IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/tin/wpaper/20230001.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Regional Capital No More. How the Reform of the Territorial Government has Marginalized Polish Middle-sized Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Borys Cie?lak

    (Gran Sasso Science Institute)

  • Paula Nagler

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Frank van Oort

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

Among Polish cities facing socio-economic difficulties are the former regional capitals which lost their administrative status due to the 1998 reform, reducing the number of regions from 49 to 16. Making use of this quasiexperimental setting, we assess the impact of the loss of administrative status on the affected cities with difference-in-differences models. Our findings show a significant negative impact on economic and, partly, on other dimensions of development. Restructuring and scaling of devolved regions resulted in ‘leaving places behind’. The problematic socioeconomic trajectories of Poland’s former regional capitals caused or accentuated by the reform suggest a sustained marginalization.

Suggested Citation

  • Borys Cie?lak & Paula Nagler & Frank van Oort, 2023. "Regional Capital No More. How the Reform of the Territorial Government has Marginalized Polish Middle-sized Cities," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 23-001/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20230001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/23001.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bartosz Bartosiewicz & Szymon Marcinczak, 2022. "Urban structure in transition: evidence from Poland, 1983–2011," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(1), pages 36-47, January.
    2. Iimi, Atsushi, 2005. "Decentralization and economic growth revisited: an empirical note," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 449-461, May.
    3. John Harrison, 2007. "From competitive regions to competitive city-regions: a new orthodoxy, but some old mistakes," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 311-332, May.
    4. Raffaella Santolini, 2020. "Spatial effects on local government efficiency," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(1), pages 183-200, February.
    5. Lewis Dijkstra & Enrique Garcilazo & Philip McCann, 2013. "The Economic Performance of European Cities and City Regions: Myths and Realities," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 334-354, March.
    6. Becker, Sascha O. & Heblich, Stephan & Sturm, Daniel M., 2021. "The impact of public employment: Evidence from Bonn," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    7. Brenner, Neil, 2004. "New State Spaces: Urban Governance and the Rescaling of Statehood," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199270064.
    8. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ezcurra, 2010. "Does decentralization matter for regional disparities? A cross-country analysis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(5), pages 619-644, September.
    9. Gerritse, Michiel & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2018. "Does federal contracting spur development? Federal contracts, income, output, and jobs in US cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 121-135.
    10. Maryann Feldman & Frederick Guy & Simona Iammarino, 2021. "Regional income disparities, monopoly and finance," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 14(1), pages 25-49.
    11. Anna Wichowska, 2021. "Economic Aspects of Shrinking Cities in Poland in the Context of Regional Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, March.
    12. Nadir Kinossian, 2018. "Planning strategies and practices in non-core regions: a critical response," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 365-375, February.
    13. Ron Martin, 2021. "Rebuilding the economy from the Covid crisis: time to rethink regional studies?," Regional Studies, Regional Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 143-161, January.
    14. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2018. "CommentaryThe revenge of the places that don’t matter (and what to do about it)," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 11(1), pages 189-209.
    15. Inderst, Georg, 2020. "Social Infrastructure Finance and Institutional Investors. A Global Perspective," MPRA Paper 99239, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2018. "The revenge of the places that don?t matter (and what to do about it)," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1805, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2018.
    17. Milenkovic, Nemanja & Vukmirovic, Jovanka & Bulajic, Milica & Radojicic, Zoran, 2014. "A multivariate approach in measuring socio-economic development of MENA countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 604-608.
    18. Diego Puga, 2010. "The Magnitude And Causes Of Agglomeration Economies," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 203-219, February.
    19. Hongbin Cai & Daniel Treisman, 2005. "Does Competition for Capital Discipline Governments? Decentralization, Globalization, and Public Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(3), pages 817-830, June.
    20. Dascher, Kristof, 2000. "Are Politics and Geography Related? Evidence from a Cross-Section of Capital Cities," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 105(3-4), pages 373-392, December.
    21. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    22. Rodrigo V. Cardoso & Evert J. Meijers, 2016. "Contrasts between first-tier and second-tier cities in Europe: a functional perspective," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 996-1015, May.
    23. Maryann Feldman & Frederick Guy & Simona Iammarino, 2019. "Regional income disparities, monopoly & finance," Working Papers 43, Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research, revised Feb 2021.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Danny MacKinnon & Louise Kempton & Peter O’Brien & Emma Ormerod & Andy Pike & John Tomaney, 2022. "Reframing urban and regional ‘development’ for ‘left behind’ places [The shadow of the Pithead: understanding social and political attitudes in former coal mining communities in the UK]," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 15(1), pages 39-56.
    2. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Vinko Muštra, 2022. "The economic returns of decentralisation: Government quality and the role of space," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(8), pages 1604-1622, November.
    3. Balland, Pierre-Alexandre & Broekel, Tom & Diodato, Dario & Giuliani, Elisa & Hausmann, Ricardo & O'Clery, Neave & Rigby, David, 2022. "Reprint of The new paradigm of economic complexity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(8).
    4. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Javier Terrero-Davila & Neil Lee, 2023. "Left-Behind vs. Unequal Places: Interpersonal Inequality, Economic Decline, and the Rise of Populism in the US and Europe," LIS Working papers 859, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    5. Robert Musil, 2014. "European Global Cities in the Recent Economic Crisis," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 105(4), pages 492-503, September.
    6. Maximilian Benner, 2023. "Making spatial evolution work for all? A framework for inclusive path development," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(3), pages 445-462.
    7. Maximilian Benner & Michaela Trippl & Robert Hassink, 2024. "Sustainable and inclusive development in left-behind places," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 44(3), pages 237-249, September.
    8. Dieter F Kogler & Emil Evenhuis & Elisa Giuliani & Ron Martin & Elvira Uyarra & Ron Boschma, 2023. "Re-imagining evolutionary economic geography," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(3), pages 373-390.
    9. Li, Lei & Luo, Changtuo, 2023. "Does administrative decentralization promote outward foreign direct investment and productivity? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    10. David Clelland, 2020. "Beyond the city region? Uneven governance and the evolution of regional economic development in Scotland," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(1), pages 7-26, February.
    11. Roberta Capello & Silvia Cerisola, 2023. "Industrial transformations and regional inequalities in Europe," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(1), pages 15-28, February.
    12. Vassilis Tselios & John Tomaney, 2019. "Decentralisation and European identity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(1), pages 133-155, February.
    13. Sidra Naeem & Rana Ejaz Ali Khan, 2021. "Fiscal Decentralization and Gender Equality in Developing Economies: Dynamics of Income Groups in Economies and Corruption," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 11(9), pages 745-761, September.
    14. Bauluz, Luis & Bukowski, Pawel & Fransham, Mark & Lee, Annie Seong & López Forero, Margarita & Novokmet, Filip & Breau, Sébastien & Lee, Neil & Malgouyres, Clément & Schularick, Moritz & Verdugo, Greg, 2023. "Spatial wage inequality in North America and Western Europe: changes between and within local labour markets 1975-2019," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121290, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Andrew Beer & Terry Clower, 2009. "Specialisation and Growth: Evidence from Australia's Regional Cities," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 46(2), pages 369-389, February.
    16. Christophe Sohn & Julien Licheron & Evert Meijers, 2022. "Border cities: Out of the shadow," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(2), pages 417-438, April.
    17. Bischoff, Thore Sören & Hipp, Ann & Runst, Petrik, 2023. "Firm innovation and generalized trust as a regional resource," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    18. Yixin Chen & Bingyang Lyu & Guangrong Ma, 2024. "Revenue sharing, fiscal incentives, and economic growth: Evidence from China," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 77(1), pages 149-183, February.
    19. Floriana Cerniglia & Riccarda Longaretti, 2013. "Federalism, education-related public good and growth when agents are heterogeneous," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 109(3), pages 271-301, July.
    20. Dogaru, Teodora & Burger, Martijn & van Oort, Frank & Karreman, Bas, 2014. "The Geography of Multinational Corporations in CEE Countries: Perspectives for Second-Tier City Regions and European Cohesion Policy," INVESTIGACIONES REGIONALES - Journal of REGIONAL RESEARCH, Asociación Española de Ciencia Regional, issue 29, pages 193-214.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Socioeconomic development; marginalization; decentralization; regional capital status;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R15 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Econometric and Input-Output Models; Other Methods
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20230001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tinbergen Office +31 (0)10-4088900 (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/tinbenl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.