Geography of Growth : Spatial Economics and Competitiveness

Abstract

This volume is organized as follows.
 Chapter one address two questions: how has spatial
 concentration evolved with growth and development, and what
 are the efficiency implications of too much or too little
 spatial concentration? This chapter summarizes the various
 models that analyze growth by geographic concentration and
 sets the foundation for concepts discussed in later
 chapters. Chapter two focuses on urbanization in
 geographies. Chapter three correlates urban presence with
 economic density in developed and developing countries. It
 initially focuses on how urban transition and growth are
 blurring the rural-urban divide and the unprecedented volume
 of people who are moving to urban areas. Chapter four
 discusses how different industries inhabit and impact
 various urban sectors. Chapter five contextualizes urban
 growth in the current technological landscape as innovation,
 particularly in information technology, has become critical
 to increasing productivity and consequently growth. Chapter
 six further analyzes urbanization in the current global
 context, specifically, the impact of globalization and
 industry clusters on urbanization. Chapter seven addresses a
 current fundamental global trend: why has urbanization been
 growing rapidly since the 1950s? Some theories suggest that
 it is industry that spurs urbanization and consequently
 growth in infrastructure; however this is not the case.
 Instead, the chapter concludes by looking at data across
 regions and cities, the municipalities are pivotal in
 influencing infrastructure development and growth in urban
 centers. Finally, chapter eight deciphers why some cities
 are more successful than others. Why do Karachi and Sao
 Paulo have the human capital that qualifies them as urban
 centers but not as thriving cities? By citing examples of
 successful cities, this chapter provides policy
 recommendations on how to make a city competitive in
 today's economy.