Regional and Urban Economics
Regional and urban economics has been one of the most dynamic fields in economics in the last few years. It can be observed that economic activities tend to be concentrated in few places, generating linkages that reinforce and perpetuate those tendencies. It is for that reason that the study of the differences between regions and cities acquires great importance in order to understand the development process.
These ideas are not new in economic analysis. In 1920, Alfred Marshall proposed that the decisions of industrial location were influenced, among other factors, by the vertical relations developed in the great local markets. Later, at the end of the 1950’s, economists such as Myrdal and Hirschman, argued that backward and forward linkages played a fundamental role in generating processes of agglomeration in specific places. These ideas were retaken by Krugman in the 1990’s, who argued that the externalities that result in a nucleus-periphery pattern are those generated by demand and supply linkages, and not necessarily by technological spillovers. In Krugman’s words, the main reason for the industrial location in some places is the strong productive connections that these sites offer.
One of the aspects that motivates the studies in regional and urban economics is the unequal distribution of the productive activities in space. What is observed at the present time are densely populated regions or localities, with an important economic activity and specially a level of development over the average for the country; while other areas continue with little participation in the national economic activity, little population, and are left behind in the indicators of development.
The annual seminary of ESPE 2008 is focused on this branch of economics. The main objective is to increase our knowledge on regional and urban economics in our country, through the promotion and diffusion of research in this field. Colombia is a country of regions with great differences in the degree of economic and social development among them. Therefore, this seminary is an opportunity to debate on an aspect of economic development that is fundamental for the future of our country.
