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The next town over: On the clustering of towns and settlements before modern economic growth

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  • Ploeckl, Florian

Abstract

The location of towns is far from random. The influence of geography and location interdependence for the spatial structure of locations and the selection of towns from these is analysed empirically for Saxony's historical experience before the Industrial Revolution. Spatial econometric analysis indicates that geographic factors are the primary influence on the spatial settlement distribution and urbanisation, while spatial interactions are consistent with a pattern of close proximity clustering, then dispersion and back to clustering with increasing distance. Comparing size-based and legal towns shows a stronger impact of location endowments and more clustering for population-based spatial structures.

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  • Ploeckl, Florian, 2021. "The next town over: On the clustering of towns and settlements before modern economic growth," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:89:y:2021:i:c:s0166046220303045
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103619
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    1. Bosker, Maarten, 2022. "City origins," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban location; Endowments; Location interdependence;
    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)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • N93 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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