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The aim of this paper is to analyse the spatial patterns of agglomeration and coagglomeration of Creative Industries (CIs) in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB). We compare agglomeration patterns of CIs to non-creative ones (Non-CIs) in order to identify specificities in their location patterns at an intra-metropolitan level. We use firms’ geo-located data for 2012 to calculate the distance-based M and m cumulative and density functions of agglomeration and coagglomeration. Our main results show that CIs and Non-CIs have different agglomeration patterns. Concretely, whilst CIs tend to cluster at very small distances, Non-CIs have a more dispersed pattern. Concerning the results of coagglomeration, these reveal that micro CIs and Non-CIs seem to be coagglomerated. Regarding agglomeration patterns of subgroups of CIs, we find that these sectors display high levels of agglomeration individually, and that there is a clear coagglomeration among them in the MAB. Finally, our results emphasise Barcelona’s centre as a magnet for Cultural and CIs. Keywords: creative industries, agglomeration, M function, intra-metropolitan analysis, Barcelona

The São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR) displays a strong core-periphery divide. Central areas concentrate the bulk of formal jobs while peripheral areas display high incidence of informal employment. This pattern is reinforced by a large deficit in urban transport provision. Against this background, we estimate the impact of expansions of the public transport system on local informality rates for the SPMR between 2000 and 2010. We compare the average changes in informality in areas which received new public transport infrastructure with the average changes in areas which were supposed to receive infrastructure according to official plans, but did not because of delays. After controlling for endogenous selection, we find that informality decreased on average 16 percent faster in areas receiving new public transport infrastructure compared to areas that faced project delays.

De informele economie voorziet in een aanzienlijk deel van stedelijke werkgelegenheid en productie en is de meest dynamische bron van nieuwe stedelijke werkgelegenheid in veel ontwikkelingslanden. Dit proefschrift onderzoekt de rol van de stedelijke informele economie in ontwikkelingslanden vanuit twee invalshoeken: ten eerste, de locatie van informele economische activiteiten, en ten tweede, de banden tussen de formele en informele sector en heterogeniteit van de informele sector. Met betrekking tot de eerste invalshoek poogt dit proefschrift iets te doen aan een bestaande lacune binnen het onderzoek, tussen studies die de tijds- en ruimtelijke dimensie van economische activiteit behandelen maar het bestaan van de informele sector negeren, en studies die de tijds- en sectorale dimensie van informele activiteit behandelen maar juist de ruimtelijke dimensie negeren. Hoofdstuk twee evalueert bestaande antwoorden op twee vragen: ten eerste, kunnen agglomeratievoordelen ontstaan vanuit informele ondernemingen? En ten tweede, kunnen agglomeratievoordelen ontstaan uit de wisselwerking tussen formele en informele ondernemingen? Het hoofdstuk stelt dat de studie van agglomeratie-voordelen niet alleen moet worden gedaan van uit het perspectief van de formele sector, waarbij verondersteld wordt dat informele activiteit in een vacuüm plaatsvindt of dat 'trickle down' effecten altijd optreden. Het stelt een aantal vragen met betrekking tot de studie van de complexe en veranderende stedelijke geografie van productie met zowel formele als informele ondernemingen. Het hoofdstuk introduceert ook het begrip “waardering van de agglomeratie kwaliteit” met betrekking tot het opstellen van beleid voor steden in ontwikkelingslanden.

This paper analyzes the relationship between formal sector subcontracting and the evolution of the informal sector using nationally representative survey data of Indian manufacturing enterprises for the period 1995-2006. In these years of fast economic growth, subcontracting by formal enterprises gained importance, while the informal sector continued to account for 90 per cent of total manufacturing employment. In order to contrast between a 'modernization' and a 'stagnation' view on formal-informal production linkages, we test whether subcontracting is related to the size of more modern versus more traditional segments of the informal sector. The results show that formal sector subcontracting is positively related to the size of the informal sector only for the most modern informal activities, supporting the view that subcontracting is related to informal sector modernization. We find no support for the claim that the continued expansion of very traditional informal activities is related to increased outsourcing by formal manufacturing enterprises.

New Economic Geography (NEG) models predict that locations with market access advantages have higher wages and larger labour inflows. Using comprehensive prefecture-city level data for China, the study estimates a wage equation derived from a NEG model. The results support the NEG explanation for wage disparities across cities. An application of shock experiments on 230 prefecture-cities in China shows that the average effect of income changes differs greatly across locations. In particular, income shocks generated in core cities have a higher average impact in the rest of the country than shocks generated elsewhere.

RESUMEN: La interpretación teórica y medición del Comercio Intraindustrial (CII), definido como las exportaciones e importaciones simultáneas de bienes clasificados dentro de una misma categoría industrial, ha evolucionado considerablemente desde la aparición del fenómeno a finales de los cincuenta. En el presente documento se hace una revisión de las principales teorías que explican el CII vertical y horizontal, de las metodologías empleadas para medirlo y sus limitaciones

RESUMEN: El documento revisa el concepto de competitividad desde diferentes enfoques, considerando, a su vez, los desarrollos y aportes de las teorías del comercio, el crecimiento y la geografía. De la revisión conceptual se concluye que la competitividad es tanto un asunto de productividad como de estructura, pero su significado varía según el grado de desarrollo de las economías. Por otra parte, se identifican dos grandes corrientes que ayudan a comprender el concepto: (1) la corriente convencional del crecimiento y el comercio, según la cual, la competitividad depende de la liberación comercial, y (2) los enfoques neoclásicos modernos, en los cuales la capacidad tecnológica y la calidad de la mano de obra conducen al mejoramiento de la competitividad. Del análisis de estas corrientes, se concluye que, a pesar de la importancia de las ganancias estáticas en el comercio, el problema de la competitividad de la industria debe plantearse más como un asunto de ventajas acumulativas por economías de escala y externalidades dinámicas que comparativas. ABSTARCT: This paper reviews the competitiveness concept from different approaches, taking into consideration the developments and contributions of the new theories of trade, growth and geography. From the conceptual revision one concludes that competitiveness is as much a subject of productivity as of structure, but its meaning varies according to the degree of development of the economies. On the other hand, two fields of study help to understand the concept: (1) the conventional theory of growth and trade, which states that competitiveness depends on the trade liberalization, and (2) the modern neoclassic approaches, in which technological capacity and quality of labor lead to the improvement of the competitiveness. From the analysis of these fields, one concludes that, in spite of the importance of the static gains in trade, the industry competitiveness problem must be considered more like a subject of cumulative advantages and dynamic externalities than a comparative advantage issue.

RESUMEN: ¿Cómo afectaría a la industria antioqueña la firma de un TLC con Estados Unidos? Para tratar de dar respuesta a este interrogante, en este artículo se analiza, en primer lugar, la situación comercial con Estados Unidos, identificando a nivel sectorial las ventajas y desventajas competitivas. En segundo lugar, se presentan los resultados de un ejercicio de estimación de impactos que sobre el empleo y las exportaciones netas tendría una disminución de la protección efectiva. Finalmente, se exponen algunos aspectos relacionados con la integración comercial que van más allá del análisis tradicional de ventaja comparativa. ABSTRACT: How will an FTA with the United State affect the industry of Antioquia? In order to answer this question, this article analyses, in the first place, the commercial situation with the United States, identifying the competitive advantages and disadvantages on a sector level. In the second place, the results of the estimations for the impacts of a drop on the effective protection rate over employment and net exports are presented. Finally, additional aspects relating commercial integration that go further on the traditional analysis of comparative advantage are examined.

This thesis theoretically studies the relationship between the informal sector (both in the labor and the housing market) and the city structure. Universidad de Antioquia Colciencias Conalpe