This paper develops a flexible multi-dimensional assessment method for the comparison of different statistical-econometric techniques based on learning mechanisms, with a view to analysing and forecasting regional labour markets. The aim of this paper is twofold. A first major objective is to...

Many networks such as the Internet have been found to possess scale-free and small-world network properties reflected by so-called power law distributions. Scale-free properties evolve in large complex networks through self-organizing processes and more specifically, preferential attachment. New...

The present paper investigates, for the case of Germany, the relevance of the volume and distribution of commuting flows, as well as of the commuting network’s connectivity and topology. We aim to assess how network topology and its changes over time affect the geographic commuting system and...

Simulating the structure and evolution of complex networks is an area that has recently received considerable attention. Most of this research has grown out of the physical sciences, but there is growing interest in their application to the social sciences, especially regional science and...

In this paper, we present a review of various computational experiments concerning neural network (NN) models developed for regional employment forecasting. NNs are nowadays widely used in several fields because of their flexible specification structure. A series of NN experiments is presented...

Many networks such as the Internet have been found to possess scale-free and small-world network properties reflected by so-called power law distributions. Scale-free properties evolve in large complex networks through self-organizing processes and more specifically, preferential attachment. New...

Scholars in social sciences often refer to “social capital” to explain a wide list of relevant economic and social phenomena. Taking an economic perspective, as put forth by Guiso et al. (Social Economics Handbook , 2011), we refer in this chapter to civic capital, defined as “those...

Front Matter -- Copyright -- Contents -- About the editors -- Contributors -- Preface -- 1. Reflections on entropy, complexity and spatial dynamics: the rebirth of theory? -- PART A ENTROPY, SPACE AND COMPLEXITY -- 2. Entropy in urban and regional modelling -- 3. Recent applications of entropy...

This Handbook explores new and old theoretical, methodological, and empirical insights and perspectives on entropy, complexity, and spatial dynamics. A central and cross-cutting theme of the Handbook is the role of entropy in complex, dynamic spatial socio-economic systems as both a measure of...