analysis (EA) Research Paper Series 2007045e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies Branch. [Downloadable!]
  14. Henderson, J. Vernon, 2003. "Marshall's scale economies," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-28, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  15. Thomas J. Holmes & John J. Stevens, 2002. "Geographic Concentration and Establishment Scale," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(4), pages 682-690, 07. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  16. Henderson, Vernon & Kuncoro, Ari & Turner, Matt, 1995. "Industrial Development in Cities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(5), pages 1067-90, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  17. Rosenthal, Stuart S. & Strange, William C., 2001. "The Determinants of Agglomeration," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 191-229, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Nakamura, Ryohei, 1985. "Agglomeration economies in urban manufacturing industries: A case of Japanese cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 108-124, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  19. Segal, David, 1976. "Are There Returns to Scale in City Size?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 58(3), pages 339-50, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Simon, Curtis J, 1988. "Frictional Unemployment and the Role of Industrial Diversity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 103(4), pages 715-28, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? All top Economics journals are listed on RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-15.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.