This paper addresses the timing of a location's historical transition from rural to urban activity. We test whether urbanization occurs sooner in places with higher agricultural potential and comparatively lower transport costs, using worldwide data that divide the earth's surface at half-degree...

We study the impact of international long-distance flights on the global spatial allocation of economic activity. To identify causal effects, we exploit variation due to regulatory and technological constraints which give rise to a discontinuity in connectedness between cities at a distance of...

We study the impact of international long-distance flights on the global spatial allocation of economic activity. To identify causal effects, we exploit variation due to regulatory and technological constraints which give rise to a discontinuity in connectedness between cities at a distance of...

A large share of cross-country differences in productivity is explained by differences in agricultural productivity. Using a combination of sub-national agricultural statistics and geospatial datasets on crop-specific potential yields, we study the main drivers of this variation from a...

In this paper I give an overview of how contemporary international labour migration can affect the country of origin. I do not intend to reach a grand conclusion concerning the ultimate effect of labour emigration on development. International labour migration is a complex phenomenon with a...

The notion of green growth has emerged as an international policy discourse and response to climate change and ecological breakdown, designed to improve the demand-based and production-based emissions through a nation’s investments in its technological innovations and environmental-related...

This paper looks at the effects on trading partners that are included and not included in a Regional Free Trade Agreement (RFTA). Using the system GMM methodology, we consider six control variables to determine whether the volatility is more pronounced in non-RFTA countries (Type 1) or countries...

In cooperation with the World Free Zones Organization, the IfW Kiel has conducted a survey among special economic zones on the impairment of their economic activities by COVID-19. The survey reveals that the vast majority of the Free Zones have already been noticeably affected and that the...

Industrial clusters develop regionally along the industry's lifecycle and typically exist over many product generations. In order to maintain their innovativeness, they have to develop and adjust along the industry lifecycle. We conduct 142 depth face-to-face interviews in clusters across two...

The paper presents new results on within-country regional inequality in per capita income for 36 countries during 1995-2005; focusing on Europe but with some non-European countries included for comparison. In 23 of the 36 countries there was a significant increase in regional inequality during the...