Showing papers in "Economic Geography in 2008"

Accumulation by Decarbonization and the Governance of Carbon Offsets

Abstract: This article examines the governance of international carbon offsets, analyzing the political economy of the origins and governance of offsets. We examine how the governance structures of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism and unregulated voluntary carbon offsets differ in regulation and in complexity of the chain that links consumers and reducers of carbon, with specific consequences for carbon reductions, development, and the ability to provide “accumulation by decarbonization.” We show how carbon offsets represent capital-accumulation strategies that devolve governance over the atmosphere to supranational and nonstate actors and to the market.

Cluster genesis : technology-based industrial development

Abstract: This book examines the origins and emergence of technology-based industrial clusters - regional concentrations of related firms and organizations - in order to understand the forces that promoted economic development. Many places attempt to emulate the world’s most famous industrial cluster Silicon Valley, with its rich institutional landscape of engaged and leveraged research universities, high-flying local venture capitalists, world class supporting business and legal consultants, and rich collaborative networks. While mature clusters may look similar, what really matters is the process by which clusters come into existence. But there is little understanding of such processes, and little guidance provided on the role of policies in promoting cluster emergence. The book attempts to bridge this gap in the literature by focusing on the early origins of high-technology cluster in Europe, the United States, and China, and the ensuing policy implications. The book is organized around three main themes: Creation Myths Revisited, Considering the Development Cluster Context, and Crafting Cluster and Economic Development Policy. The empirical analyses suggest that clusters that grow rapidly as compared to the less successful ones are distinguished by vigorous entrepreneurial activity and the active building of institutions aided by the forces of agglomeration economies.

Family Types and the Persistence of Regional Disparities in Europe

Abstract: This article examines the association between one of the most basic institutional forms, the family, and a series of demographic, educational, social, and economic indicators across regions in Europe. Using Emmanuel Todd's classification of medieval European family systems, we identify potential links between family types and regional disparities in household size, educational attainment, social capital, labor participation, sectoral structure, wealth, and inequality. The results indicate that medieval family structures seem to have influenced European regional disparities in virtually every indicator that we considered. That these links remain, despite the influence of the modern state and population migration, suggests that such structures are either extremely resilient or in the past were internalized within other social and economic institutions as they developed.

Roepke Lecture in Economic Geography—Regional Context and Global Trade

Abstract: How should we think of the role of regions in relation to the global economy? Theory has surprising gaps when it comes to building a unified vision of these two scales of development. Two contributions to such a vision are proposed in this article. First, the relationship between geographic concentration and the regional economic specialization it underpins and globalization should be theorized as a dynamic process. Standard location and trade theory is not adequate for this task; instead, the dynamic relationship can be captured through growth theory. But capturing this dynamic relationship requires correcting growth theory to separate its local and its global components, which are, respectively, Marshall- Arrow and Romer externalities. Second, the missing element in all theories of geographic concentration and locally specialized development is an element labeled "context" here. A theory of context, in turn, raises important new questions about the dynamic welfare and developmental effects of contemporary processes of fragmenting and relocating production at a global scale.

The Rise of a Global Infrastructure Market through Relational Investing

Abstract: Infrastructure assets around the world are shifting from public to private ownership. This article investigates how institutional investors are investing beyond their traditional financial and geographic borders and are increasingly serving as owners of infrastructure assets. It shows how infrastructure assets have specific geographies of information embedded in their investment returns and discusses the growing interest of institutional investors in investing in the infrastructure landscape. While infrastructure investments are considered globally, opportunities depend on the availability of specialist information in the region of investment. The article demonstrates that the low-risk, geographically varied returns match the diversification objectives of pension fund portfolios. Relational investing is important in implementing strategies for investing in the infrastructure, since the bidding on and ensuing ownership and management of infrastructure assets around the world require a combination of financial, legal, and technical expertise. The article addresses three distinct economic geography literatures: the geography of finance, pension fund research, and emerging debates on “relational geometries.”

Organizational Challenges and Strategic Responses of Retail TNCs in Post‐WTO‐Entry China

Abstract: In the context of a market characterized by the enduring legacy of socialism through governmental ownership of retail businesses, the continued presence of domestic retailers, and increasing levels of competition, this article examines the organizational challenges faced by, and the strategic responses adopted by, a group of leading food and general merchandise retail transnational corporations (TNCs) in developing networks of stores in the post-WTO-entry Chinese market. On the basis of extensive interview-based fieldwork conducted in China from 2006 to 2008, the article details the attempts of these retail TNCs to embed their operations in Chinese logistics and supply networks, real estate markets, and consumer cultures—three dimensions that are fundamental to the achievement of market competitiveness by the retail TNCs. The article illustrates how this process of territorial embeddedness presents major challenges for the retail TNCs and how their strategic responses vary substantially, indicating different routes to the achievement of organizational legitimacy in China. The article concludes by offering an analysis of the various strategic responses of the retail TNCs and by suggesting some future research propositions on the globalization of the retail industry.

Managing the transnational law firm: a relational analysis of professional systems, embedded actors and time-space sensitive governance.

Abstract: This article argues that the relational approach can be particularly effective for addressing debates about the varieties of capitalism and the dynamics of institutional contexts. Using the case study of transnational law firms and data gathered through interviews with partners in London and New York, it makes two arguments. First, it suggests that the relational approach's focus on the behavior of key agents when new or different work practices are encountered helps explain the management of institutional heterogeneity by transnational corporations (TNCs). Such an approach reveals the peculiarities of professionals and professional service managers and how they affect the response of globalizing law firms when home- and host-country business practices diverge. Second, the article shows how relational approaches can help disaggregate descriptions of national institutional systems to reveal the importance of studying their constitutive practices. Understanding these microlevel variations, which is missed by macrolevel categories like Anglo-American, is essential for explaining how firms cope with institutional heterogeneity. The author therefore argues that a better understanding of the effects of TNCs on national business systems can be facilitated by further developing the actor- and practice-focused analyses promoted by relational approaches.

Regional Knowledge Economies: Markets, Clusters and Innovation

Abstract: The article reviews the book "Regional Knowledge Economies: Markets, Clusters and Innovation," by Philip Cooke, Carla De Laurentis, Franz Todtling, and Michaela Trippl.

The Effects of Spatial Mobility on the Performance of Firms

Abstract: A considerable body of research has analyzed the impact of a firm's geographic position and levels of organizational and territorial embeddedness on its performance. Generally these studies have assumed that firms are immobile. Research that has focused on the effects of the relocation of firms has treated firms mainly as atomistic actors that can move freely in geographic space and has tended to neglect the influence of changes in a firm's geographic position and level of organizational and territorial embeddedness. We integrated insights from both streams of literature to answer the research question, “What are the effects of relocation on a firm's performance, and what is the influence of a firm's geographic position and its level of organizational and territorial embeddedness on this relationship?” On the basis of our analysis of data from a survey of managers of Dutch automation services firms, we found that the degree of impact of a firm's relocation on its performance depends on the characteristics of the relocation. For example, a move to an urbanized region hampers performance, whereas a move to a research and development-intensive region fosters a higher level of performance. Furthermore, firms with high levels of organizational embeddedness suffer in the short term from relocation, but benefit in the long run.

The Knot of Contracts: The Corporate Geography of Legacy Costs

Abstract: Burdensome past commitments are threatening a concentrated group of industries and communities, predominantly in the U.S. Midwest. Beginning with the bankruptcy of Delphi Corporation, this article documents the crisis for “old-economy firms” with significant legacy costs. To understand the root causes of this legacy crisis, the analysis builds on previous research in economic geography and the results of a widely subscribed and unique “expert opinion” survey highlighting the corporate impacts of defined benefit pensions in the private sector. The result is a conceptual framework that describes the corporate geography of legacy costs: the “knot of contracts.” Specifically, the knot of contracts conceptualizes the role of intergenerational commitments in restricting corporate evolution and innovation, while underscoring time as a central component of the nature of the firm. Developing this framework requires linking microeconomic theories of the firm with the institutional aspects of firms' geographies. While referring to specific cases and proprietary data throughout, the article is principally concerned with understanding legacy costs. In addition, the intent is to uncover managerial and governmental behavior that tightened this knot of contracts and to expose the current managers' attempts to manage their firms through the adverse affects of the knot of contracts. The explanations in this article serve as a useful bridge between the realities faced by firms and their surrounding communities and the more abstract notions of the firm and competitiveness in the context of globalization.

Understanding the firm : spatial and organizational dimensions

Abstract: PART I: THEORISING THE FIRM - INTRODUCTION 1. Fragments and Gaps: Exploring the Theory of the Firm PART II: THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FIRM 2. The Many Boundaries of the Firm 3. Guns, Firms, and Contracts: The Evolution of Gun-Making in Birmingham PART III: COLLECTIVE AGENCY AND NARRATIVES ON PERFORMANCE 4. The Firm: Coalitions, Communities and Collective Agency 5. The Corporation, Shareholder Value Added and the Power of Financial Management Narratives PART IV: THE 'POLITICAL' FIRM AND THE STATE 6. Distortions in Industrial Geography: Triangulating Among Industrial Firms, and the State 7. Firms as Political Actors in Processes of Capital Accumulation and Regional Development PART V: THE FIRM IN PLACE 8. An Activity Specific Approach to the High-Tech Firm 9. Learning Firms in Learning Regions: Innovation, Cooperation and Social Capital PART IV: THEORISING THE FIRM - AFTERWORD 10. Theorising the Firm in Economic Geography and Why It Matters

Remaking Regional Economies: Power, Labor, and Firm Strategies in the Knowledge Economy – By Susan Christopherson and Jennifer Clark

Abstract: The article reviews the book "Remaking Regional Economies: Power, Labor, and Firm Strategies in the Knowledge Economy," by Susan Christopherson and Jennifer Clark.

Spatial analysis of houses' price in dongguan based on esda and kriging techniques

Abstract: Property price and its spatial distribution is a hot topic in many applications.This paper explores and simulates the spatial distribution of property price in Dongguan using the ordinary Kriging method,and analyzes its spatial autocorrelation and variability using the techniques of ESDA.The conclusions from the analysis include: 1) proper price exhibits significant global spatial autocorrelation and overall clustering pattern;2) houses' price often has local clustering pattern,and sometime has local dispersed patterns owing to spatial heterogeneity;3)it can be found that the spatial distribution of proper price takes on a zonal anisotropy by semivariogram functions figures of different directions.This means that there were different structural characteristics in different directions for property price distribution;4) there is significant difference of the property price between districts.

The impacts of the rail transit on property values:empirical study in batong line of beijing

Abstract: Though most studies confirm the positive impacts of the rail transit on property values,a few studies report the insignificant impactsIt is suggested that the submarket effect is the important factor that causes the mixed conclusionsThe article puts forward that the submarket effect is the integration of two opposite effectsThe difference between the bid-rent gradients of the commercial and office sector and that of the residential essentially shifts the relative magnitude of these two effectsAs for the commercial and office property,the impact of the Effect Ⅰis greater than that of Effect Ⅱ,that causes the value premium higher in CBD than that in suburbWhile for the residential,the impact of Effect Ⅱ dominates so the premium in suburb is higherOur empirical study on Batong line verifies the above idea

The Changing Economic Geography of Globalization: Reinventing Space

Abstract: Introduction: 'Reinventing Space' Part 1: Theoretical Perspectives 1. Lost in Space? The Geographical and Political Dimension of Uneven Capitalist Development 2. Positionality and Globalization in Economic Geography 3. A Systemic Approach to Territorial Studies: Deconstructing Territorial Competitiveness 4. Place is What We Think With or Spatial History, Intellectual Capital and Competitive Distinction Part 2: Empirical Evidence 5. The Boom and the Bombshell: The New Economy Bubble and the San Francisco Bay Area 6. The Role of Regional Innovation Systems in a Globalizing Economy: Comparing Knowledge Bases and Institutional Frameworks of Nordic Clusters 7. Spatial Externalities and Local Employment Dynamics 8. Accessibility and Regional Growth in Europe: The Role of ICT Policies 9. Regional Inequalities and EU Enlargement: The Macrospatial Dimension

The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City – By Elizabeth Currid

Abstract: The article reviews the book "The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City," by Elizabeth Currid.

The spatial variation and affecting factors of the housing price gradients——the case of beijing

Abstract: Based on the monocentric assumption of the urban spatial structure,the paper uses a hedonic regression model to estimate the housing price gradients of Beijing.The result shows that the model with dummy variables representing the spatial direction attribute explains much better than the original simple monocentric model.The spatial variation of the housing price gradients across different direction region of the city is significantly observed,which is mainly influenced by the urban spatial structure and the transportation infrastructure.The regression result is highly consistent with the actual situation of Beijing.

Research on the vicious circle of poverty and the economic development of the three gorges reservoir region

Abstract: With the Three Gorges project will be completed soon successfully,the investment and the scale of construction in the Three Gorges reservoir region are reducing gradually.Some contradictions and problems in the economic development of this area are becoming increasingly significant.This paper,through angle of view of the poverty vicious circle theory,analyses the overall economic trend of the area and concludes that the Three Gorges reservoir region is facing the plight of "vicious circle of poverty".It is necessary for breaking the vicious circle to reduce the population,to increase investment and to use state's financial transfer payment.This paper also gives strategy recommendations of encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting the transfer of labor for the work at this stage.

Land use pattern change and driving forces in poyang lake

Abstract: The spatial pattern and land use /land cover changes of Poyang Lake Region among 1985,1995,2000,2005 are analyzed by using of the remote sensing data ,GIS spatial analysis database,mathematical statistics and statistic analysis software named SPSSThe results show:①In different period,the changes of land use /land cover not only have resemblance,but also have differenceThe most frequent land use change types are changes between arable land and water area;The changes are frequently between arable land and pasture,and between woodland and pasture;The area from arable land to construction land is the largest;At the same time,in every period,there are unique characters of land use/land cover change②In recently years,the major driving forces of Poyang Lake area land use/land cover change are Poyang Lake political factors,population growth and economical factor

The effects of expected transport improvements on housing prices and price spatial distribution——hangzhou-based research evidence of planning the mass transit railway

Abstract: Improvements in public transport were commonly found to have a positive effect on the price of housing. However, there have been few investigations of expected transport improvements. This paper is an empirical study of whether premiums were paid for the expected benefits offered by Hangzhou rail transit before its completion. Based on a large sample of housing transactions intertemporal pooling data, using extended hedonic pricing model, our empirical study showed there were positive price expectation effects in the suburb well before the completion of the line, but no significant effects in the town. House prices in the suburb were being affected by proximity to the stations after the plans for the line were well known. So this affected the price gradient of properties along the transportation line.

Urban space expansion and land intensive utility

Abstract: Since 1996,we have been in the rapid urbanization development period time.It makes huge of rural people into the city.And the increasing of total economy accelerates the expansion of urban space,which occupy a large number of non-city construction land,but the limitation of the natural capacity make rapid urbanization and urban space expansion put forward deeper requirements to land intensive utility.The paper builds up the urbanization and land intensive utility model,which analyzes the impacts of dynamic urbanization to different agents and introduces the definition of low-cost,intensive urbanization to improve the city economy healthily and scientifically and set up the socialist harmony society.

A review of foreign studies of theories and methods on livable city

Abstract: This article reviews thoughts and theories on urban development in past decades,and explains how the notion of livable city came into being and the definition of livability and livable city.Besides,it talks about how to evaluate,both objectively and subjectively,the livability of a city.In addition,it refers to some problems in the process of building a livable city.Lastly,it points out some deficiencies of foreign studies and calls on an application of these theories under specific circumstances in our urban development.

A study on activity space of shopping of shanghai residents:temporal and spatial characteristics and relative influencing factors

Abstract: Based on questionnaire survey and field investigation in Shanghai,the paper tries to find the time and spatial characteristics of residents' shopping behavior. Besides,further research on its relative influencing factors is carried out from views of individual choice and urban space.The results show that the characteristics of shopping behavior of residents is Shanghai can be summed up as an typical activity of low-frequency,close-travel distance,non-motor-oriented mode as well as night timing.Meanwhile,the shopping activity space shows obvious hierarchical characteristic,but with a condensational trend.Further,the hierarchy of shopping trip of different commodities is explained by individual choice course while the travel mode,range of the space and the concentrated extent mostly rest on the physical space of retailing of the city.

Colonial and Post-Colonial Geographies of India

Abstract: Introduction - Stuart Corbridge, M Satish Kumar and Saraswati Raju Idioms, Symbolism and Divisions - M Satish Kumar Beyond the Black and White Towns in Madras, 1652-1850 Home, Community and Nationality - Alison Blunt Anglo-Indian Women in India before and after Independence Militant Cartographies and Traumatic Spaces - Stuart Corbridge and Edward Simpson Ayodhya, Bhuj and the Contested Geographies of Hindutva Territoriality, Kashmir and the Evolving Geopolitics of India-Pakistan Relations - Robert W Bradnock From Global to Local - Saraswati Raju Gendered Discourses and Embedded Urban Labour Market in India Women's Social Transformation, NGOs and Globalization in Urban India - Vandana Desai Social Labour and the Geography of Work in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu - Sharad Chari Infotech Industries and Regional Disparities in India - Martina Fromhold-Eisebith Post-Colonial Developmentalities - Stephen Legg From the Delhi Improvement Trust to the Delhi Development Authority Post-Modernism, Post-Fordism and Flexibilized Metropolis - Swapna Banerjee-Guha Dialectical Images of Mumbai Urbane Geographies - Craig Jeffrey, Patricia Jeffery and Roger Jeffery Schooling, Jobs and the Quest for Civility in Rural North India Decentralization and Participation in Urban India - Annapurna Shaw Women Community Workers in a Small Town of West Bengal India's Evolving Political Ecologies - Glyn Williams and Emma Mawdsley Carbon Colonies - Paul Robbins From Local Use Value to Global Exchange in Climate Forestry In the Aftermath of Critique: The Journey after Sangtin Yatra - Richa Singh and Richa Nagar Index

Study on influence factor of rural residents' migration intention

Abstract: Housing is one of the important targets that reflect the basic survival conditions of residents.Along with the unceasing development of social and economy,changes of each factor have caused the alteration of residential demand and relocation of the settlement,and further affect the vicissitude of residential space structure.On the basis of the data from 1 234 residents' questionnaires,the paper empirically analyzes the influence factor of rural residents' migration intention.Empirical results show that the main factors affecting rural residents' migration intention are total people in family,construction time of current house,transportation,structure of house and topography.Residents' migration intention is resulted from comprehensive decision of a family.Along with the gradual dissolution of big family and miniaturizing of the family structure,the big families that have many people maybe prefer to migrate;rural residents in hilly area prefer to migrate;the main factors that make many people do not satisfy the residential surroundings are transportation and structure of house.The construction of the rural settlement in future should moderately embark from the angle of peasant households and reasonably guide residents to migrate,unceasingly perfect residential settlement plan.

Analysis and empirical study on the resettlement mode of aid-the poor emigration——a case study of rui'an city,zhejiang province

Abstract: Aid-the poor emigration resettlement is a complicated system engineering,involving a wide range of knowledge,and the degree of difficulty of practical operation is great.We must pay attention to the nation,collective,personal interests,and weigh the long-term interest and current interests.This paper analyses and evaluates on the recent years' practice of aid-the poor emigration program in Rui'an city,summarizes its mode and characters of emigration resettlement.Comparing with its form and characters of different resettlement modes,we hope that this article can provide availble resettlement modes for next phase of aid-the poor emigration program in Zhejiang province.

Evaluation of city innovation capability and the construction of "regional innovation circle" in yangtze river delta——based on the factor and cluster analysis method

Abstract: The improvement of regional innovation ability in Yangtze River Delta is depended on the improvement of city innovation ability in each city. Based on the systematic evaluation of 16 cities innovation capability by the application of factor and cluster methods, along with the comparative study of the evaluation result, this paper constructs four "Regional Innovation Circle" in Yangtze River Delta that is formed by four sub-centre cities (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou and Nanjing). By the instruction of "Trickling﹣Down Effect" theory, the study shows that only by the construction of "Regional Innovation Circle" step by step could the integrate construction of Regional Innovation System in Yangtze River Delta be realized.

Superior strategies and analysis on integrity of urban eco-network construction in the regions around lake——take changde city of west dongting lake region as an example

Abstract: The urban eco-network is the network structure in the urban eco-system that the flowing of the substance,the population and the information have been formed in the spatial distribution.The urban eco-network in the regions around lake is made up of the eco-system of forest,farmland,town and wetland,whether respective or mutual,their characters of connection and smooth directly influence the integrity of urban eco-network.Using GIS,MapInfo Professional6.5 and the network analytical method,taking Chang de city of West Dong ting Lake as an example,the paper analyses the integrity of urban eco-network.The results show that① The characters of connection in the eco-system of forest,farmland and town are very poor between spots,the indexes of alpha,beta and gamma are very low,and the index of alpha appears negative;By comparison,the character of connection of the wetland is a little better,but its index is also low;With regards to the region,its character of connection is much better.② The characters of entrance in the eco-function districts is much better,transformational network is relative convenient,especially in the eco-agriculture district.③ As to the characters of smooth in the eco-system of forest,wetland and farmland,5 eco-function districts are the best,and 3 eco-function districts are the worst in the 17 eco-function districts.Based on the above analysis,the superior strategies on integrity of urban eco-network construction are put forward.

Industrial heritage and its tourism value in china

Abstract: As nowadays,heritage tourism grows up and the value of industrial heritage is re-recognized,so protection of industrial heritage and its tourism development attracts attention from society and tourism industry.There are hot issues,such as suitable tourism development model,moderate and reasonable tourism development on the basis of industrial heritage protection,boosting the economy and promoting the historical culture to be preserved of industrial heritage region.After defining the "industrial heritage" and "industrial tourism",dissertation probes into the present situation of industrial heritage and its protection in our country,points out the tourism value of it simultaneously.Finally,concerning the industrial heritage tourism development disparity between home and broad situation,the dissertation reveals the problems and deficiency in China,adds the analysis of reason for lag and the measure for development.

The characteristics and problems in development of agriculture and rural areas for the areas with a rapid economic development

Abstract: The Yangtze River Delta and the Zhujiang River Delta are two areas with the most rapid economic development in our country.They have advantages in economic location,natural conditions,technology,education,and culture,so they are regarded as the engine of economic development of China,and they have played an important role in the modernization construction of our country.These two deltas have opened to the outside early or late,and have brought in foreign investments,advanced technology equipment and management experiences,adjusted industrial structure constantly.Their industries have developed in extra high rates,and their urban constructions of inner areas have made progress rapidly.The paper are analyzed of these have brought in unprecedented development and reform for their agriculture and rural area,also analysis of fhe challenges faced by agriculture and the rural area.