Donald N. Steinnes

Causality and intraurban location

Abstract Most intraurban location models in urban economics are based on a a priori assumption that employment is exogenous and a determinant of residential location. In this paper this assumption is relaxed or tested by estimating a dynamic model using pooled cross-sectional time-series data; the results suggest that causality runs from residence to employment, not vice versa.

Measuring the Economic Value of Water Quality: The Case of Lakeshore Land

The valuation of water quality has proved difficult for economists using hedonic methods. This study, by employing a sample of lakes and considering only land values, is able to overcome many methodological and empirical problems inherent in previous studies. One objective measure of water quality, secchi disc reading, is found to be significant for various alternative specifications of the hedonic model. As explained, however, the results suggest that economic value may be attached to a perceived, rather than actual, measure of water quality. This raises fundamental questions as to how economists and natural scientists can work together to formulate public policy regarding water quality.

Elderly Migration to the Sunbelt: Seasonal Versus Permanent

A substantial body of research has focused on the interstate migration of elderly households to the Sunbelt. Most of this research has concentrated on permanent moves, but seasonal migration of elderly households to Sunbelt locations has become an increasingly important social phenomenon. Although some have suggested that such temporary migration serves as a precursor ofpermanent locations, recent analyses have found that such seasonal migration constitutes an alternative elderly life-style. Using 1980 census data, this study empirically examines the similarities and differences in these two types of elderly migration flows to a Sunbelt state such as Arizona. The statistical results indicate that seasonal and permanent migration are correlated in different ways to the variables usually found to be determinants of elderly migration flows and suggest the two types of elderly migration are related but separate phenomena.

Arizona Sunbirds and Minnesota Snowbirds: two species of the elderly seasonal migrant genus

Using comparable definitions and two statewide surveys it is estimated that the elderly seasonal migration rate is higher in Arizona during the summer (10.1%) than it is in Minnesota during the winter (9.2%). More attention is given to the Arizona seasonal migrants or Sunbirds since they have not been studied as much as Snowbirds. While Sunbirds are similar in many ways to Snowbirds they tend to be older. This age difference along with a tendency for both types of seasonal migrants to have been recent permanent migrants suggests that permanent migration may be a precursor to seasonal migration. (EXCERPT)

On Understanding and Evaluating the University's Evolving Economic Development Policy

This article presents evidence that the university has evolved in recent years into an active player in the local economic development game and an attempt is made to provide an understanding of this evolution in university policy on the basis of political and economic events during the 1980s. Finally, a model is specified and estimated for a sample of cities to evaluate the effectiveness of university economic development policy. The results, while not definitive, do suggest that the university can be a positive influence on economic development in a city and that some of the most explicit policies, including the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), have the most significant impact on local job growth.

Toward an Understanding of Elderly Seasonal Migration Using Origin-Based Household Data

Analyses of data from a statewide household survey of older Minnesotans provide estimates of seasonal migration activity that are substantially higher than previous census-based estimates. More important, the data allow for comparisons between the migrant and nonmigrant populations of the same origin state (Minnesota). The findings show distinct differences between the two populations for many socioeconomic household characteristics.

Aggregation, gerrymandering, and spatial econometrics

Abstract Since the work of Cliff and Ord (1973), increasing attention has been paid to the unique statistical and econometric problems associated with the use of spatial or areal data. In this paper it will be shown that the way in which spatial data is aggregated, or gerrymandered, will alter the estimation results of a model. Specifically, a well known model developed by Kain to measure the loss in black jobs in a metropolitan area resulting from residential segregation will be estimated. It will be shown that by alternative areal aggregation, or gerrymandering, of the data it is possible to reach diametrically opposed conclusions (i.e., blacks either gain or lose jobs as a result of residential segregation using the same model.

An Analysis of Infrastructure Provision and Local Economic Development Policy

While the provision of infrastructure has been a traditional role for local (state and city) government, it is shown that the commitment to such infrastructure provision has waned as a result, in part, of recent political and economic events. Given the current political economy, infrastructure investments may have to be justified on the basis of their ability to stimulate local economic development and create jobs–even though many direct economic development policies have been implemented based on their plausibility rather than on their proven efficacy. To establish the relationship between infrastructure and economic growth during the 1962-to-1982 time period, a policy evaluation model is specified and tested for a sample of cities. The results suggest that infrastructure does, in fact, stimulate job growth. Thus, a more comprehensive analysis of the economic development process is called for so that infrastructure and more-direct job-creation policies can be compared. It would seem that the recent dimin...

POSITIVE RENT GRADIENTS AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THE DISPERSED TWO-DIMENSIONAL CITY

Abstract Empirical studies are reviewed which suggest the existence of a positive rent gradient in urban areas which is contrary to theoretical urban models. In order to measure general accessibility to a dispersed activity, the concept of potential is developed for a continuous density function, the negative exponential, and assuming travel speed in an urban area increases with distance from the core. It is shown that this general accessibility can increase with distance from the core and thus provides a more plausible explanation of observed land value functions than have previous theories which concentrate on core accessibility, or distance to the core.

Aggregation/disaggregation of intraurban residential location models and the perils of a proxy for potential variables

In this paper the effectiveness of using a proxy for potential variables in a regression model is analyzed. The results strongly suggest that potential variables provide greater explanatory power of accessibility than the proxy, especially in disaggregated testing.