This paper attempts to model directly the "folk theorem" of spatial economics, according to which increasing returns to scale are essential for understanding the geographical distributions of activity. The model uses the simple structure of most New Economic Geography papers, with two identical...

We consider the distribution of economic activity within a country in light of three leading theories - increasing returns, random growth, and locational fundamentals. To do so, we examine the distribution of regional population in Japan from the Stone Age to the modern era. We also consider the...

Economic activities are highly clustered. Why is geographic concentration becoming a predominant feature of modern economies? On the basis of the empirical models developed by the 'new' theories of international trade, our answer is that increasing returns are the driving force of economic...

Economic activities are highly clustered. Why is geographic concentration becoming a predominant feature of industrialized economies? On the basis of the empirical models developed by the theories of international trade, our answer is that increasing returns are the driving force of economic...

Economic activities are highly clustered. Why is geographic concentration becoming a predominant feature of modern economies? On the basis of the empirical models developed by the 'new' theories of international trade, our answer is that increasing returns are the driving force of economic...

Economic activities are highly clustered. Why is geographic concentration becoming a predominant feature of modern economies? On the basis of the empirical models developed by the 'new' theories of international trade, our answer is that increasing returns are the driving force of economic...