Economic Geography – Pierre–Philippe Combes

Economic Geography is the most complete, up-to-date textbook available on the important new field of spatial economics. This book fills a gap by providing advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the latest research and methodologies in an accessible and comprehensive way. It is an indispensable reference for researchers in economic geography, regional and urban economics, international trade, and applied econometrics, and can serve as a resource for economists in government.

Economic Geography presents advances in economic theory that explain why, despite the increasing mobility of commodities, ideas, and people, the diffusion of economic activity is very unequal and remains agglomerated in a limited number of spatial entities. The book complements theoretical analysis with detailed discussions of the empirics of the economics of agglomeration, offering a mix of theoretical and empirical research that gives a unique perspective on spatial disparities. It reveals how location continues to matter for trade and economic development, yet how economic integration is transforming the global economy into an economic space in which activities are performed within large metropolitan areas exchanging goods, skills, and information.Economic Geography examines the future implications of this evolution in the spatial economy and relates them to other major social and economic trends.

• Provides a complete introduction to economic geography
• Explains the latest theory and methodologies
• Covers the empirics of agglomeration, from spatial concentration measurement to structural estimations of economic geography models
• Includes history and background of the field
• Serves as a textbook for students and a resource for professionals

Reviews:

“Economic Geography: The Integration of Regions and Nations is an outstanding contribution to the field. . . . Even those most familiar with the economic geography literature will emerge from reading the book challenged, engaged, and enlightened.”–Donald R. Davis, Journal of International Economics

“The book delivers important insights into the theories and practices of economic geography and opens opportunities for new avenues of research, by providing extensions of the existing theoretical models which can form the basis of new applications and tests to these theories. . . . [T]his book is highly recommended for both academic and graduates.”–Vítor Braga, Economic Geography Research Group

“[T]he book by Combes et al. gives an excellent overview of identification, estimation, omitted variables, reverse causality, sorting and evaluation issues related to geographical economics modeling outcomes as well as urban economics and interaction modeling outcomes. Empirical researchers will appreciate the overviews given here.”–Frank Van Oort, Regional Studies

Endorsements:

“Combes, Mayer, and Thisse have just given me an indispensable teaching tool and a great text for my students. Their book offers the most up-to-date, balanced, comprehensive treatment of both theoretical and empirical research.”–Kiminori Matsuyama, Northwestern University

“In the field of geographical economics, this is exactly the kind of book that I have been waiting for. After presenting lucid and comprehensive coverage of the current state of theory, it provides the modern methodology for measuring spatial concentration and inequalities. Then it confronts the challenging task of comparing theory with facts. This book will serve as an ideal textbook for graduate students and scholars in economic geography, regional development, international trade, and public policy.”–Masahisa Fujita, RIETI, Japan