Microeconomic applications of semi-parametric models with an endogenous variable have been largely ignored. Recognizing spatial heterogeneity captured by semi-parametric cost function models can impact economies of scale estimates. We estimate several cost function models, using panel data for...

An important measure of the capital–land ratio in urban areas is the Floor Area Ratio (FAR), which gives a building's total floor area divided by the plot size. Variations in the FAR across cities remain an understudied measure of urban spatial structure. We examine how the FAR varies across...

Hospital cost efficiency is dependent on the potential to generate cost economies, which imply lower costs for hospitals that are, for example, larger or more diversified. Although scale and scope economies have been recognized in the literature on hospital costs, agglomeration economies due to...