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This paper presents an intra-metropolitan approach to analyse the impact of urban spatial structure on local economic growth. Focusing on the Barcelona metropolitan region (BMR) between 1986 and 2001, we estimate a municipal employment growth model in which dynamic agglomeration economies related to urban spatial structure are considered using distance to employment centres, to assess metropolitan effects, and distance-weighted variables, to measure neighbourhood effects. The results obtained show the existence of neighbourhood specialization economies and metropolitan urbanization-localization economies fostering local growth. All of this leads to the paper's main conclusion: urban spatial structure is important for economic growth in an intra-metropolitan context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature suggests two mechanisms through which the start-up of new firms contributes to economic development: the growth of start-ups and competition among incumbent firms induced by the start-ups. While existing studies derive the competition effect indirectly, this paper deploys a direct measure, called market mobility, to approximate the induced competition effect. The empirical results are consistent with the idea that both effects are important in explaining the long-term economic impact of start-ups. First, the most successful start-ups grow to become high-growth firms, and second, the entry of new firms stimulates incumbent firms to perform better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]