Search

State policymaking is at the center of many oil and gas related disputes. Driven by the promise of affordable energy, economic development, and new revenues, supporters of oil and gas have pushed for policies designed to nurture the oil and gas industry, whereas opponents have emphasized a myriad of environmental threats and disruptions. Statewide ballot initiatives related to oil gas extraction offer a particularly useful lens to examine the preferences of voters in that states are home to residents who directly and indirectly experience the promises and perils of extraction. This paper examines two ballot initiatives in Colorado from 2018, one of which was supported by the oil and gas industry; the other of which was opposed by the same industry. We find that the inclusion of natural amenities, livelihood, and population change provides a useful set of variables for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates empirically how natural snow depth and permanent snow affect the number of new second homes in Norway. One out of four Norwegian municipalities is partly covered by glaciers and permanent snow. In the winter seasons of 1983–2020, there is a decline in snow depth from 50 to 35 cm on average (based on 41 popular second-home areas in the mountains). Results of the fixed effects Poisson estimator with spatial elements show that there is a significant and positive relationship between natural snow depth in the municipality and the number of second homes started. There is also a significant and negative relationship between the number of new second homes in the municipality and a scarcity of snow in the surrounding municipalities. However, the magnitude of both effects is small. Estimates also show a strong positive relationship between the proportion of surface covered by permanent snow or glaciers in the municipality and new second homes. This implies that a decline in permanent snow and glaciers may make these areas less attractive for the location of second homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revenue maximizing local government must obey a migration constraint when levying taxes. Using this insight, I develop a simple theory of taxation that suggests natural amenities are a key factor influencing local tax rates. Natural amenities confer rents to residents which governments and interest groups compete to extract. Revenue maximizing local tax rates are increasing in the level of natural amenities, increasing in moving costs, and decreasing in households' reservation utility. Using data on natural amenities and taxation for US counties, I find that local tax rates are in-fact increasing the level of natural amenities. Finally, I suggest an alternative interpretation of the "tax revolts" of the late 1970s. Rather than an attempt to constrain Leviathan, local property tax reform (such as California's Proposition 13) and restrictions on housing supply are the outcome of competition over amenity rents in which property owners successfully capture a monopoly position at the expense of other social groups including renters and local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global climate change progresses, the United States (US) is expected to experience warmer temperatures as well as more frequent and severe extreme weather events, including heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires. Each year, these events cost dozens of lives and do billions of dollars' worth of damage, but there has been limited research on how they influence human decisions about migration. Are people moving toward or away from areas most at risk from these climate threats? Here, we examine recent (2010–2020) trends in human migration across the US in relation to features of the natural landscape and climate, as well as frequencies of various natural hazards. Controlling for socioeconomic and environmental factors, we found that people have moved away from areas most affected by heat waves and hurricanes, but toward areas most affected by wildfires. This relationship may suggest that, for many, the dangers of wildfires do not yet outweigh the perceived benefits of life in fire-prone areas. We also found that people have been moving toward metropolitan areas with relatively hot summers, a dangerous public health trend if mean and maximum temperatures continue to rise, as projected in most climate scenarios. These results have implications for policymakers and planners as they prepare strategies to mitigate climate change and natural hazards in areas attracting migrants.

This study takes Changsha, an emerging mega-city in China, as a sample to analyze the influence of natural amenity (NA) on housing prices during different periods. We divided the NA into four categories according to their characteristics: Green Space (GS), Wetland Park (WP), XiangRiver Scenic Belt (XR), and green ratio within a community. The housing transaction data is used to calculate the accessibility of a settlement to nearest NA via the distance. The capitalization effect of NA is investigated through a geographic weighted regression (GWR), combined with the hedonic theory. Results show that ①the impact and scope of NA on housing prices gradually expanded during years. ②As the key nature landscape of Changsha, the impact coefficient of XR has risen from 2.34% in 2012 to 5.32% in 2020. WP has a remarkable increase for affecting housing prices, rising from 1.24 to 3.65%. Effect of GS keeps in line during years, at 2.34–3.72%. And green ratio’s impact increase from 3.61 to 4.55%. ③The higher capitalization effect of NA undergoes a spatial expansion from the central area to urban fringe over time, which also implies the capitalization of NA is becoming more pronounced. ④Residential communities impacted by NA have a propensity to separate over time. This study provides a different perspective in defining the importance of natural amenities in urban habitat of modern China.

The historic reconstruction of residential land cover is of significance to uncover the humanenvironment relationship and its changing dynamics. Taking into account the historical census data and cadastral maps of seven villages, this study generated residential land cover maps for the Bursa Region in the 1850s using a model based on natural constraints, land zoning, socio-economic factors and residential suitability. Two different historical reconstructions were generated; one based on a high density residential model and another based on a low density model. The simulated landcover information was used as an ancillary data to redistribute aggregated census counts to fine scale raster cells. Two different statistical models were developed; one based on probability maps and the other applying regression models including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models. The regression models were validated with historical census data of the 1840s. From regression models, socio-economic and physical characteristics, accessibility and natural amenities showed significant impacts on the distribution of population. Model validation analysis revealed that GWR is more accurate than OLS models. The generated residential land cover and gridded population datasets can provide a basis for the historical study of population and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Small towns and cities outside of national parks, scenic public lands, and other natural amenities throughout the western United States are becoming increasingly popular places to live and visit. As a result, many of these gateway communities appear to be experiencing a range of pressures and challenges. In this study we draw on the results of in-depth interviews with 33 public officials and a survey of more than 300 public officials to shed light on the planning and development concerns across western gateway communities. Our results indicate that gateway communities throughout the western United States are experiencing a range of planning and development challenges, many of which seem atypical for small rural communities, such as challenges associated with housing affordability, cost of living, and congestion. These challenges seem to be more related to population growth than increasing tourism and stand out in stark contrast against the fact that these communities strongly value and identify with their small-town character. Our findings suggest gateway communities are doing a variety of things, some quite innovative, to address their planning and development challenges but often feel overwhelmed, behind the curve, and in need of additional capacity and planning support. Takeaway for practice: Our study highlights the importance of effective and proactive planning in gateway communities. It also suggests that to do forward-looking planning and to respond to the challenges they face, many gateway communities will need additional planning support and tools. We highlight gateway communities here to provide a platform for future efforts aimed at assisting these small, rural communities in protecting the qualities that make them such special places to live and visit amid the planning and development pressures and challenges they face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile home residence in the United States is associated with negative social, economic, and health‐related outcomes. However, although research on mobile home residence at the individual level has been performed, a geographic understanding of mobile home prevalence in the United States remains absent from the literature. Therefore, the purpose of our analysis was to evaluate the county‐level drivers of mobile home prevalence in the continental United States in 2015. The influence of five groups of variables—demographic, economic, housing, industry and occupation, and natural amenities—were assessed in a series of nested ordinary least squares regressions. Additionally, the full model was run as a spatial lag regression to control for spatial autocorrelation. Our results indicate that the primary drivers of mobile home prevalence in U.S. counties were the percent of population in near poverty, the labour force participation rate, and the percent of the population employed in natural resource occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Direito da Cidade is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The historic reconstruction of residential land cover is of significance to uncover the human-environment relationship and its changing dynamics. Taking into account the historical census data and cadastral maps of seven villages, this study generated residential land cover maps for the Bursa Region in the 1850s using a model based on natural constraints, land zoning, socio-economic factors and residential suitability. Two different historical reconstructions were generated; one based on a high density residential model and another based on a low density model. The simulated landcover information was used as an ancillary data to redistribute aggregated census counts to fine scale raster cells. Two different statistical models were developed; one based on probability maps and the other applying regression models including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models. The regression models were validated with historical census data of the 1840s. From regression models, socio-economic and physical characteristics, accessibility and natural amenities showed significant impacts on the distribution of population. Model validation analysis revealed that GWR is more accurate than OLS models. The generated residential land cover and gridded population datasets can provide a basis for the historical study of population and land use.

The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical and conceptual introduction for the Special Issue on the role of green creative environments in sustainable urban and regional development. The idea is based on the assumption that concepts of creativity mostly address economic issues and to a lesser extent social issues, while green concepts predominantly deal with environmental aspects. Therefore, we lack a deeper insight into the interrelations between creative and green environments in urban and regional development. This special issue addresses this research gap through investigating 1) the residential preferences of the creative class in city-regional, urban and rural settings, 2) participatory urbanism as a tool for creative interventions in urban planning, and 3) the importance of green amenities as spatial attraction factors for small creative actors. We argue that green creative environments can contribute to sustainable urban and regional development.

In the last decade, the Japanese authorities have invested considerable effort and economic resources into constructing developmental models that can help build a friendlier environment for the domestic creative economy. Due to Tokyo’s specific natural and sociocultural characteristics, these efforts have had mixed effects on small creative groups. Based on an analysis of spatial attraction factors for individuals from various creative occupations, this article identifies how important green or natural amenities are in comparison with other sociocultural characteristics for small creative groups. The analysis of data acquired through semi-structured interviews indicates that green amenities do not play a primary role in the spatial distribution of small creative groups, but they do play a very important secondary role in cases when creative workers balance similar spatial attraction characteristics in specific areas in Tokyo.

In the last decade, the Japanese authorities have invested considerable effort and economic resources into constructing developmental models that can help build a friendlier environment for the domestic creative economy. Due to Tokyo's specific natural and sociocultural characteristics, these efforts have had mixed effects on small creative groups. Based on an analysis of spatial attraction factors for individuals from various creative occupations, this article identifies how important green or natural amenities are in comparison with other sociocultural characteristics for small creative groups. The analysis of data acquired through semi-structured interviews indicates that green amenities do not play a primary role in the spatial distribution of small creative groups, but they do play a very important secondary role in cases when creative workers balance similar spatial attraction characteristics in specific areas in Tokyo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical and conceptual introduction for the Special Issue on the role of green creative environments in sustainable urban and regional development. The idea is based on the assumption that concepts of creativity mostly address economic issues and to a lesser extent social issues, while green concepts predominantly deal with environmental aspects. Therefore, we lack a deeper insight into the interrelations between creative and green environments in urban and regional development. This special issue addresses this research gap through investigating 1) the residential preferences of the creative class in city-regional, urban and rural settings, 2) participatory urbanism as a tool for creative interventions in urban planning, and 3) the importance of green amenities as spatial attraction factors for small creative actors. We argue that green creative environments can contribute to sustainable urban and regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amenities are recognized as an important factor for hospitality and tourism development. While previous studies have primarily focused on natural amenities, this research considers both natural and constructed amenities based on Clark’s amenity concept. This study explored how and which amenities were related to the spatial distribution patterns of hotels in the United States. Exploratory spatial statistical techniques were employed in this research. The findings suggest that hotels are not randomly distributed across the country. As the Moran’s I statistic demonstrates, hotels tend to be regionally clustered. While this study statistically confirms the importance of natural amenities in the spatial distribution patterns of hotels using bivariate local indicators of spatial association tests, it also reveals a stronger spatial relationship between constructed amenities and the spatial distribution patterns of US hotels compared with natural amenities.

Abstract: It is well established in the literature that amenities are important in affecting regional patterns by influencing both workers' and firms' location decisions. Using the seminal contribution made by Beeson and Eberts, this study performs a wage change decomposition into amenity (workers) and productivity (firms) components. The results reveal that firms are more significant when explaining high average wage regions in Chile, since they derive more benefits from agglomeration economies and natural resources. Finally, the results also confirm how important agglomeration economies are in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present theory and evidence highlighting the role of natural amenities in neighbourhood dynamics, suburbanization, and variation across cities in the persistence of the spatial distribution of income. Our model generates three predictions that we confirm using a novel database of consistent-boundary neighbourhoods in U.S. metropolitan areas, 1880 & -2010, and spatial data for natural features such as coastlines and hills. First, persistent natural amenities anchor neighbourhoods to high incomes over time. Secondly, naturally heterogeneous cities exhibit persistent spatial distributions of income. Thirdly, downtown neighbourhoods in coastal cities were less susceptible to the widespread decentralization of income in the mid-twentieth century and experienced an increase in income more quickly after 1980. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the hedonic price method is applied to evaluate the externalities diffused by a landscape of extraordinary beauty consisting in natural resources and historic/ artistic villas on the coast of Posillipo in Naples. The construction of hedonimetric curves is proposed as an approach to assess economic value of the landscape at Posillipo. The functions related to these curves derive from a plurality of hedonic prices, linked to the panorama and to the quality of historic/artistic villas that arise on the coastal strip between via Posillipo and the sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While nature is widely acknowledged to contribute to people's well-being, nature based well-being indicators at city-level appear to be underprovided. This study aims at filling this gap by introducing a novel indicator based on the proximity of city-residents to nature that is of high-amenity. High-amenity nature is operationalized by combining unique systematic data on people's perceptions of what are the locations of attractive natural areas with data on natural land cover. The proposed indicator departs from the usual assumption of equal well-being from any nature, as it approximates the 'actual' subjective quality of nature near people's homes in a spatially explicit way. Such indicator is used to rank 148 'cities' in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany. International comparability of the indicator is enhanced by the use of a definition of cities as functional urban areas (FUAs), which are consistently identified across countries. Results demonstrate that the average 'nearness' of FUA populations to high amenity nature varies widely across the observed FUAs. A key finding, that complements insights from existing city-level indicators, is that while populations of FUAs with higher population densities may live relatively far from nature in general, they also live, on average, closer to high-amenity nature than inhabitants of lower density FUAs. Our results may stimulate policy-debates on how to combine urban agglomeration with access to natural amenities in order to account for people's wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based tourism is often perceived as one of the easiest and readily-available tools for regional development and diversification of rural economies, and Sweden is not an exception. Successful tourism development, however, depends on various amenities, which vary with region. This article, based on a national survey among nature-based tourism service providers in Sweden, discusses general characteristic of Swedish nature-based tourism supply, reveals the most important natural amenities from the supply perspective and discusses the patterns of their regional variation. It is further investigated how distributions of various amenities is related to the density of nature-based tourism operations across regions. The scope of the analysis includes three levels: country, land and county. Results show that nature-based tourism in Sweden is a highly diversified sector, which demonstrates significant north-south variations, visible on the level of the three lands. On the level of counties, natural and human-made amenities are comparable in their power to predict distribution of NBT operations, suggesting that the border between NBT and other forms of tourism is not as distinct as is often imagined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using a spatial hedonic growth model, this paper empirically assesses the roles of natural amenities and urban agglomeration economies in US regional growth patterns from 2000 to 2010. Natural amenities and urban agglomeration are measured using the USDA Economic Research Service county classification codes. The general finding is that natural amenities and urban agglomeration both influenced regional growth. Yet, the natural amenity ranking is estimated to be positively related to increased productivity over the period rather than increased attractiveness to households. Urban agglomeration is positively related to increased amenity attractiveness to households. Within census regions, household natural amenity demand played a stronger role in non-metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To bridge the gap in the quality of life (QOL) and economic growth literature and understand the reinforcing effects of QOL and human capital on economic development, we examine the interactive effects of these two factors on wage growth from 2000 to 2007 at the county level across the United States. First, a Rosen–Roback model is employed to estimate implicit values of amenities including climate, clean air and other natural attributes, which are used to generate QOL indices. Second, QOL, human capital represented by the share of college graduates, and their interaction serve as key variables in the wage growth model. An instrumental variable approach and location fixed effects are used to address endogeneity of human capital and control for location-specific unobservable characteristics. Results suggest that human capital and QOL significantly contribute to economic growth and the growth effects are even larger in nonmetropolitan counties. Importantly, we find that the effect of human capital on growth is larger in high-QOL counties and QOL enhances the effect of human capital on growth. Our results provide empirical support for community development strategies through providing utility-enhancing amenities that improve QOL and retain human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Tamoios is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Natural resource policymakers and planners increasingly rely on regional and national-level spatial data describing projections of future housing growth, to anticipate development impacts on natural resources and identify policy and planning needs. Such projections have not always been well-grounded in demographic and other factors that influence population and thus housing growth. We develop an empirical model describing population change and housing growth in the rural Midwestern U.S., as a function of demographic transition, socioeconomic factors, and natural amenities. The empirical model is estimated as a set of three equations characterizing: (1) population growth within three age groups, (2) the influence of farmland cover and other county level variables, and (3) household size, housing services, and second home ownership. The estimated population and housing growth models provide a consistent estimate of past change and can be used to project future change. We found age-structure to be an important factor in housing location decisions. Specifically, the influence of natural amenities on both population growth within counties and subsequent housing density changes varies by age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural and recreational amenities have played an important role in drawing migrants to rural areas in the USA over the past 40 years. However, less is known about the independent role of desirable recreational amenities in recent migration patterns, whether these patterns vary by age, and how the most recent economic recession affected them. I find that counties with desirable recreational amenities experienced net in-migration from 2000 to 2010 regardless of other county-level attributes, although the direction and magnitude of the effect varied when taking the age group of migrants into account. The recreation status of a county was a predictor of out-migration among emerging adults and in-migration for all other age groups. The Great Recession had a significant impact on migration trends in rural areas, including reducing the effect of recreational amenities in migration. These findings highlight the importance of refining the definition of 'amenities,' how broader economic trends impact growth patterns in rural places, and the age-specific nature of the amenity migration trend. Knowledge about the current drivers of population patterns in rural places can help stakeholders better plan for future population trends and accommodate new or existing residents in rural recreation destinations. This study builds on existing amenity growth literature by providing a more contextual analysis of this demographic trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general global precept is that agglomeration forces lead to migration from rural to urban areas. Yet for much of the time since the early 1970s, more people have moved from metro to nonmetro U.S. counties. The underlying causes of this pattern have changed over time with economic shocks and changing household preferences. For instance, the post 2000 period has seen a significant decline in domestic migration rates, a significant increase in commodity prices that favor rural areas, and potential changes in the valuation of natural amenities that would affect migration. This article investigates the determinants of U.S. gross migration from metro to nonmetro counties and nonmetro to metro counties for the 1995-2000 and 2005-2009 periods in order to compare the differences in rural to urban and urban to rural migration, as well as compare the 1990s to the 2005-2009 periods. More specifically, the present study extends the literature by more broadly examining the underlying factors associated with deconcentration and economic restructuring arguments of metro to nonmetro migration. The article uses (1) extensive county-to-county migration flows and (2) the utility maximization theory that extends the framework of a discrete choice model. The results show that population density, distance to urban areas, industry mix employment growth, natural amenities, and percentage of older people are key factors underlying these migration patterns. We also find a slight fading of effects of natural amenities and population density, and a slight increase in the effects of wage and employment growth from 2005-2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Contemporary internal migration trends in the US raise questions about the role of community characteristics in shaping individual-level migration propensities among different racial and ethnic groups. To examine this issue more closely, this research incorporates key county-level characteristics into a study of repeat migration. With data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth merged with US census data, this study found that heavily populated counties and counties with large concentrations of employment in manufacturing industries reduce the odds of primary outmigration, onward migration to other locations, and return migration to a previous county of residence. Counties with a high degree of natural amenity retain longstanding white residents. Net of individual unemployment, the county-level unemployment rate hinders primary and onward migration among whites. In support of the cultural constraints hypothesis - a hypothesis that anticipates divergent community-level effects for minority and majority group members - whites are more likely to engage in repeat migration from counties with smaller shares of non-Hispanic White population whereas blacks are more likely to engage in repeat migration from areas with larger shares of non-Hispanic White population. whites and blacks are more likely to move out of counties with larger shares of foreign-born population. The share of neither non-Hispanic White population nor foreign-born population affects Hispanic repeat migration propensities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amenity migration phenomenon and outdoor recreation growth has led to rapid amenity-based development of many gateway communities in the American West, particularly in regions adjacent to protected public lands. This amenity-based development typically enhances traditional regional economic indicators of income, employment, and taxes but can result in run-away housing costs, a hollowing out of income distribution, residential sprawl, and conflict among long-term residents and new arrivals. However, little research has focused specifically on how such migration and the existence of public lands is leading to the development of rural communities. To address this gap in the literature, we conducted econometric analysis to determine which natural amenities, including types of public lands and protected areas, were most associated with levels of amenity-based development in the rural West. We utilize the Destination Development Scale (DDS), an index of migration rates, housing values, and seasonal housing, to rank and regress the amenity development level of 356 non-metro counties. Spatial regressions illustrate that a county's amenity-based development level is most influenced by cool summers, varied topography, forests, water, and regional access. Rural counties with more Wilderness and National Monuments were most highly associated with greater amenity-based development and all six protected area types showed higher DDS scores. Understanding the natural amenities that most influence the economic demand for rural destinations can inform regional planning efforts, helping to prioritize policies that balance conservation and development. • Amenity-based development of rural counties in the American West were ranked using the Destination Development Scale. • Spatial regressions show the influence of natural amenities and protected areas on amenity-based development in rural areas. • Wilderness Areas, National Monuments, cool summers, varied topography, forests, and water are the most influential amenities. • Results indicate that greater understanding of development patterns related to protected areas can inform land use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Public lands are strongly associated with in-migration to remote rural areas. [•] Land availability for development is positively associated with in-migration. [•] Their associations are stronger in remote rural areas than in other areas. [•] Forests and wetlands are not appreciably associated with in-migration to remote rural regions. [•] Forests and wetlands become attractive when accessible via managed recreational areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Focus groups were utilized to explore community preferences and satisfaction. [•] Natural amenities were a primary motivating force to move to this exurban area. [•] Development of a master-planned community may impact natural and built environments. [•] Moving services to a planned community can adversely impact those not living there. [•] Resident perceptions of a planned community can harm the area's social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical framework for analysing spatial wage inequality in Chile. Chile is primarily characterized by two stylized facts: the high spatial concentration around the metropolitan area and the key role of natural resources in the country. The paper considers both elements in a competition between NEG (new economic geography) and a theory based on natural resource endowment, with both theories incorporating human capital via a multilevel analysis. The results show the poor performance of NEG for Chile and indicate that natural resources are the principal cause of spatial wage variability in Chile. RÉSUMÉ La présente communication illustre un cadre d'analyse empirique de l'inégalité spatiale entre les salaires, au Chili. Le Chili est caractérisé principalement par les deux faits stylisés suivants : une concentration spatiale élevée autour de la zone métropolitaine, et le rôle essentiel que jouent les ressources naturelles dans ce pays. Cette communication se penche sur ces deux éléments dans le cadre d'une compétition entre deux théories : d'une part la nouvelle géographie économique (« NEG »), de l'autre une théorie fondée sur la dotation en ressources naturelles, ces deux théories incorporant le capital humain par le biais d'une analyse à multiples niveaux. Les résultats démontrent les mauvais résultats de NEG pour le Chili, et indiquent que les ressources naturelles sont la principale cause de la variabilité spatiale des salaires au Chili. EXTRACTO Este estudio presenta un marco empírico para analizar la desigualdad espacial de los salarios en Chile. Chile se caracteriza principalmente por dos hechos estilizados: la alta concentración espacial alrededor del área metropolitana y la función clave de los recursos naturales del país. El estudio considera ambos elementos en una competición entre la NEG (Nueva Geografía Económica) y una teoría basada en el legado de recursos naturales, donde ambas teorías incorporan el capital humano a través de un análisis de múltiples niveles. Los resultados muestran un bajo rendimiento de la NEG en relación con Chile e indican que los recursos naturales son la causa principal de la variabilidad espacial de los salarios en Chile. 摘要: 本文提出了一种分析智利区域工资不均的经验框架。智利主要有两大特点:大城市地区高度空间聚集和农村地区自然资源作用巨大。本文在对NEG (新经济地理学)和基于自然资源储藏量的理论进行比较时, 考虑了这两个因素, 同时还通过多层次分析纳入了人力资源因素。结果显示智利NEG性能很差, 表明智利区域工资差异的主要原因是自然资源。 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ranchettes are low-density, rural parcels typically from thirty-five to seventy acres that have proliferated across the Rocky Mountain West. They consume large amounts of land and increase fragmentation, leading to potentially negative impacts on the ecology and cultural identity of local places. Although many anecdotal accounts decry the rise in ranchettes, few studies measure their prevalence or spatial patterns. We use archival and contemporary land ownership data to measure ranchette development in La Plata County, Colorado, an amenity-rich county popular for recreation, retirement, and ranchettes. Results show continual yet slowing growth across the decades with patterns of growth spreading in a contagious effect around initial nodes of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While factors affecting highly educated migrants are well documented, controversies on whether noneconomic or economic factors matter remain largely unexplored. This manuscript investigates the effects of natural amenities (water and forests) and economic forces (household income and unemployment rate) on talent distribution at the subcounty level. Natural amenities and economic forces were analyzed with respect to talent share empirically estimated at the municipal level in an amenity-rich lakes region of the North Central United States from 1970 to 2000. The limited panel data analysis results suggest that 'natural beauty' (natural amenities) has no direct positive effect on talent share but that 'money' (household income) matters. When interacting with 'money,' water coverage has a positive effect on talent share. Unemployment rate generally does not have any effect on talent distribution. The finding has important implication for local policy making in attracting talent migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the associations of the natural environment with obesity and physical activity in nonmetropolitan areas of the United States among representative samples by using 2 indices of outdoor activity potential (OAP) at the county level. Methods: We used the data from 457,820 and 473,296 noninstitutionalized adults aged over 18 years for obesity and physical activity, respectively, from the 2000-2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The OAP indices were (1) a recreational opportunity index based on 24 variables related to outdoor physical activity, such as the number of facilities available for walking, biking, hiking, and swimming derived from the 1997 National Outdoor Recreation Supply Information System; and (2) a natural amenities index which was based on physical and social environmental characteristics, such as climate, topographic relief, land cover, and tourism. We fitted logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations to control for county level intracorrelation and tested each index separately to assess its relationship with obesity and physical activity. Findings: Recreational opportunities were higher in areas with greater natural amenities. After controlling for individual-level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, the prevalence of obesity decreased and propensity for physical activity increased with increasing levels of both recreational opportunities and natural amenities. Conclusions: Multiple indices of OAP based on characteristics of the built, natural and social environments were associated with decreased obesity and increased physical activity in nonmetropolitan areas. Public health interventions should consider the opportunities and limitations offered by the natural environment for promoting physical activity and reducing obesity in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of private rural lands can significantly fragment landscapes, with potentially negative consequences on ecosystem services. Models of land-use trends beyond the urban fringe are therefore useful for developing policy to manage these environmental effects. However, land-use change models have been primarily applied in urban environments, and it is unclear whether they can adequately predict exurban growth. This study compared the ability of two urban growth models to project exurban development in north-central Virginia and western Maryland over a 24-year period. Pattern-based urban growth models (such as SLEUTH) are widely used, but largely mimic patterns that emerge from historic conditions rather than allowing landowner decision-making to project change. In contrast, spatially-explicit econometric models (such as the complementary log-log hazard assessed in this study) model landowner choices as profit-maximizing behavior subject to market and regulatory constraints. We evaluated the two raster-based models by comparing model predictions to observed exurban conversion at pixel and county scales. The SLEUTH model was more successful at matching the total amount of new growth at the county scale than it was at the pixel scale, suggesting its most appropriate use in exurban areas is as a blunt instrument to forewarn potential coarse-scale losses of natural resources. The econometric model performed significantly better than SLEUTH at both scales, although it was not completely successful in fulfilling its promise of projecting changes that were sensitive to policy. The lack of significance of some policy variables may have resulted from insufficient variation in drivers over our study area or time period, but also suggests that drivers of land use change in exurban environments may differ from those identified for urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we summarize and comment on the papers published in issue 6.4. The papers reviewed are ‘Migrants and International Economic Linkages: A Meta-Overview’ by Peter Nijkamp, Masood Gheasi & Piet Rietveld; ‘A Lustrum of SEA: Recent Research Trends Following the Creation of the Spatial Econometrics Association (2007–2011)’ by Giuseppe Arbia; ‘Do Natural Amenities Attract High-Tech Jobs?: Evidence From a Smoothed Bayesian Spatial Model’ by Jeffrey Dorfman, Mark Partridge & Hamilton Galloway; ‘Testing for Cross-Sectional Dependence in Regional Panel Data’, by Peter Jensen & Torben Schmidt; and ‘Modelling Regional Welfare Efficiency Applying Conditional Full Frontiers’ by George Halkos & Nickolaos Tzeremes. RÉSUMÉ Dans la présente communication, nous récapitulons les communications publiées dans le numéro 6.4, et nous présentons des commentaires. Les communications examinées sont les suivantes : « Migrants et liens économiques internationaux : un aperçu général » par Peter Nijkamp, Masood Gheasi & Piet Rietveld ; «Étude sur une période de cinq ans sur l'Association d’Économétrie spatiale (SEA) : tendances des travaux de recherche récents à la suite de la création de l'Association d’Économétrie spatiale [Spatial Econometrics Association (2007–2011)]», par Giuseppe Arbia; « Les agréments naturels attirent-ils des emplois dans la technologie de pointe ?: démonstration découlant d'un modèle spatial bayésien ajusté », par Jeffrey Dorfman, Mark Partridge & Hamilton Galloway ; « Essais de dépendance transversale dans des données de panel régionaux », par Peter Jensen & Torben Schmidt ; et « Modélisation de l'efficacité sociale régionale comportant l'application de frontières intégrales conditionnelles », par George Halkos & Nickolaos Tzeremes. EXTRACTO En este trabajo resumimos y hacemos comentarios sobre los ensayos publicados en la edición 6.4. Los ensayos revisados son: ‘Migrants and International Economic Linkages: A Meta-Overview’ (Emigrantes y vínculos económicos internacionales: una meta-perspectiva general) de Peter Nijkamp, Masood Gheasi & Piet Rietveld; ‘A Lustrum of SEA: Recent Research Trends Following the Creation of the Spatial Econometrics Association (2007–2011)’ (Un lustro de SEA: tendencias investigativas recientes después de la creación de la Asociación Econométrica Espacial (2007–2011)) de Giuseppe Arbia; ‘Do Natural Amenities Attract High-Tech Jobs?: Evidence From a Smoothed Bayesian Spatial Model’ (¿Atraen las amenidades naturales empleos de alta tecnología?: Evidencia derivada de un modelo espacial bayesiano homogéneo) de Jeffrey Dorfman, Mark Partridge & Hamilton Galloway; ‘Testing for Cross-Sectional Dependence in Regional Panel Data’ (Prueba de la dependencia transversal en datos regionales de panel) de Peter Jensen & Torben Schmidt; y ‘Modelling Regional Welfare Efficiency Applying Conditional Full Frontiers’ (Modelación de la eficiencia de servicios sociales regionales aplicando fronteras condicionales completas) de George Halkos & Nickolaos Tzeremes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Chi G. and Marcouiller D. W. Isolating the effect of natural amenities on population change at the local level, Regional Studies. As latent production inputs, natural amenities are thought to serve as the basis for a variety of regional effects. In this study, natural amenity and socio-economic conditions were analysed with respect to population growth empirically estimated at the municipal level in an amenity-rich lakes region of the North Central United States from 1970 to 2000 with a specific focus on spatial relationships. The limited results suggest mixed effects that confirm an increased amenity influence as one of many factors that drive localized population change. [image omitted] Chi G. et Marcouiller D. W. Isoler l'effet des amenites naturelles sur la variation demographique au niveau local, Regional Studies. On pense que les amenites naturelles, en tant que facteurs de production latents, sont a l'origine d'effets regionaux multiples. Dans cette etude sur une region de lacs riche en amenites du Centre Nord des Etats-Unis, les caracteristiques socioeconomiques et d'amenites naturelles ont ete analysees par rapport a l'evolution demographique estimee au niveau communal sur la periode 1970-2000, avec un ciblage specifique des relations spatiales. Les resultats limites suggerent des impacts mitiges qui confirment un effet amenite accru mais parmi d'autres facteurs qui influencent la variation de population localisee. Amenites naturelles Evolution demographique Etat economique Econometrie spatiale Chi G. und Marcouiller D. W. Isolation der Auswirkung naturlicher Attraktionen auf demografische Veranderungen auf lokaler Ebene, Regional Studies. Naturliche Attraktionen gelten als latente Produktions-Inputs und als Grundlage fur die verschiedensten regionalen Auswirkungen. In dieser Studie analysieren wir die naturlichen Attraktionen und soziookonomischen Bedingungen hinsichtlich des auf Gemeindeebene empirisch geschatzten Bevolkerungswachstums in einer attraktionsreichen Seenregion im mittleren Norden der USA im Zeitraum von 1970 bis 2000 unter besonderer Beachtung der raumlichen Verhaltnisse. Die begrenzten Ergebnisse lassen auf gemischte Auswirkungen schliessen, die einen gestiegenen Einfluss der Attraktionen als einen von zahlreichen Faktoren bestatigen, die zu lokalisierten demografischen Veranderungen fuhren. Naturliche Attraktionen Demografische Veranderungen Wirtschaftsbedingungen Raumliche Okonometrie Chi G. y Marcouiller D. W. Aislamiento del efecto de comodidades naturales en el cambio de poblacion a nivel local, Regional Studies. Se considera que como aportaciones de produccion latente, los comodidades naturales sirven de base para una serie de efectos regionales. En este estudio, se analizaron los servicios naturales y las condiciones socioeconomicas con respecto al crecimiento de la poblacion calculado empiricamente a nivel municipal en una region de lagos rica en comodidades en la zona central norte de los Estados Unidos de 1970 a 2000 con un enfoque especifico en las relaciones espaciales. Los resultados limitados indican efectos mixtos que confirman un aumento en la influencia de las comodidades como uno de los muchos factores que impulsan el cambio localizado de la poblacion. Comodidades naturales Cambio de la poblacion Condiciones economicas Factores econometricos espaciales [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bitácora Urbano/Territorial is the property of Bitacora Urbano/Territorial and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Environmental amenity-driven migration presents a double-edged sword to policy makers concerned with both economic and ecological sustainability. Clearly the protection of environmental amenities is important, but what is the right balance between ecosystem protection and regional economic processes that simultaneously respond to and degrade ecological resources? We consider this question in the context of households that are attracted to a region by urban and lake amenities and a lake ecosystem that becomes degraded by land development. An analytical expression for the time evolution of population is derived from households' and firms' optimizing behaviors. Numerical methods with phase plane diagrams are used to study the steady state and transient dynamics of the resulting population-phosphorus coupled system. The system is found to be bi-stable under a range of parameter values with one attractor corresponding to a desired “balanced” economy-ecology state and the other to a very small population base with fully restored ecology. We examine the dynamics and quantify the resilience of the system in and away from the balanced steady state using phase plane diagrams that demarcate the two domains of attraction. Economic-ecological interactions fundamentally alter regional economic dynamics and influence the resilience of the balanced domain of attraction. For example, a one percent increase in the loadings coefficient associated with residential land development generates a three percent decline in the resilience of the balanced state. We find that economic feedbacks often increase system resilience. Initial increases in the attraction of urban amenities spur greater population growth that increases the resilience of the balanced state. In addition, price feedbacks that arise from capitalized (dis)amenities increase the resilience of the system to bad ecological shocks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The western United States offers a case study on the importance of access to large population centers and their markets, via road and air travel, for economic development. The vast distances between towns and cities in the American West can be a detriment to business, yet they also serve to attract technology and knowledge-based workers seeking to live in a picturesque setting. In spite of the increasing importance of amenities to migration and business location, also needed is access to markets, particularly via commercial air service. We test a new county classification system for the western United States to reflect differing degrees of access to population centers and account for the increasing importance of airports. Past classifications are based on population size and cross-county commuting. We examine the validity of this new classification and test for differences in economic performance among the three county types. Our findings show that there are three distinct Wests that can be classified using economic performance measures and socioeconomic characteristics. The results show that “metro” and “isolated” counties are clearly distinct, but “connected” counties, those that are rural in nature but have ready access to metropolitan areas via air travel, can be difficult to distinguish from “metro” and “isolated” counties. Much of the variation is explained by travel distance to airports. The findings illustrate the importance of airports in rural development, and the limitations facing those communities that are isolated from markets and population centers. The results apply to other parts of the world with similar characteristics that include large expanses of open space, natural amenities that attract migrants and stimulate new business, and different degrees of access to large population centers via road or air travel, and therefore different rates of economic growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study of recent rural (nonmetropolitan) migration in the U.S. finds that, consistent with research on landscape preferences, people have been most drawn to areas with a mix of forest and open land, water area, topographical variation, and relatively little cropland. A simultaneous equation model of 1990–2000 change in jobs and net migration indicates that landscape features influenced migration directly, not through effects on employment. An inordinate rise in housing values in the most highly scenic areas in 1990–2000 was associated with an exceptional slowing of migration to those areas in 2000–2005, an indication that housing supply constraints such as land use regulation may now be dampening the ties between landscape preferences and migration in rural areas. The study findings on current habitat selection are particularly interesting given the frequent conjecture that landscape preferences are adaptive, reflecting the most suitable habitats for early man. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]