Showing papers in "Journal of Regional Science in 1983"

Migration with a composite amenity: the role of rents.

Abstract: An attempt is made to analyze the phenomenon of migration using rent as the single variable that could serve as a proxy for the many amenities that might affect migration patterns. A theoretical treatment of the implications of rent capitalization for migration is first outlined. Empirical results indicating the usefulness of this approach are then presented. The geographic focus of the study is on the United States. (ANNOTATION)

The dynamics of urban spatial structure: progress and problems*

Abstract: We are concerned in principle with modelling all aspects of the dynamics of urban spatial structure: the spatial distributions of people and organisations and the corresponding physical structure. We report on the state of progress of our work which extends the spatial-interaction-activity group of models using methods from catastrophe theory and bifurcation theory.-from Authors

The boundary value problem in spatial statistical analysis.

Abstract: The primary objective of this paper is to investigate procedures for detecting and handling existing border biasing in spatial statistical analysis. Six conventional solutions to the boundary value problem are criticized and three alternate statistical solutions are proposed. (EXCERPT)

Modeling intraurban price competition: an example of gasoline pricing*

Abstract: Three interacting market models are considered as models for intraurban retail price variation for a single homogenous good, price-posted gasoline. Modifications include spatial markets instead of interacting economic sectors and supply functions independent of price levels in other markets. The final section discusses the results of fitting one of the models to gasoline data for the city of Sheffield during a period of intensifying price competition in the first quarter of 1982. It is concluded, with respect to gasoline price modeling, both independent and interacting market models exist but at different intraurban scales. 15 references, 1 figure, 1 table.

Linked population and economic models: some methodological issues in forecasting, analysis, and policy optimization.

Abstract: Some problems associated with demographic-economic forecasting include finding models appropriate for a declining economy with unemployment using a multiregional approach in an interregional model finding a way to show differential consumption while endogenizing unemployment and avoiding unemployment inconsistencies. The solution to these problems involves the construction of an activity-commodity framework locating it within a group of forecasting models and indicating possible ratios towards dynamization of the framework. The authors demonstrate the range of impact multipliers that can be derived from the framework and show how these multipliers relate to Leontief input-output multipliers. It is shown that desired population distribution may be obtained by selecting instruments from the economic sphere to produce through the constraints vector of an activity-commodity framework targets selected from demographic activities. The next step in this process empirical exploitation was carried out by the authors in the United Kingdom linking an input-output model with a wide selection of demographic and demographic-economic variables. The generally tenuous control which government has over any variables in systems of this type especially in market economies makes application in the policy field of the optimization approach a partly conjectural exercise although the analytic capacity of the approach can provide clear indications of policy directions.

City size distributions and urban density functions: some interrelationships.

Abstract: This paper is concerned with "relating the apparent regularities of the population distribution within individual cities to the regularities with which the urban population of a nation is distributed among cities....An attempt is first made to draw the two distributions together in mathematical terms. The discussion then turns to a theoretical consideration of possible interrelations between the two distributions after which the temporal variation of the parameters of each distribution is examined. This leads to the outlining of an evolutionary model of urban-system development based on the passage through a number of stages." The analysis focuses on urban systems in Europe and North America. (EXCERPT)

Modeling the macroeconomic impact of air-pollution abatement

Abstract: A comprehensive model framework is presented for assessing the macroeconomic impact of air-pollution-control regulations. The paper first reviews the capabilities, projections, and biases of previous models. Next, the set of important relationships affecting the economic outcome of environmental regulation is identified. A unifying model framework, flexible enough to incorporate alternative assumptions about impact stimuli, is then presented. A pared-down version of the model is used to illustrate the sensitivity of assessment results to various causal determinants and assumptions in the hope of pointing to fruitful directions of additional modeling efforts and empirical research on the subject. 53 references, 1 figure, 3 tables.

Regional labor markets and the household migration decision.

Abstract: The current work extends the modeling of the household migration decision to take into account location-specific influences and relates these to regional wage differentials. This allows for more complete analysis of real wage gains or losses associated with migration and inferences regarding the nature of equilibrium or disequilibrium wage differentials between regions. Data are from the Michigan Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the period 1976-1978. "The results indicate systematic and often substantial influences of household location on the nominal wage and on both job and residence mobility. Based on these findings comparisons of wage growth patterns are made for those changing jobs and region of residence status. Although compared to other households the wage growth of these migrants is on average lower before migration and higher after migration the analysis provides no support for arguments that nominal regional wage differentials reflect systematic ordering of real wage differentials. This finding suggests that real wage gains are closely tied to the interregional migration decision but are not related to regional nominal wage differentials in a simple fashion." (EXCERPT)

An empirical study of population density gradients and their determinants.

Abstract: Presents some systematic cross-sectional empirical results on density gradients and their determinants in various cities in Israel. To achieve this goal a two-stage estimation procedure is utilized. In the first stage using the 1972 Census of Population density gradients are estimated for all cities in Israel for which sufficient observations were available. The estimates obtained are used in a second stage to form two dependent variables which are then explained by variables such as income transportation costs city size tightness of land market and age of city. The results confirm findings of other studies regarding the relevance and importance of variables representing city size income and transportation costs they also provide evidence as to the importance of land supply and age of city. (authors)

Changes in elasticities of interstate migration: implication of alternative functional forms.

Abstract: ...Problems of using a linear log-linear or other simple functional forms for the study of interstate migration have been discussed. A general form and the procedure to estimate it have been introduced. 1970 [U.S.] Census data for the 48 contiguous states have been used to estimate the parameters in the general form. (EXCERPT)

Central place populations: a microeconomic consideration*

Abstract: Considerable research has focused on identifying the properties of cities under systemic constraints. The central place theories of Christaller (1966) and Losch (1954) have been especially useful in providing conceptual frameworks for a variety of hierarchical city-size models [Beckmann (1968), Beckmann and McPherson (1970), Alao et al. (1977), Parr (1978)J. The present paper follows in this central place tradition. The major purpose of this paper is to determine the equilibrium quantities of labor and capital employed at the various hierarchical levels of a Christaller-type city system. The equilibrium solutions for labor provide an indication of how city populations vary from one hierarchical level to the next. The first part of the paper is concerned with the supply side, and production functions are identified for each bundle of goods provided throughout the city system. The demand side is next taken up, and individual demand functions are established from consumer behavior theory. Individual demand is aggregated into market area demand according to Christaller’s functional principles, The supply function of each bundle at a given central place can be equated to the demand function for that bundle, taking into consideration that demand is exerted both within the central place and throughout the complementary area that it serves. Given that input prices, bundle prices, consumer incomes, and transportation rates are known, equilibrium solutions for labor and capital follow. The final part of the paper offers further insight into the issue of individual demand. Some implications of multipurpose shopping behavior are discussed for a simple two-level, two-bundle city system. Aggregation to market area demand is not carried through at this time, but the effects of multipurpose behavior upon the equilibrium solutions of labor and capital are indicated.

U.s. north‐south labor migration and trade*

Abstract: The authors examine the roles of labor migration and commodity trade in the inter-regional equalization of the real wage rate in the United States. The emphasis is on North-South patterns. Theoretical models are first outlined and then tested using 1960 and 1970 census data and multi-regional input-output data for 1963. It is found that "the pattern of trade-embodied labor flow closely resembled the pattern of direct labor migration." It is also noted that "the Souths hierarchical profile of relative plentifulness among age education and race-specific categories of work force tended to persist and remain fairly stable between 1960 and 1970....One plausible hypothesis is that interregional commodity trade is accomplishing the bulk of the requisite adjustment in bringing about the real wage equalization." (EXCERPT)