Abstract for:

Agglomeration, Trade and Selection

Gianmarco I. P.  Ottaviano,  February 2012
Paper No' CEPDP1129: | Full paper

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Keywords: agglomeration; trade, heterogeneity, selection, economic geography

JEL Classification: F12; R11; R12

Is hard copy/paper copy available? YES - Paper Copy Still In Print.

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This Paper is published under the following series: CEP Discussion Papers

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Abstract:

This paper studies how firm heterogeneity in terms of productivity affects the balance between agglomeration and dispersion forces in the presence of pecuniary externalities through a selection model of monopolistic competition with variable mark-ups. It shows that firm heterogeneity matters. However, whether it shifts the balance from agglomeration to dispersion or the other way round depends on its specific features along the two defining dimensions of diversity: ‘richness’ and ‘evenness’. Accordingly, the role of firm heterogeneity in selection models of agglomeration cannot be fully understood without paying due attention to various moments of the underlying firm productivity distribution.