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A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Is bigger better? Economic performances of European cities, 1960–2009
Highlights The biggest metropolitan areas had unequal performances in space and time in Europe. The biggest metropolitan areas improve their economic performances from the 90s onwards. No unambiguous relationship can be found between city size and economic performances in the years 2000. In the last two decades, the re-concentration of activity in large cities is specific to certain regions of Europe (Northern and Eastern Europe).
Abstract During the two last decades, many theories have insisted on the competitive advantage of (big) cities. Beyond well known agglomeration effects, new theories have focused on the importance of connectivity and location of commanding and innovative functions in the context of globalization. According to these theories, the bigger and the most connected a city is, the most competitive. However, in the European context at least, such a hypothesis has never been tested in a systematic and proper way. Using a unique database with homogeneous definitions of European cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants, we propose in this paper to assess the link between size, economic structures, and the intensity of international functions and economic performances. Results show that, at least during the years 2000, we found no unambiguous relationship between size, level of internationalisation and economic growth of cities, except in Central and Eastern Europe.
Is bigger better? Economic performances of European cities, 1960–2009
Highlights The biggest metropolitan areas had unequal performances in space and time in Europe. The biggest metropolitan areas improve their economic performances from the 90s onwards. No unambiguous relationship can be found between city size and economic performances in the years 2000. In the last two decades, the re-concentration of activity in large cities is specific to certain regions of Europe (Northern and Eastern Europe).
Abstract During the two last decades, many theories have insisted on the competitive advantage of (big) cities. Beyond well known agglomeration effects, new theories have focused on the importance of connectivity and location of commanding and innovative functions in the context of globalization. According to these theories, the bigger and the most connected a city is, the most competitive. However, in the European context at least, such a hypothesis has never been tested in a systematic and proper way. Using a unique database with homogeneous definitions of European cities of more than 200,000 inhabitants, we propose in this paper to assess the link between size, economic structures, and the intensity of international functions and economic performances. Results show that, at least during the years 2000, we found no unambiguous relationship between size, level of internationalisation and economic growth of cities, except in Central and Eastern Europe.
Is bigger better? Economic performances of European cities, 1960–2009
David, Quentin (author) / Peeters, Didier (author) / Van Hamme, Gilles (author) / Vandermotten, Christian (author)
Cities ; 35 ; 237-254
2013-07-23
18 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Europe , Cities , Agglomeration , Network , Growth
Is bigger better? Economic performances of European cities, 1960–2009
| Online Contents | 2013
Is bigger better? Economic performances of European cities, 1960–2009
| Elsevier | 2013
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1963
British Library Online Contents | 1996
| British Library Online Contents | 2007