SOCIAL-GEOGRAPHIC PROBLEMS IN THE REGULATION OF SETTLEMENT SYSTEMS IN A DEVELOPED SOCIALIST SOCIETY

An analysis of the impact of social development on forms of settlement and of the reverse impact of settlement forms on social processes. The author challenges the view that spatial forms have no bearing on social processes. The point is made by tabulating types of social contacts at various spatial levels and for different forms of settlement, from household to large urban agglomeration. The significance of information flows at different spatial levels is discussed. Large cities are found to have potential for the development of material and spiritual benefits that are lacking in smaller places. But since an integrated economy also requires smaller forms of settlement, ways must be found to provide a minimum set of material and cultural services at the lower level as well. Recommendations for raising the level of living in smaller Soviet populated places are offered.     

THERMI ON LESBOS: A CASE STUDY OF CHANGING TRADE PATTERNS

Summary Provenance studies on archaeological metal objects rely on their trace element abundance pattern and lead isotopic composition. A comparison of these features in artifacts from different archaeological sites often requires a comparison of results reported by different laboratories. In this case reasonable conclusions can only be expected if it is assured that the respective laboratories produce compatible results. A comparison of some twenty copper-based artifacts from Thermi I and II shows this compatibility still to be less than perfect between Oxford and Heidelberg — Mainz. We find the lead isotopic compositions reported by the two laboratories to agree within the stated uncertainties of the abundance ratios of 0.1 percent. The same is also true, to within 50 percent or better, for the contents of As, Sb, Ag, Au and possibly Ni. Serious discrepancies exist, however, for Co, Pb and Zn that we argue to be due to analytical problems at Oxford. Discriminant analysis of the data from all metal-bearing occupational levels at Thermi reveals a remarkably good correspondence between trace element signature and occupational level which suggests that at the beginning of the third millennium BC intercourse between Lesbians and Aegean metal traders was rare. Lead isotope data show that the change in metal, at least that upon the transition from Towns I + II to Towns III–IV, was indeed due to a change in source region of the metal and not one caused by a change in technology.     

SPATIAL DISPERSION OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY FOR THE NETHERLANDS BY MEANS OF PARTIAL LEAST SQUARES*

ABSTRACT. In this paper the impact of spatial and nonspatial variables on the innovation potential and innovativeness of (small) industrial firms in The Netherlands will be analyzed. Innovation potential and innovativeness will be conceived as latent variables which will be measured by a partial least squares approach. The variables reflecting innovation potential are notably input variables such as internal and external R&D, while innovativeness will be based on output indicators such as the number of product and process innovations. The regional dimension enters our analysis essentially at two levels. First, we will investigate whether more innovative firms are to some extent spatially biased (i.e., on the basis of intrafirm characteristics). Secondly, we will analyze the relevance of an indigenous regional impact, per se. In other words, we will examine whether firms with an equal innovation capacity will differ in actual (i.e., realized) innovativeness as a consequence of different regional conditions. For the first issue, our results indicate that not all regions are equally well-endowed with potentially innovative (small) firms. Our analysis even demonstrates that these firms are underrepresented in regions which are generally considered to offer the most favorable production environment. After compensating for these differences in the composition of the regional set of firms, we demonstrate that an indigenous regional impact per se cannot be identified in The Netherlands.     

THE ROLE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING*

ABSTRACT As the housing stock in a city is duplicated, developers must devote greater amounts of resources to the provision of infrastructure. If the production of infrastructure is characterized by decreasing returns to scale, this will cause the price of developable land to increase. The conditions under which an upward-sloping supply curve for housing will result are discussed. Using cross-sectional data for U.S. cities from 1973 to 1982, it is shown that land prices fail to increase with the quantity of construction and that the price elasticity of the supply of housing is infinite.