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The Mills—Muth Model of Urban Spatial Structure: Surviving the Test of Time?

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  • Christy Spivey

    (Department of Economics and Finance, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Campus Box 1102, Edwardsville, Illinois 62026, USA, cspivey@siue.edu)

Abstract

This paper examines the viability of some basic predictions of the Mills—Muth model of city structure for modern cities using US data for the year 2000. The estimation strategy used to test the predictions is very similar to that of Jan Brueckner and David Fansler, who use 1970 data to find support for the model's basic comparative statics predictions—namely, that city area is increasing in population and income but decreasing in agricultural land value and commuting costs. This paper uses different measures for land values and commuting costs where possible and a measure of polycentricity to estimate a slightly modified empirical model. Despite the changing structure of cities, there is evidence that the Mills—Muth comparative statics predictions hold for modern US cities, that densely populated cities are more likely to have sub-centres and that market forces drive urban spatial structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Christy Spivey, 2008. "The Mills—Muth Model of Urban Spatial Structure: Surviving the Test of Time?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 45(2), pages 295-312, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:45:y:2008:i:2:p:295-312
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098007085964
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Brueckner, Jan K & Fansler, David A, 1983. "The Economics of Urban Sprawl: Theory and Evidence on the Spatial Sizes of Cities," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 65(3), pages 479-482, August.
    6. McMillen, Daniel P. & Smith, Stefani C., 2003. "The number of subcenters in large urban areas," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(3), pages 321-338, May.
    7. Brueckner, Jan K., 1983. "The economics of urban yard space: An "implicit-market" model for housing attributes," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 216-234, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rémi Lemoy & Charles Raux & Pablo Jensen, 2016. "Exploring the polycentric city with multi-worker households: an agent-based microeconomic model," Post-Print hal-00602087, HAL.
    2. Gianni Guastella & Stefano Pareglio & Paolo Sckokai, 2017. "A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Land Use Efficiency in Large and Small Municipalities," Working Papers 2017.03, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    3. Gianni Guastella & Stefano Pareglio, 2017. "Spatial Analysis Of Urbanization Patterns: The Case Of Land Use And Population Density In The Milan Metropolitan Area," Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 89-102, July.

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