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Evil deeds in urban economics

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  • Berliant, Marcus
  • Fujita, Masahisa

Abstract

The purpose of this note is to update an ancient controversy over the comparison between discrete and continuous agent models of land use and agent location in urban economics. Berliant (1985) shows that that the following statement is self-contradictory: "There is a continuum of agents, each of whom owns or is endowed with a positive Lebesgue measure of land." A corollary follows: "As the number of agents tends to infinity, the set of agents who own a positive Lebesgue measure of land shrinks to zero." The basic question is this: Under what circumstances, if any, can we reconcile the two models?

Suggested Citation

  • Berliant, Marcus & Fujita, Masahisa, 2019. "Evil deeds in urban economics," MPRA Paper 95797, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:95797
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Berliant, Marcus & Sabarwal, Tarun, 2008. "When worlds collide: Different comparative static predictions of continuous and discrete agent models with land," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 438-444, September.
    2. Asami, Y. & Fujita, M. & Smith, T. E., 1991. "On the foundations of land use theory : Discrete versus continuous populations," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 473-508, February.
    3. Berliant, Marcus & Fujita, Masahisa, 1992. "Alonso's Discrete Population Model of Land Use: Efficient Allocations and Competitive Equilibria," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 33(3), pages 535-566, August.
    4. Kamecke Ulrich, 1993. "Mean City--A Consistent Approximation of Bid Rent Equilibria," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 48-67, January.
    5. Berliant, Marcus & ten Raa, Thijs, 1991. "On the continuum approach of spatial and some local public goods or product differentiation models: Some problems," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 95-120, October.
    6. Fujita,Masahisa, 1991. "Urban Economic Theory," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521396455.
    7. Papageorgiou, Yorgos Y. & Pines, David, 1990. "The logical foundations of urban economics are consistent," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 37-53, February.
    8. Berliant, Marcus, 1991. "Comments on: 'On the foundations of land use theory: Discrete versus continuous populations' by Y. Asami, M. Fujita and T.E. Smith," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 639-645, December.
    9. Berliant, Marcus, 1985. "Equilibrium models with land : A criticism and an alternative," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 325-340, June.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Large urban economies; Continuous and discrete agent models;

    JEL classification:

    • D51 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Exchange and Production Economies
    • R13 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General Equilibrium and Welfare Economic Analysis of Regional Economies
    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns

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