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Financial systems generally operate under two different models: one where capital markets play a primary role in financial transactions and resource allocation (market‐oriented model), and another where banks are the central institutions for these activities (bank‐oriented model). The degree of investor protection afforded by the legal system varies across these systems. What is the most efficient alignment between financial structure and investor protection? This paper attempts to quantify the structural matching relationship between the financial structure and investor protection in various countries, and examines empirically the impact of this relationship on economic development. Using a sample of cross‐country panel data, it finds that the degree of structural matching was positively related to economic development. Both the combination of a securities market and strong investor protection and the combination of a banking system and weak investor protection can contribute to promoting economic development. It extends the law and finance theory framework, enhances the analysis of scenarios with weak alignment between financial structure and investor protection, explains the growth path of developing countries, and highlights the diversity and the dynamic nature of the optimal financial structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a general equilibrium spatial urban model and measures city geometric compactness using the patch‐shape index based on evidence from satellite imagery and basic vector maps of China. It adopts the ordinary least squares and instrumental variable approaches to examine the effect of city shape on the urban development of 279 Chinese cities at or above the prefecture level. The empirical results show that there was a significant negative correlation between city shape and economic outcomes. Specifically, every 1 percentage point increase in the patch‐shape index led to a decrease in city‐scale GDP by 0.009 percent, housing prices by 0.044 percent, and wages by 0.024 percent. More compact urban layouts attracted an inflow of households and firms, stimulated city economic growth, and were associated with increased housing prices and wage rates. The paper considers the cities' initial conditions, trends in population changes (expanding, shrinking, and stagnant cities), and geographic factors, and finds that the results are robust. An array of policy implications can be drawn from the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migrants often face challenges in social integration. Using a nationally representative sample of migrant workers and employing the epidemiological approach, this paper examines the determinants of social integration. It finds that, conditional on a set of individual features, the migrants from less‐developed provinces have greater difficulty in integrating into local communities. These results still demonstrate robustness across alternative variables, samples, and various specifications. Mechanism analysis shows that educational and employment factors account for over 40 percent of the variance in social integration levels, suggesting their significant influence. Additionally, the analysis suggests that native bias against migrants, along with misunderstandings between them, may account for part of the remaining variation in social integration levels. Importantly, the ability to speak local dialects has been identified as a crucial factor that can significantly improve migrants' subjective experience of integrating into a new city. By identifying one specific cause of social integration, this paper provides information to individuals and governments and assists them to improve social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]