THE SENSITIVITY OF INPUT-OUTPUT MULTIPLIERS*

The present paper derives analytical expressions for the sensitivity of input-output multipliers to errors in the data. The effects on the simple output multipliers are investigated for additive errors, multiplicative errors in the columns, multiplicative errors in the rows, error rectangles, the error couple and the single error, and price changes. In contrast to earlier investigations, the results are not obtained from the Leontief inverse. The present approach focusses on the effects of errors on the eigenvector corresponding to the dominant eigenvalue. It is indicated how similar expressions may be derived for several other multipliers.     

EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF OFFICE RENT AND AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES: A CASE STUDY OF TORONTO*

ABSTRACT. An equilibrium model of office location is applied and tested in the Toronto metropolitan area. The model focuses on the role of communication among firms which is the driving force behind the spatial agglomeration of office firms. The model calculates the equilibrium floor rent in each district, given the existing building stock. The performance of the model is tested in terms of the goodness of fit between observed and estimated office rent in each district. By using the model, we estimate the value of agglomeration economies which is defined as changes in productivities caused by increases in the number of office firms. It is shown that the agglomeration economies in the office sector are much larger than those in manufacturing, and the external effects of agglomeration are considerably large.     

WORKING-CLASS WOMEN AND CIVIC ACTION: A CASE STUDY OF AN INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY ROLE*

This paper focuses on working-class women who are assuming public responsibility in voluntary organizations aimed at the maintenance and improvement of their city neighborhoods. Forty women were interviewed in-depth regarding their civic concerns and voluntary activities in a case study of Carondelet, a predominantly white working-class neighborhood of St. Louis. Overall, activism is well-organized and widespread with women playing a major contributing role. If the experience of Carondelet is typical, then future urban policy analysis must seriously take into account extensive female input at the grass-roots level.     

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.     

旅游解说系统研究——以北京为例

本文介绍了旅游解说系统的基本概念,并以北京为案例,在实证调查的基础上,讨论了北京市面向旅游者的解说系统的类型、各类型的特点和存在问题,为提高城市总体旅游管理和服务水平,提供可操作的依据。     

“全球的地方感”理论述评与广州案例解读

关于地方文化意义的研究在西方人文地理学研究中占据着重要的地位.全球化背景下,地方的意义正在被全球性力量中和与消解.在这种断裂之下,原有的对于“地方性”的想象反而在认同形成的过程中被不断加强.本土社会力图在一个“时空压缩”的“超空间”时代中,保存其自身基于地方意义的身份认同.哈维认为,一切基于地方意义形成的认同都是反动与禁锢的.他提出,应从资本运作的角度出发,理解地方差异的形成,从而理解地方建构中的社会关系与权力关系的建构.但马西则在批判哈维理论的基础上提出了全球(进步)的地方感理论,指出应从多样的社会建构出发,理解地方性的形成过程.马西认为,地方的本质特点包括:开放以及与外界密切的社会联系;地方本身是一个过程,认同在不断的再建构过程中;地方内部具有其认同的多样性;进步的地方感并不否认地方性的存在等.基于马西的进步地方感理论,研究通过对广州关于移民以及粤语传承问题讨论中出现的话语进行的文本分析,指出广州本地社会在上述讨论的过程中,其少部分话语已经呈现出进步地方感所批判的禁锢性,因此需要在重新认识地方的过程中加以修正.     

SMALL BUSINESS VIABILITY IN THE URBAN GHETTO*

ABSTRACT Within the minority communities of large SMSAs, neither the black-owned business nor the small nonminority enterprises are flourishing. Facing limited access to financial capital as well as constrained markets, the ghetto firms that do persist are typically quite small in terms of sales and employment. Among black establishments, the least educated entrepreneurs are the ones who are most likely to remain in business. Unless greater financial capital is forthcoming and better educated owners are induced to remain in business, the business community that is located in minority neighborhoods of large urban areas may be destined to stagnate.