Economics of Cities: Theoretical Perspectives

Description

Since cities are likely to play an even more predominant role in the global economy in the future than they do at present, it is important to understand how urban centers are created, grow, and function in the process of generating and distributing wealth. This integrated collection of essays exploring the economic theory of cities assembles work by a number of the world's leading exponents in North America, the UK/Europe, and Japan. Topics investigated include cities and agglomeration, urban systems, urbanization and growth, and cities and factor markets. The perspectives the editors and contributors offer have strong connections with several branches of modern economics, including industrial organization, public economics, international trade, and endogenous growth and economic development.

"Recent years have witnessed renewed interest in the economics of cities and regions. This fine collection of essays provides an interesting synthesis of international perspectives on a wide range of topics, including city formation, monopolistic competition models of agglomeration and trade, strategic issues in urban development, urbanization and economic growth, the dynamics of urban spatial structure, and urban unemployment. This collection should be in the hands of everyone interested in the state-of-the-art in urban economics and the 'new' economic geography." Roberty Helsley, University of British Columbia, Canada "Economics of Cities is a valuable book for anyone seriously interested in the economic forces which shape, structure and locate cities...The book provides a state-of-the-art survey that accomplishes a great deal." Canadian Journal of Urban Research