The Wealth of Urban Regions : On the Location of Creative Individuals and Firms

• Main Author: Mellander, Charlotta
• Format: Doctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Internationella Handelshögskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, IHH, Nationalekonomi 2008
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-6690; http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:isbn:91-89164-92-X

This doctoral thesis consists of four individual chapters and an introduction to the thesis. The common feature of the four separate chapters is their focus on the location patterns of creative individuals and firms, the inter-relation between those actors and the regional development and how those actors in the end shape the wealth of urban regions. The first chapter deals with what happens after a new technology is introduced with a focus on the geographical location and distribution.  The assumption is that new, non-standardized techniques frequently are initiated and promoted in large urban regions. In order to leave space for new activities, standardized and maturing techniques must gradually be moved to medium and small sized regions. The second chapter analyzes the occupational distribution within Swedish industries, on the basis of characteristics of the individuals they employ. This chapter focuses especially on how to best identify so-called creative industries. It also examines the location patterns of the different types of industries. The third chapter focuses on the role of different types of talent, as well as on factors that shape the distribution of talent across regions. A main theme is the role of universities, tolerance and service diversity. The chapter also examines the economic effect from those factors in combination with talent and technology. The last essay investigates the relationship between tolerance and openness on one hand, and regional housing values on the other. It argues that artists, bohemians and gays affect housing values through two kinds of mechanisms: an aesthetic-amenity premium and a tolerance or open culture premium.