bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Military Scientific Infrastructure and Regional Development
Authors: Wells P
Published: October 2006

In this paper the distribution and functional interlinkages of those state military facilities concerned with research and development are related to the spatial distribution of the UK high-technology industry and to the issue of uneven regional development.
Spatial Aspects of Health-Care Employment in Britain: 1. Aggregate Trends
Authors: Mohan J
Published: October 2006

In this paper I review aggregate spatial trends in employment in health care. This is a neglected area in the study of employment change. Although much attention has been given recently to the producer services sector, in numerical terms the health-care sector is a major employer and, locally, can provide a substantial proportion of jobs within individual labour markets. I first consider regional trends in health-care employment over time, and then disaggregate these, where possible, by grade of staff. The contribution of health care to total employment is then examined for standard regions arid also for travel-to-work-areas (TTWAs). Possible interpretations of these changes are then discussed. Four interrelated factors are implicated: the impact of the public expenditure policies of successive governments; the effect of policies designed to redistribute resources in the NHS; local decisions on the siting and closing of NHS hospitals; and the impact of private sector growth in health care.
Labor Turnover and Employment Impacts in Regional Labor Markets
Authors: Seninger S F
Published: October 2006

Employment impacts, from a proposed solvent-refined coal plant, are examined by use of an adjustment model which departs from the more conventional export-base and input—output approaches. Adjustments in the regional labor-market are outlined through the use of a Markov-chain model of job vacancy transfers. Adjustments, in response to labor-demand shocks generated by the projects, are specified for disequilibrium gaps in the open labor market, with in-migration of workers absorbing job vacancies. Empirical estimates of key parameters are derived from previous studies of impacts in order to make a preliminary simulation of the system. Implications for an area in West Virginia designated as a regional labor-market are discussed.
Of Mice and Men: What Rodent Populations Can Teach Us about Complex Spatial Dynamics
Authors: Couclelis H
Published: October 2006

Models of complex systems need not be themselves complex, let alone complicated. To illustrate this important point, a very simple cellular automaton model of rodent population dynamics is used to generate a wide variety of different spatiotemporal structures corresponding to different forms of equilibrium, cyclical, quasi-cyclical, and chaotic system behavior. The issue of complexity as it pertains to a number of different contemporary scientific fields is then discussed, and in particular its implications for prediction. The discussion ends with some general reflexions about modeling in human geography.
Dynamic and Spatial Welfare Changes from the Impact of Menhaden Fishery Conservation Plans on the US Atlantic Coast
Authors: Biomo V J
Published: October 2006

Impacts from proposed conservation plans in the US Atlantic menhaden industry are examined in this paper. The regulations have been proposed because of concerns that fishing pressure has been too intense on juvenile menhaden. The impacts are examined by the use of a bioeconomic model in which a time-dynamic and geography-specific framework is employed. The results indicate that a shorter fishing season would redistribute the existing pattern of catches and income. The whole industry would experience a net gain but the gainers and losers are clearly delineated spatially and temporally.
Time and Narrative in Economic Geography
Authors: Curry M , Barnes T
Published: October 2006

There are two types of dynamic models found within economic geography—the statistical and the causal. Both rest on a view of time which is based upon chronology and sequence. It is argued, however, that a chronological and sequential view of time is inadequate to comprehend the nature of economic behaviour. Instead, it is suggested that economic geographers begin thinking about time from the perspective of narrative.
A Cost-Efficiency Theory of Dispersed Network Equilibria
Authors: Smith T E
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this paper is to unite two current approaches to modeling dispersed spatial-interaction behavior: the entropy-smoothing approach, and the cost-efficiency approach. The main result of the paper is to show that those interaction flows determined by entropy-smoothing techniques correspond (for large flows) to the most probable flow patterns consistent with cost-efficient spatial-interaction behavior. In addition, it is shown that under very general conditions, these flow patterns are indeed overwhelmingly most probable. Thus, these results establish a clear behavioral foundation for entropy-smoothing techniques in terms of the cost-efficiency theory. Finally, a number of statistical estimation procedures are developed for operationalizing this theory.
Evolution of Urban Spatial Cognition: Patterns of Change in Guangzhou, China
Authors: Lee Y , Schmidt C G
Published: October 2006

This paper includes an analysis of the evolution of urban spatial cognition over time among a sample of Chinese students attending Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, China. Changes in the features of sketch maps, based on classifications developed by Lynch, Appleyard, as well as Golledge, are examined. The slow evolution of urban cognition and the tendency to construct maps of the same style and structure over time are noted. Explanations for the absence of changes hypothesized by various investigators are offered.
Research Policy and Review 22. Environment—Behaviour—Design Research: An Agenda for the Third World
Authors: Chokor B A
Published: October 2006

Interdisciplinary research into people and environmental settings in the Third World is only beginning to develop, but without an appropriate focus. An agenda of study and major issues that should inform research are outlined in this paper. It is demonstrated that fruitfulness of research in the Third World lies in the identification of culturally relevant form and unit of space of study, as well as of the contexts in which various environmental appraisals are to be made. Both issues are identified and described. It is advocated that appropriate environmental research associations be formed, on regional and international levels, to coordinate and stimulate further research relevant to national environmental design policy.
Exploring Environmental Values through the Medium of Small Groups: 2. Illustrations of a Group at Work
Authors: Burgess J , Limb M , Harrison C M
Published: October 2006

In this paper we present the discussions of the Eltham group in the Greenwich Open-Space project, as a case study of the contributions that in-depth small groups can make in the study of environmental values. The major themes of the group discussions are presented, and extracts of dialogue illustrate several aspects of small-group dynamics: how the group establishes its identity, how members negotiate increasing levels of intimacy and trust, how they handle conflict among themselves, and how they deal with termination. These themes demonstrate the importance of the group matrix, the levels of manifest and latent meaning in discourse, and the role of the conductor in facilitating the group structure and processes. We conclude that in-depth small groups are a valuable research strategy for the exploration of the interpenetration of individual and collective values for environment.
The Internationalisation of New Zealand Forestry Companies and the Social Reappraisal of New Zealand's Exotic Forest Resource
Authors: Le Heron R
Published: October 2006

Industrial geographers are beginning to address country-specific changes in the wider setting of restructuring in the world economy. Developments in the New Zealand forestry sector are conceptualised as historically specific responses to structural processes, operating at global, national, and local scales. In this paper the changing state—economy relations associated with afforestation of exotic softwoods in New Zealand are examined, and forest utilisation issues are outlined. The emerging possibilities for the coordination of forestry production in New Zealand are also identified. Evidence is presented on the nature and degree of integration of ‘New Zealand’ private and state capital into the wood-fibre markets of the Pacific Rim. It is concluded that unprecedented restructuring in the 1980s by organisations, both private and public, engaged in New Zealand's forestry production has made the realisation of forest assets in New Zealand difficult, with significant implications for owners of forests and for labour dependent on various facets of exotic forestry.
The Influence of the Neighbourhood on Teacher Characteristics: A Case Study of Coventry
Authors: Matthews M H , Airey A , Tacon L , Simpson A
Published: October 2006

In this paper the influence of the neighbourhood on teacher characteristics is examined, with particular reference to comprehensive schools in Coventry. The focus is upon a consideration of whether the characteristics of teachers in the inner-city and Social Priority Schools differ from their colleagues in schools in suburban locations and of nonpriority status. It was thought that such an approach would provide an assessment of the efficacy of some aspects of existing spatial policies aimed at alleviating educational disadvantage. A sample of 526 teachers drawn from 8 schools participated in the survey. A questionnaire was used to seek information on demographic, educational, experiential, and attitudinal details. The results suggest that the strong relationship between areas and teachers, recognised in a number of studies conducted in the USA, is little evident in this British case study. Within Coventry there is a lack of interneighbourhood variation in the compositional makeup of teachers. The policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Construction Workers and the City: 1. Analysis
Authors: Short J R
Published: October 2006

The aim in this paper is to highlight the importance of construction workers in the making of the built environment. After a discussion about the general nature of capital—labour relations in the construction industry, an example is taken of the recent history of the Builders' Labourers Federation of New South Wales, Australia. The impact of the union during the Sydney property boom of the 1970s is examined.
The Internationalization of Engineering Consultancies: Problems of Breaking into the Club
Authors: Rimmer P J
Published: October 2006

Changing global trends in the location of engineering consultancies are examined. This reveals the relative decline of firms headquartered in North America and the rise of European-based counterparts. It raises the question of why multinationals located in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East have not broken into this Western club in greater numbers. Of particular interest is the relatively poor showing of consultancies based in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines—countries conspicuously successful in exporting construction contracting.
Stability of Supply Coefficients and Consistency of Supply-Driven and Demand-Driven Input—Output Models
Authors: Deman S
Published: October 2006

The motivation behind this paper is to review the debate on inconsistencies in and growing concern over the validity of a supply-driven model as an alternative to the Leontief demand-driven model for interindustry analysis.

Both the Leontief demand-driven and the Ghoshian alternative supply-constrained allocation specification are critically discussed. Various claims and counterclaims have been addressed in the literature available on this issue.

A general condition is derived for consistency between the two approaches, and a theorem is stated in which greater confidence is provided in the use of the supply-driven model for interindustry analysis.
Foreign-Owned Firms and Regional—Functional Specialization
Authors: Harrington J W , Barnas D J
Published: October 2006

It is hypothesized that the subnational, interregional location of foreign direct investment is influenced by the country of origin, the industry, and the specific functions of the investment. The authors studied these characteristics of 1163 foreign-owned business establishments in New York State, comparing them with the location, industry specialization, and occupational structure of five regions of New York State. Foreign-owned businesses take full part in the spatial division of activities across the state. Indeed, in some cases the special needs of foreign-owned business have led the specialization of regions' industry and activity mixes. Where a region's sectoral or activity mix is not greatly reinforced by the foreign-owned activities in the region, it is usually because of the intervening effects of source-country specialization or source-country locational proclivity.
Industrial Innovation in the Small Business Sector: Empirical Evidence from Metropolitan Toronto
Authors: MacPherson A
Published: October 2006

In this paper, the author examines some of the key technical relations which exist between small industrial firms and knowledge-intensive units in the producer services. Particular attention is focussed on patterns of task-specific subcontracting in which small manufacturers delegate specialised technical functions to external consultants. Data from a sample of small firms in a variety of Toronto industries are used to illustrate the scale, nature, and effects of current linkage arrangements. A major finding of the empirical work is that those firms who have strong backward links to the producer services exhibit above average performance with respect to export intensity and product innovation. The paper is concluded by a discussion of some of the main questions of research raised by the growth of service-to-manufacturing linkages in large metropolitan areas.
Some Comments on C Hamnett's Reading of the Data on Sociotenurial Polarisation in South East England
Authors: Berge E
Published: October 2006

In this paper the author reanalyses the data on the sociotenurial development in South East England in the period 1966–1981, as presented by Hamnett in 1987. If one takes into account the changing composition both of the work force and of the housing market, the data would seem to suggest that there has been no sociotenurial polarisation process going on between 1966 and 1981. The changes seem to be best described as a segregation process where the low-status occupational groups are increasing their share of council-rented housing units, more so in Greater London than in the rest of the South East. The data also suggest that the segregation process operates almost exclusively through the housing market.
Optimal Reorganization of Greater Tokyo: An Industrial Complex of Agglomeration and Scale Economies. 2
Authors: Higano Y , Kohno H
Published: October 2006

In the first part of this two-part series of papers we presented an analytical method for evaluating the optimal reorganization of Greater Tokyo. The method relied on a nonlinear dynamic programming model, which incorporated an essential theoretical framework concerning the insights both of decentrists and of large-city theorists. The model was reviewed by focusing on aspects such as complex intraurban commodity flows, the compound urban renewal, and a nonlinear dynamic accelerating system of scale and agglomeration economies. An iterative solution algorithm was presented for the nonlinear formulation.

In the second part a pilot model of three zones and three periods is specified to testify to the adaptability of SEPMOGT (Socio-Economic Planning Model of Greater Tokyo), especially focusing on the effectiveness of the iterative solution algorithm. Some simulation results are summarized on: (a) convergence of the iterative linear programming solution in terms of the output — capital ratio and objective function value; (b) agglomeration and reorganization of industries; (c) housing-stock formation and compound urban renewal; (d) commuting trip pattern; (e) car traffic and road transportation infrastructure; and (f) aggregate fundamental macroeconomic flow variables, taking account of the variance in the social discount rate and the types of the scale and agglomeration economies. Studies on systems of cities in the new urban economics are briefly surveyed and properties of our model will be reviewed in the light of development in the model of these systems of cities.
Geographical Aspects of British Overseas Trade: A Framework and a Review
Authors: Hoare A G
Published: October 2006

This paper is an overview of geographical studies into the British involvement in international trade. A conceptual framework comprising three elements is presented: internal regional economies, British trading ports, and overseas trading partners. The interactions among these three elements are discussed in order to review the rationale for an academic interest in British geography of overseas trade. The existing literature on the subject is also briefly discussed.
Aspects of Structural Change in Speculative Housing Production: A Case Study in Merseyside
Authors: Couch C
Published: October 2006

In this paper I describe, and attempt to provide explanations for, changes in the structure of speculative-housing production in Wirral, in Merseyside, from 1971 to 1985. I begin with a description of the changing structure of the industry nationally, noting particularly the trend towards seller concentration. Differences between these national trends and those pertaining to Wirral are reported, including the increase in the market dominance of local small firms. I then consider local variations in market characteristics and those in production which may account for these differences. I conclude that this divergence is most probably explained by a relative decline in local housing demand and by changes in the local land market, both of which make investment in the area less attractive to large national housebuilding firms.
Nonintegration of Regional Labor Markets: The Case of Large US Cities from February 1980 through December 1983
Authors: Hanink D M
Published: October 2006

Two basic models of regional unemployment are tested by use of unemployment rates of US metropolitan areas over the period February 1980 through December 1983. In the first model, regional unemployment is suggested to be the region's share of disequilibrium in the national labor market. The functional integration of regions with the national economy is a fundamental requisite for symmetry in this model, and symmetry is required for the model to have any explanatory power. Unfortunately, given the preponderant lack of strong covariance found here between regional and national labor markets, such functional integration does not seem to hold in general. The suggestion in the second model tested here is that regional labor markets should be spatially integrated under neoclassical rules. Here spatial integration, as measured by the spatial autocorrelation of regional unemployment rates, is found to be periodic rather than consistent. It appears that the spatial integration of US regional labor markets is not robust in the face of volatile macroeconomic circumstances. Unfortunately, this lack of robustness results in an asymmetrical system of interregional labor markets. The major problems of the two models result from their ageographical origins.
The Instruments of Urban Land Policy in India: Opportunities for Future Direction
Authors: Acharya B P
Published: October 2006

India is noted for her initiatives on urban land-reform measures, and she has been experimenting with various forms of public intervention since the early 1960s, with a view to diluting some of the disturbing trends in the urban land-market, such as speculation, land-price increases, and skewed distribution of land. This paper is an attempt to compile the scattered information on urban land-policy in India, to describe the major instruments currently in practice, and to examine them critically in a comprehensive perspective. In this way, I assess their potential and the constraints they place, in relation to planned urban development, regulating land-supply, and smoothing the behavior of the urban land-market. It is found that, despite the great promises attached to the present instruments, most of them have so far demonstrated only limited success, mainly because of their conceptual limitations and their disjointed nature. I highlight the improvement possibilities of the instruments and point towards some innovative technique(s) of urban land-management, for future application. I conclude that it is necessary to have a comprehensive and integrated approach to the setting up of policy objectives and instruments, and to their coordination with national development policies.
A Multiobjective Approach to the Reorganization of Health-Service Areas: A Case Study
Authors: Malczewski J , Ogryczak W
Published: October 2006

In this paper the authors present an application of optimization techniques to the real-life problem of the reorganization of health-service areas. The problem is formulated as a linear programming problem with three objective functions. The values of the three objective functions proved to vary significantly depending on the assumed hierarchy of the objectives. Nevertheless, the multiobjective analysis based on parametric techniques was found to provide a compromise solution which implied significant improvement in the performance of the health-care system.
Technical Changes and the Rate of Profit in the Canadian Wood, Furniture, and Paper Industries
Authors: Webber M , Tonkin S
Published: October 2006

In this paper the rate of profit is examined and the components of changes in the rate of profit are identified of the wood, furniture, and paper industries of Canada for the years 1952 to 1981. The rate of profit in the wood industry generally rose, until a dramatic fall since 1979 onwards; this fall was largely due to a collapse of market prices and to the effects of that collapse on the technical composition of capital (via changes in the rate of capacity utilization). Profit rates in the furniture industry have generally been rising because the rate of exploitation has risen, even though techniques of production have changed only slowly. In the paper industry profit rates have generally fallen, in response to rapid changes in technology. There is generally short-run variation in the technical composition of capital, which, therefore, is affected by market conditions as well as the technology embodied in fixed capital.
Synthesis—A Synthetic Spatial Information System for Urban and Regional Analysis: Methods and Examples
Authors: Birkin M , Clarke M
Published: October 2006

There is a growing interest from a wide variety of sources in information pertaining to the characteristics of residents of small geographical areas together with their associated activity patterns. Reliance on the use of conventional aggregate data sources combined with the British Government's reluctance to make available microdata in the form of a public-use data set has restricted the type of questions analysts have been able to ask. The application of a methodology for generating synthetic microdata from a number of different aggregate sources is reported. The resultant information system can be used in a flexible manner to produce distributions not currently available from aggregate sources. Additionally, the microdata form direct inputs into microsimulation models. The application described has been undertaken with Leeds Metropolitan District as the system of interest and a wide range of outputs is produced to illustrate the method.
Effects of Spatial System Design on Spatial Interaction Models. 1: The Spatial System Definition Problem
Authors: Putman S H , Chung S-H
Published: October 2006

Rather little has been published about systematic empirical research on the problem of spatial aggregation and its effects on spatial interaction models. Of the work which has been published, all of it has dealt almost exclusively with single-parameter spatial interaction models. In this article five different aggregation procedures are examined. The experiments were based on the use of a multivariate multiparametric spatial interaction model. A first set of hypotheses tests was performed with respect to the sensitivity of model parameters to spatial aggregation methods. A second set was performed with respect to the sensitivity of model goodness-of-fit to the five spatial aggregation methods. Although questions remain, the results clearly show that the multiparametric model responds well to different aggregation algorithms. Some parameters showed substantial response, as they should, to different zonal aggregations, whereas others are shown to be much less responsive. Further, the results clearly indicate that systematic aggregation procedures generally produce better results than do random procedures. A future paper will continue with a discussion of zone definition criteria, and recommendations will be made with regard to aggregation algorithms.
Producer-Service Firms in a Declining Manufacturing Region
Authors: Harrington J W , Lombard J R
Published: October 2006

An overview is provided of producer-service activity (intermediate services, sold primarily to businesses) in metropolitan Buffalo (NY) from 1970 to 1986. This period brought drastic structural changes to the region's economy, such that nonmanufacturing activity in general took a far greater share of employment and output than before. After a conceptual and empirical background is given to the study of producer services, the changes in sectoral employment structure in western New York State is presented, including producer-service employment on an industry-by-industry basis. Then, the intrametropolitan location preferences of producer-service establishments are examined. Finally, questions are addressed regarding the role that these industries play in bringing income into the region.
An Empirical Study of Price Correlations: 1. How Should Spatial Interactions between Interdependent Markets be Measured?
Authors: Roehner B
Published: October 2006

Price fluctuations are known to be rather chaotic and unpredictable. However, when these fluctuations are compared at different marketplaces some regular patterns appear. The precise nature of such regularities and what can be learned from them about the internal structure of an economic system are the purpose of this series of two papers. In this first paper the evolution of an economic system is analysed, namely in Germany during the period of its economic integration, that is to say during the 19th century. Different statistical measures are compared: the price ratio, the price correlations, the price dispersion, in order to characterise the increasing interdependence of economic activity centres. It is shown that this interdependence increases for every commodity according to a specific trend. Last, in order to link these results with the economic and political history of Germany some data are presented pertaining to the development of its domestic trade during the 19th century.
World Bank Forecasts and Planning in the Third World
Authors: Cole S
Published: October 2006

The growth forecasts of the World Bank have become increasingly influential for the planning efforts of developing countries. However, after reviewing these forecasts this author concludes that the projections of the Bank for the economic growth rates both of the industrial and of the developing countries are systematically biased, and its estimates of the locomotive effect for developing countries are ambiguous. A similar pattern is reflected in the forecasts of the major United Nations agencies, in particular the Secretariat and UNCTAD. These forecasts are not readily explained by the data presented or by the forecasting methods used by the agencies. Rather, the explanation appears to lie in the need to rationalize forecasts within the context of a particular institutional imperative. An alternative model of forecasting is suggested which shows how peer group and pressures within the interagency system have resulted in a misplaced consensus about long-term trends, changed the methods used, undermined the potential benefits of the forecasting exercise, and ultimately harmed the situation of many people in the developing countries.
Community and Industrial Restructuring: Responses to the Recession and its Aftermath in the Illawarra Region of Australia
Authors: Haughton G
Published: October 2006

The combined processes of industrial and community restructuring are examined for the steel city of Wollongong in the Illawarra region of Australia. Recessionary conditions have provided the backdrop to considerable efforts to form and effectively utilise local cross-class alliances as one means of breaking out of decline. Although some progress does appear to have been made, it remains to be seen whether this can provide long-term benefits and whether the new alliances which have formed will strengthen or disintegrate as the recession is left behind.
Nonoptimal Ranking of Households in Urban Space: An Example
Authors: Grimaud A
Published: October 2006

Because of the nonconvexity of location choice, economists generally use two steps to construct spatial equilibria in monocentric cities: first they rank agents from the center (using, for instance, bid price functions), then they allocate goods. This paper provides a simple example in which externalities lead to a nonoptimal ranking at equilibrium.
Equilibrium in a Two-Crop Model with a Low-Cost Transportation Route
Authors: O'Kelly M E
Published: October 2006

A partial equilibrium analysis of the classical von Thünen model of crop rings in the presence of a market access route is provided. Simple geometric methods are used to derive the boundaries of production under several different specifications of the impact of the route on accessibility. The new model allows for analysis of differential impacts of the route in a two-crop system. It is shown that the growing area for one of the crops can actually shrink after the route opens, if there are disproportionately lower freight rates for the other crop.
On Objectivity in Economic Research and Input—Output Tables: A Reply
Authors: Willis K G
Published: October 2006

Although the role of GRIT as a hybrid local input — output (I — O) model is recognised, it is argued that most applications in Britain use only nonsurvey data. Professional judgment as part of GRIT methodology is seen as intuitive. Questions remain as to what constitutes a ‘gold standard’ against which to judge the efficacy of nonsurvey and hybrid local I — O tables.
The Effect of Distance Metric on the Degree of Spatial Competition between Firms
Authors: Rushton G , Thill J-C
Published: October 2006

The proportion of a firm's market-area that is within a given, small, proportional difference in delivered-price between itself and its principal competitor, is an important measure of spatial competition. It is shown that for regular triangular and irregular spatial patterns of firms, areas of intense spatial competition are larger when transport costs are proportional to euclidean distances rather than to block distances, but this is not true for a regular square pattern. In an irregular pattern of firms, for each metric, the proportion of a firm's market-area in the area of intense spatial competition varies markedly from firm to firm. The locational and pricing behavior of firms is expected to be influenced by the size and locations of these areas of spatial competition.
Part-Time Farming and its Implications for the Rural Landscape: A Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Munton R J , Whatmore S J , Marsden T K
Published: October 2006

Part-time farm businesses are assuming an increased importance within the structure of British agriculture. It is often suggested that their reduced dependence on the financial and technological treadmills driving farm development leads them to have less impact than full-time producers on the farmed landscape. Some evidence in support of this view, drawn from a survey of landscape change between 1970 and 1985 on more than 200 farms in southern England, is presented. At the same time, the findings caution against generalisation and emphasise the need to disaggregate the results. In particular, it is essential to ascertain the different roles part-time farming is playing in the development of capitalist agriculture and the strategies of farm households. There is as much variation in the rates of landscape change between types of part-time business as between full-time and part-time farming.
Managing the Development of a Customer Marketing Data-Base
Authors: Berry J , Maclean F
Published: October 2006

An overview is provided of the development process for implementing a customer data-base. An effort is made to highlight some of the pitfalls and describe the evolution of a customer marketing data-base as experienced by the authors. Key objectives of the marketing data-base are outlined in order to highlight the potential of the development. The authors believe that the issues apply to many companies in consumer or business markets and expect that the paper will act as a catalyst for marketing strategists.
Capital Switching and the Role of Ground Rent: 2 Switching between Circuits and Switching between Submarkets
Authors: King R J
Published: October 2006

In the first paper of this series of three, Harvey's ‘circuits of capital’ argument was discussed, and was linked first to ground rent theory, and second to forms of social change and crisis in advanced, Western-style economies. In the present paper these various theoretical insights are used to reflect upon the urban housing market in Melbourne from the 1930s to the 1980s. It is concluded (1) that average rent (average annual cost relative to wages), and thereby housing-related accumulation, rose virtually uninterrupted from 1932 to 1977, providing the incentive to the suburbanisation boom of the 1950s and 1960s; (2) that an extraordinary rise in average rent in 1973 – 74 (to be viewed as ‘absolute rent’) created an affordability barrier, inhibiting the ability of the housing sector to provide an outlet for speculative investment in the current ‘global crisis’; and (3) that differentiated shifts in monopoly ground rent (that is, price rises in some submarkets and falls in others) thereby became increasingly important in providing incentive for both speculative and productive investment in housing. The third paper will extend this empirical exploration to the social conditions enabling these processes, and in turn affected by them.
A New Class of Dynamic Macrosystem Models with Self-Reproduction
Authors: Popkov Yu S
Published: October 2006

The author considers a class of macrosystems where the relaxation time of the distribution process of elements is significantly less than the relaxation time of the self-reproduction process. The proposed model of such macrosystems defines the system of differential equations with nonlinearity generated by the solution of a mathematical programming problem with an entropy objective function. Methods for the structural analysis of this model are considered, and applications to demographic modelling, biological dynamics, and chemical kinetics are given.
An Analysis of Competitive Oscillations between Japanese Twin Cities
Authors: Kohsaka H
Published: October 2006

In this paper keenly-competing Japanese twin cities are examined and the competitive oscillations occurring between them is analyzed as a typical example of medium-term competitive processes. From an analysis of market shares for annual retail sales of women's and children's clothes it was found that there are certain oscillations between the twin cities. As these oscillations are derived from the strong competition between closely-located twin cities, they are called competitive oscillations. In order to analyze the generation of the competitive oscillations, an attempt to reproduce a strongly competitive condition by constructing a dynamic model of two-centre competition was made. As the twin cities share a large part of their populations, they are under strong competitive conditions in which major retail development at one city produces an absolute loss to the other city. Therefore, the twin cities seesaw through the introduction of innovations such as large shops in order to gain a more advantageous competitive position, resulting in competitive oscillations between them. This finding implies that the introduction of innovation to centres is a competitive device in the medium-term and is consistent with the view that the diffusion of innovation is closely related to the competitive process.
Capital Switching and the Role of Ground Rent: 3 Switching between Circuits, Switching between Submarkets, and Social Change
Authors: King R J
Published: October 2006

In the first paper of this three-part series, Harvey's ‘circuits of capital’ argument was reviewed, and was linked first to ground rent theory, and second to forms of crisis and social change in advanced, Western-style economies. In the second paper these ideas were used to reflect on the progress of the urban housing market in Melbourne from the 1930s to the 1980s. Specifically, an attempt was made first to identify significant switchings of investment between economic sectors, and forms of crisis that might have accompanied them; and second to understand significant switchings of investment between submarkets within the housing sector, their relationship to intersectoral switching, and the changing social relationships involved. In the present paper this question of changing social conditions is pursued further. It is concluded (1) that the increasingly differentiated structure of housing submarkets, apparently ‘necessary’ for continuous seesawing investment between submarkets, is dependent on shifts in incomes and behaviour of different social groupings; and (2) that the present direction of such shifts is, however, destabilising, transforming an economic crisis into a potential ‘motivation crisis’. The paper ends with some overall conclusions to this series of three papers.
Intraregional Income Distribution and Poverty: Some Investigations for the Netherlands, 1960–81
Authors: Rietveld P , Ouwersloot H
Published: October 2006

This paper is addressed to intraregional income inequalities in the Netherlands. Various concepts are used to measure the degree of regional poverty. In addition, dissimilarity between intraregional income distributions is studied. At the provincial level, relatively small and decreasing dissimilarities are observed. However, at lower spatial levels (especially within metropolitan areas) much larger dissimilarities in mean income and income distribution occur. In the Netherlands, urban poverty has become a more intense and widespread phenomenon than rural poverty.
The Restructuring Thesis and the Study of Public Services
Authors: Pinch S P
Published: October 2006

The relevance of the restructuring thesis for the analysis of recent changes in the structure of public services is considered. It is argued that recent changes in public services are far more complex than suggested by the notion of privatisation and that a variety of concepts previously applied to the study of manufacturing industries can also be applied to the study of public services. The concepts considered include intensification, rationalisation, technical change, and self-provisioning. The paper concludes with a research agenda for analysis of public service restructuring.
Modeling the Macrodynamics of International Migration: Determinants of Emigration from Cyprus, 1946–85
Authors: Diamantides N D , Constantinou S T
Published: October 2006

A model is presented of international migration that is based on the concept of a pool of potential emigrants at the origin created by push — pull forces and by the establishment of information feedback between origin and destination. The forces can be economic, political, or both, and are analytically expressed by the ‘mediating factor’. The model is macrodynamic in nature and provides both for the main secular component of the migratory flow and for transient components caused by extraordinary events. The model is expressed in a Bernoulli-type differential equation through which quantitative weights can be derived for each of the operating causes. Out-migration from the Republic of Cyprus is used to test the tenets of the model.
A Financial-Economic von Thünen Model
Authors: Cromley R G , Hanink D M
Published: October 2006

The von Thünen model of agricultural land use is reformulated in this paper as an investment decision in which the objectives of farmers range from total risk-aversion to profit-maximization. By means of a variant of the mean-variance model of contemporary portfolio theory, it is demonstrated that individual bid-rent functions depend on the nature of a farmer's utility function. Because farmers' objectives affect their bid-rent functions, the spatial pattern of agricultural production is also affected. The conventional result of the von Thünen model is shown to be a special case of the more general portfolio model.
A Multipurpose Optimization Model for Area-Wide Sewerage Systems
Authors: Koizumi A , Inakazu T
Published: October 2006

In this paper the goal programming model is given that deals with the optimal scale and location of an area-wide sewerage system, consisting of trunk sewers, treatment plants, and pumping stations. The uncertainty of future wastewater volume is considered, and the regional objectives are evaluated. Hence, the model is composed of several constraints and of three objective functions (goals). The major constraints are the capacity of the treatment plants and the estimated range of wastewater amount in each municipality. The goals are to minimize total cost and environmental impact, while maximizing user satisfaction with the sewerage system. The case study shows that this model can help to decide the location and scale of facilities for sewerage system, giving results that are a good balance of the three goals. Furthermore, the analysis, by varying the settings of the goals or the values of sewerage propagation ratio, shows that the model can simulate changes in the wastewater capacity and its transport routes. Thus our model makes it easier for decisionmakers to plan area-wide sewerage systems.
Valid Modelling of Institutions That are Challenged by Rapid Environmental Change—The Case of a Waterworks Coping with Nitrate Compounds in Drinking Water
Authors: Müller N
Published: October 2006

An understanding of the operation of institutions is of central importance in analyses of environmental policy. The modelling of institutional behavior, however, is confronted, among other things, with the problem of rapid structural change. Specific approaches to modelling, such as real-time and rapid modelling, appear to be necessary to cope with the methodological consequences of this problem. In this paper it is shown that real-structure modelling can be used to provide a valid simulation of a situation of rapid structural change, taking a waterworks coping with nitrate compounds in drinking water as an example.
Provincial Out-Migration Patterns of Canadian Elderly: Characterization and Explanation
Authors: Ledent J , Liaw K-L
Published: October 2006

Interprovincial migration patterns of Canada's elderly are examined and compared with their nonelderly counterparts, by using data from Revenue Canada's income tax file for a fifteen-year period (1966/67 – 1980/81). First, in a simple descriptive analysis it is shown that, despite becoming increasingly different through time, the departure rates as well as the patterns of destination choice of the two groups were broadly similar. Second, a multivariate statistical analysis, carried out using a nested logit model, reveals that (1) the pattern of destination choice of the elderly was relatively sensitive (even more so through time) to environmental factors, whereas that of the nonelderly was relatively sensitive to labor-market variables, and that (2) the variation in provincial departure rates (for both groups) depended significantly on the size and composition of the origin population as well as the drawing power of the rest of the system. In particular, our results suggest that the overall decline observed in the elderly's departure rates is the consequence of changing sensitivity to circumstances in the province of origin rather than to circumstances in the potential destinations.
The Effects of the Relaxation of Planning Controls in Enterprise Zones on Industrial Pollution
Authors: Wood C , Hooper P
Published: October 2006

Pollution problems in UK enterprise zones were predicted because of the relaxation of land-use planning powers which are frequently used to anticipate and prevent pollution. A questionnaire survey and in-depth study of four zones revealed that, in the event, pollution problems have been below the average for similar industrial areas. The pollution which has arisen in enterprise zones has been associated mostly with developments not requiring planning permission rather than with the many firms that still require such permission. Landlord powers, controls over the nature of developments, the location of enterprise zones, prior negotiations, and residual planning and other controls have all been used to replace statutory planning powers. However, these alternative controls are much less likely to prove effective in simplified planning zones where local authorities may succeed mainly in attracting potentially polluting development.
On the Space-Time Associations in the Consumer Patronage of Planned Shopping Centres
Authors: Baker R G V , Garner B J
Published: October 2006

In this paper the changing behaviour of three shopping centres over time is described. The middle-ranked centre had stable occupancy levels, and shopping patronage over a finite time period is shown from the Fourier analysis to be periodic. The largest shopping centre does not exhibit the same behavioural characteristics. It is argued that agglomerative effects distort the space — time associations in the patronage distributions there. There is a return to the classical view of space-discounting shopping opportunities in the differential equation, and the results reflect the spatial trends observed in the survey data. When boundary conditions are applied to this equation, particularly for smaller shopping centres, a number of interesting conclusions can be drawn. Of particular significance is that consumers within the centres are viewed as jump discontinuities in the patronage distribution and that the gravity relationship changes depending on the time of survey.
The Competitiveness and Performance of Small Manufacturing Firms: An Analysis of Matched Pairs in Scotland and England
Authors: O'Farrell P N , Hitchens D M W N
Published: October 2006

In this paper we present a comparative analysis of the competitiveness and performance of matched pairs of small manufacturing companies in Scotland and the south of England. Several aspects of performance are investigated, and evaluations of the price and quality competitiveness of the product samples are made. One-third of Scottish products were judged to be of an unacceptable quality by the matched English companies. English companies are manufacturing to a higher quality but at a similar price to the Scottish ones. English firms displayed higher levels of skill and were more aware of the need to train. The empirical evidence provides confirmation of the conceptual framework, namely that production-related issues lie at the core of the problem of competitiveness for small companies. The findings suggest that government assistance should shift away from fixed assets to soft assets, and especially towards training and advisory systems.