Showing papers by "Robert M. Solow published in 2016"

Land in transportation

Abstract: Summary This paper sketches a model of equilibrium residential density and rent gradient in a monocentric city in which transportation cost depends only on distance from the central business district and income is equally distributed. The model is then generalized to allow for congestion costs, so that transportation cost depends not only on distance covered, but also on the density of traffic. A solution is found for one special case. It is shown how, in this model, one can find the best allocation of land between transportation use"and residential use. Finally, it is shown how more general models-especially when income is not equi-distributed-can be solved using the principles developed here, but more extensive numerical computation. This inquiry began as an attempt to work out a fairly general (though abstract) theory of urban land use. I was soon driven, by the complexity of the theoretical problem, to a series of drastic simplifying assumptions. In the end, then, I am left with the analysis of a single austere example, based on assumptions chosen mainly to avoid complications. It is not an empty exercise, however. The study of special cases can clarify the working of more general