Self-Defeating Regional Concentration

We present a simple model of a two-region economy in which undesirable concentration may occur. With freedom to choose where to live, individuals in this economy concentrate into one region in their pursuit of better life, and end up becoming worse off. We characterize the conditions under which such self-defeating concentration occurs in terms of a few key parameters, such as economies of scale in nontradeable service sectors, regional differences in labor productivity in tradeable goods sectors, and substitutability of tradeable goods in consumption.