Mario Polèse

Local development: Conceptual bases and policy implications

Coffey W. J. and Polese M. (1985) Local development: conceptual bases and policy implications, Reg. Studies 19, 85–93. Although local development is frequently cited as an option within the broader context of regional policy, the concept remains vague. The bases of the local development approach lie in its complementarity with three traditional pillars of regional theory and policy: capital and infrastructure policies; migration as an adjustment mechanism; and growth centre strategies. In examining the potential utility of local development as an effective element of regional development policy, we emphasize the emergence of local entrepreneurship and the role of the State in stimulating local initiatives. Local development policy may be generalized in terms of three options involving financial assistance, access to information, and social animation.

Cities and National Economic Growth: A Reappraisal

The idea that cities are sources of economic growth, generally associated with Jane Jacobs, has gained ground in the scholarly literature in recent years. This essay proposes a review of the arguments for and against the Jacobs hypothesis. Much of the debate centres on the existence of dynamic agglomeration economies. It is difficult, it is argued to rigorously test the relationship between agglomeration and economic growth. Part of the problem stems from the difficulty of distinguishing factors that allow cities to capture a greater share of national economic growth from those that allow cities to add to national economic growth. It is argued that the socioeconomic processes that explain economic growth operate primarily at the national/societal level and not at the city level.

Observing Regularities in Location Patterns An Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of Economic Activity in Spain

The location of economic activity in Spain is analysed, employing a methodology previously applied to Canada. We ask whether the regularities posited for Canada also hold for Spain, despite the differences in geography. Using census data for the years 1991 and 2001, Spains 8,086 municipalities are classified according to population size and distance thresholds analogous to those applied to Canada.The location patterns of industries are plotted in relation to these classes. The results reveal, on the whole, spatial distributions consistent with posited regularities and previous findings. Location patterns are fairly stable over time, reconfirming the continued weight of distance and of agglomeration economies. The results also show a crowding-out process in Spain, similar to that observed for other nations, fuelling the growth of manufacturing activity in locations in close proximity to metropolitan areas.

Culture, Language, and the Location of High-Order Service Functions: The Case of Montreal and Toronto

Abstract Today, there is plenty of evidence of metropolization—the concentration of economic activity, particularly of high-order services—in the world’s largest cities. Furthermore, within most national systems, the urban hierarchy is stable, especially toward the top: cities that were the largest 100 years ago continue to dominate their respective systems today. In Canada, however, this is not the case. Over the past 40 years, there has been a reversal at the top of the urban hierarchy, with Montreal losing its dominance in favor of Toronto. In this article, we document the reversal and elaborate a model that accounts for the spatial shifts in high-order services. Our analysis reveals the continued relevance of culture and language and suggests that there are limits to the concentration of high-order service activity. This finding is corroborated by a more detailed look at occupational shifts within a variety of key economic sectors in Montreal and Toronto. We conclude by suggesting that these results and the model we put forward to explain them have implications that go beyond Canada: even in a globalizing world in which the constraints of distance are lessened, cultural and linguistic factors will continue to play an important role in determining the spatial distribution of high-order economic activity.

INTERDEPENDENCIES OF COMMUTING, MIGRATION, AND JOB SITE RELOCATION

Although one of the main aims of many national-spatial studies for decentralization is to keep the population from concentrating in certain areas, modern economic industrial growth is said to require the spatial concentration of the means of production. The article discusses what degree of decentralization is acceptable without sacrificing productivity to an unreasonable degree. The question is then examined of how far the means of production can be centralized in order to maximise GNP and prevent a level of population concentration considered socially undesirable. The importance of commuting then becomes an important aspect of transport policy as the availability of a high-speed, efficient, low cost public and private transportation network means that the residential population can remain in a more dispersed pattern than that of their workplaces. (TRRL)

The Arts and Local Economic Development: Can a Strong Arts Presence Uplift Local Economies? A Study of 135 Canadian Cities

The paper looks at arts-related employment in 135 Canadian urban areas over 35 years (1971–2006), successively examining location patterns, co-location with knowledge-rich industries and impacts on employment growth. Arts-related employment is found to be highly concentrated in the very largest urban centres, with no indication of change. Smaller places with particular attributes (attractive natural setting, proximity to large urban centres) are increasingly successful in attracting arts-related activities, but this is not necessarily associated with stronger employment growth or the development of knowledge-rich industries. Evidence of co-location with knowledge-rich industries is weak, but stronger for larger cities. No consistently significant relationship exists with employment growth. This holds true for all cities, irrespective of size. If a synergy exists between the arts and local development, the paper concludes, it is limited to specific industries and only operates in the context of large cities.

Changes at the Top: A Cross-country Examination over the 20th Century of the Rise (and Fall) in Rank of the Top Cities in National Urban Hierarchies

The paper documents the evolution of rank orders for cities at the top of national urban hierarchies (top 10 cities, where possible). Ranks for the year 2000 are compared with 1950 for 74 nations and with 1900 for 52 nations, covering 375 and 288 cities respectively. Rank correlations with the year 2000 are calculated for both years. The rank order of cities in Europe shows significantly less variation over time than those for the New World and developing nations, consistent with the view that urban hierarchies harden as they mature. Changes in rank at the very top (rank 1) are rare. Where they occur, such changes can often be traced to political events that alter the direction of trade or the city’s role as central place. The results provide evidence both for and against locational fundamentals and cumulative causation arguments. The entrenched advantages of the first big cities to emerge are undeniable; but ‘fundamentals’ can be undermined by political events and by technological change.

What About the Bell-shaped Relationship Between Primacy and Development?

This paper proposes, estimates, and tests a “no-frills” static two-equation recursive model, where the size of the largest city depends on the level of development in a two-step relationship, with the total urban population intervening as an intermediate variable. The model has the following implications for primacy: (1) contrary to Richardson and Schwartzs (1988) assertion, primacy is indeed related to development, albeit indirectly, but (2) the relationship does not display the bell shape predicted by the El-Shakhs-Mera hypothesis. Instead, primacy as a function of development decreases monotonically at a decreasing rate. Research assistance was provided by Atib Salhi.

Location Matters: Comparing the Distribution of Economic Activity in the Canadian and Mexican Urban Systems:

In this article, the authors compare location patterns for sixteen industrial classes (goods and services) in Canada and Mexico at two points in time. They argue that the classical tenets of location theory apply equally to nations at different stages of development. The spatial distribution of activity (measured by employment) is examined with reference to distance and to city size in both nations. They conclude that economic activity in Canada and Mexico, both in the manufacturing and the service sectors, by and large exhibits similar spatial distributions. In both nations, urban industrial specialization varies systematically with city size and distance. Where major differences existed, they could often be explained by differences in geography and levels of development and by the spatial interference of the U.S. border.

Resilience Revisited: Assessing the Impact of the 2007–09 Recession on 83 Canadian Regions with Accompanying Thoughts on an Elusive Concept

Dubé J. and Polèse M. Resilience revisited: assessing the impact of the 2007–09 recession on 83 Canadian regions with accompanying thoughts on an elusive concept, Regional Studies. Viewing the 2007–09 recession as an exogenous shock, the paper proposes an assessment of the ‘resilience’ of 83 Canadian regions using four standard metrics: population, employment, unemployment and employment rates. For each metric, regions are evaluated on three posited dimensions of ‘resilience’: resistance, rebound and recuperation. The results point to generally responsive regional economies with a range of reactions to the recessionary shock a priori compatible with the notion of ‘resilience’. However, the range of observed responses, depending on metrics used, methods applied and contextual considerations, leaves much room for interpretation, making it difficult to exclude players. The assessment serves in turn as a laboratory for a reflection on ‘resilience’ as a useful analytical concept in regional studies. It is concluded that the operational definition of ‘resilience’ remains problematic.