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Agglomeration, city size and crime

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  • Gaigné, Carl
  • Zenou, Yves

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationship between crime and agglomeration where the land, labor, product, and crime markets are endogenously determined. Our main theoretical findings are the following: (i) better accessibility to jobs decreases crime in the short run but may increase crime in the long run; (ii) the per-capita crime rate increases with city size; (iii) when allowing for endogenous policing, lower commuting costs make the impact of police on crime more efficient.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaigné, Carl & Zenou, Yves, 2015. "Agglomeration, city size and crime," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 62-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:80:y:2015:i:c:p:62-82
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2015.08.014
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    Cited by:

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    3. Imanpour, Maryam & Rosenkranz, Stephanie & Westbrock, Bastian & Unger, Brigitte & Ferwerda, Joras, 2019. "A microeconomic foundation for optimal money laundering policies," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    4. Asif Islam & Mohammad Amin, 2016. "Women Managers and The Gender-Based Gap in Access to Education: Evidence from Firm-Level Data in Developing Countries," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3), pages 127-153, July.
    5. Bethencourt, Carlos & Kunze, Lars, 2022. "The economics of crime and socialization: The role of the family," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 579-597.
    6. Zhidong Liu & Yang Cai & Xiaojing Hao, 2020. "The Agglomeration of Manufacturing Industry, Innovation and Haze Pollution in China: Theory and Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-28, March.
    7. Donovan, Stuart & de Graaff, Thomas & de Groot, Henri L.F. & Schiff, Aaron, 2024. "An urban overhead? Crime, agglomeration, and amenity," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    New economic geography; Crime; Agglomeration; Policies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics

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