Given that more than 50% of the world population lives in urban areas, tackling the problem of urban development is placed in the context of recognizing the role of cities as economic engines, a role undergoing through permanent and changing demand. As globalization intensifies, cities enter...

We use the entry of 17 external shopping malls in Sweden to investigate how they have affected the performance of incumbent firms located in the city centres of small cities. We find that entry by external shopping malls decreased labour productivity for incumbent firms in city centres by...

China’s regions have been experiencing impressive growth over the past decades, but their potentials could be better exploited by creating a single product and labour market. Local protectionism increases transaction costs and hinders competition, thereby taking a toll on productivity....