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U.S. Commuting Networks and Economic Growth: Measurement and Implications for Spatial Policy

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  • STEPHAN J. GOETZ
  • YICHEOL HAN
  • JILL L. FINDEIS
  • KATHRYN J. BRASIER

Abstract

Labor market areas (LMAs) have long been a staple of regional and urban analysis. As commuting patterns have expanded over time, these areas have become larger and more complex, and the dichotomous designation of a county either belonging to an LMA or not may no longer be adequate. We apply recent advances in network science to conduct a more refined analysis of U.S. commuting patterns, and examine their effects on local economic growth. Results show that network degree and entropy measures explain variations in county per capita income growth patterns. Higher in‐ and out‐commuting entropies are associated with lower per capita income growth, but their interaction enhances economic growth in places simultaneously open to both in‐ and out‐commuters. Using these results, common ground may be found for creating new forms of regional governance that better reflect local realities of cross‐county border flows of workers and economic activity.

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  • Stephan J. Goetz & Yicheol Han & Jill L. Findeis & Kathryn J. Brasier, 2010. "U.S. Commuting Networks and Economic Growth: Measurement and Implications for Spatial Policy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 276-302, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:growch:v:41:y:2010:i:2:p:276-302
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2257.2010.00527.x
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    2. Nilsson, Pia & Johansson, Eleanor & Larsson, Johan P & Naldi, Lucia & Westlund, Hans, 2024. "Commuting longer to reach the workplace: evidence from pandemic lockdowns," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 498, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    3. Zachary Neal, 2014. "AIRNET: A Programme for Generating Intercity Networks," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(1), pages 136-152, January.
    4. Ivan T. Kandilov & Mitch Renkow, 2010. "Infrastructure Investment and Rural Economic Development: An Evaluation of USDA's Broadband Loan Program," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 165-191, June.
    5. Jason P. Brown & Stephan J. Goetz & Mary C. Ahearn & Chyi-lyi (Kathleen) Liang, 2014. "Linkages Between Community-Focused Agriculture, Farm Sales, and Regional Growth," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 28(1), pages 5-16, February.
    6. Jonathan Corcoran & Alessandra Faggian & Philip Mccann, 2010. "Human Capital in Remote and Rural Australia: The Role of Graduate Migration," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 192-220, June.
    7. Chang-Tai Lee & Jin-Li Hu & Ming-Hsin Kung, 2022. "Economic Resilience in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Across-Economy Comparison," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, April.
    8. Mei Zhang & Jia Tang & Jun Gao, 2023. "Examining the Effects of Built Environments and Individual Characteristics on Commuting Time under Spatial Heterogeneity: An Empirical Study in China Using HLM," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Mark D. Partridge & M. Rose Olfert, 2011. "The Winners' Choice: Sustainable Economic Strategies for Successful 21st-Century Regions," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 33(2), pages 143-178.
    10. Jaume Masip Tresserra, 2013. "Sub-centres and Urban Inequality: A study on Social Equity in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region," ERSA conference papers ersa13p64, European Regional Science Association.
    11. Mark D. Partridge & Kamar Ali & M. Rose Olfert, 2010. "Rural‐to‐Urban Commuting: Three Degrees of Integration," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 303-335, June.
    12. M. Rose Olfert & Mark D. Partridge, 2010. "Best Practices in Twenty‐First‐Century Rural Development and Policy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 147-164, June.
    13. Marasteanu, I. Julia & Jaenicke, Edward C., 2014. "Clusters of Organic Operations and their Impact on Regional Economic Growth in the United States," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170336, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Guangqing Chi, 2012. "The Impacts of Transport Accessibility on Population Change across Rural, Suburban and Urban Areas: A Case Study of Wisconsin at Sub-county Levels," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 49(12), pages 2711-2731, September.
    15. Gordon Mulligan & Mark Partridge & John Carruthers, 2012. "Central place theory and its reemergence in regional science," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(2), pages 405-431, April.
    16. Niclas Lavesson, 2017. "When And How Does Commuting To Cities Influence Rural Employment Growth?," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(4), pages 631-654, September.
    17. Matteo Mazzamurro & Weisi Guo, 2024. "Network-entropy-based morphological polycentricity in 1851-1881 England and Wales," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 51(9), pages 2108-2125, November.
    18. Piliuk, Anastasiia & Semerikova, Elena & Nastansky, Andreas, 2023. "Determinants of commuting flows in Germany," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 71, pages 99-127.

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