World City Network Integration in the Eurasian Realm

A team of authors from the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research network explores the main empirical features of the global economic integration of Eurasia through an analysis of the (shifting) position of that macroregion's key cities. More specifically, they examine the gateway roles played by key cities in four major subregions—China, the former Eastern Bloc (FEB, i.e., Central and Eastern Europe), former Soviet Union (FSU), and India—in the channeling of transnational flows of capital, goods, knowledge, and people in 2000-2008, focusing on the globalization of firms in the financial and business service sectors. Although cities in the four subregions share a common recent history of transition from closed and state-centered to open and market-based economies, the study reveals the persistence of distinctive geographical idiosyncrasies in their connections across the globe. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F020, F200, O180, P300. 4 figures, 3 tables, 1 appendix, 39 references.     

The Impact of Public Capital Stock on Regional Convergence in Turkey

The effect of public capital on regional output and private sector productivity has been the subject of considerable research in the field of regional development literature. However, there have been only a few studies that develop linkages between public capital and regional economic convergence. This study examines the dynamic effects of public capital and transportation capital stocks on output per capita in terms of regional convergence in Turkey at NUTS 2 level. A conditional convergence model based on per capita gross domestic product and per capita public capital and transportation capital stocks is estimated using the panel data set for the Turkish regions for the time period of 1980–2001. The results reveal that public capital has a positive and significant effect on output per capita and thus on regional convergence in some of the models in the Turkish regions,. However, the transportation component of public capital stock has a negative effect on regional convergence in all models employed in the study. This implies that transportation capital stock leads to larger regional disparities between the Turkish regions.     

Beyond Annexationism: The Central Powers’ Ostpolitik as Structural Transformation, 1917–18

This article explores the eastern policy of Germany and Austria-Hungary during the latter half of the First World War (1917–18). It attempts to go beyond the traditional annexationist–non-annexationist dichotomy prevalent in the literature and approach the issue from the perspective of structural transformation of the international system. It argues that the Central Powers endeavoured to accommodate imperial collapse in Eastern Europe and prevent its further spread by replacing the obsolete system of imperial dynasticism with a new arrangement based on autonomous and semi-autonomous states. German and Austrian leaders often disagreed on implementation and formed temporary understandings across the civilian–military divide. This policy ultimately proved counterproductive, as it failed to contain the westward spread of national and social revolution. Austro-German support for nominally independent states in Eastern Europe, national in form but Central European in cultural and political outlook, inadvertently contributed to further imperial collapse, as the increasingly restless nationalities of Austria-Hungary began to challenge the legitimacy of imperial dynasticism in Central Europe. The Central Powers’ Ostpolitik in 1917–18 became a transformative historical event due to the fact that it facilitated the structural transformation of international relations in Central and Eastern Europe from imperial dynasticism to a system of nation-states.     

The Spatial Evolution of the Polish Biotech Industry: A Path-Dependent Process?

In Poland, similarly to other Central and Eastern European countries, the development of the biotech industry dates back to the late 1980s, when the first private companies were established. The political and economic transformation of 1989 enabled mass development of private enterprises, but over the course of 20 years of development, only a couple of dozens biotech firms have emerged in Poland. The spatial evolution of the industry shows a strong concentration in Poland's six largest urban centres, which are characterized by the best scientific base, access to financial capital, and a well-developed local entrepreneurial culture. Given that all biotech clusters are also important centres of the pharmaceutical industry, despite the fact that there are no strong direct relationships between Poland's biotech and pharmaceutical companies, the authors of this paper put forward the thesis that the institutional environment of the pharmaceutical sector also affects the development of the biotech industry.     

Agrarian restructuring and gender – designing family farms in Central and Eastern Europe

This article attempts to describe the gender dimensions and aspects of agrarian transition/transformation in post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe with a focus on family farms. This farming model is characterised by a conflation of labour, land, capital, management and human bonding and was promoted by the privatisation policy of post-socialist restructuring. Several problems of the new family farms are looked at with a gender perspective, singling out ideological, social and economic parameters.     

Empires and resources: Central Anatolian obsidian at Urkesh (Tell Mozan,Syria) during the Akkadian period

Almost all of the obsidian used to craft stone tools in the Near East from the Palaeolithic onward originated from volcanoes in two geographic regions: Central Anatolia and Eastern Anatolia. Five decades of obsidian sourcing has led to the view that Central Anatolian obsidians largely followed the Mediterranean coast and rarely reached farther east than the Middle Euphrates, whereas Eastern Anatolian sources almost exclusively supplied sites east of the Euphrates. This paper discusses the identification of Central Anatolian obsidian artefacts at the Bronze-Age site of Tell Mozan (Urkesh) in northeastern Syria. Most of the obsidians at Tell Mozan (97%) came from the Eastern Anatolian sources, as expected from established distribution models. Artefacts of Central Anatolian obsidian, however, were excavated from one well-constrained context: the deposits on a palace courtyard that date to the height of the Akkadian empire's influence at this third-millennium Hurrian religious and political centre. In particular, the obsidian came from the Kömürcü source of Göllü Da?. Potential explanations for this exotic obsidian are discussed. This obsidian might have “piggybacked” on the distribution of Central Anatolian metals or arrived at this city as royal gifts or prestige items. Other discussed mechanisms include Akkadian-linked changes in either territoriality involving pastoral nomads responsible for the arrival of Eastern Anatolian obsidians or identity construction of elites based on involvement in Central Anatolian economic and political networks.     

Was there an early Polynesian ‘sky father’?∗

Abstract

There is a recurring Polynesian cosmogonic tradition whereby the primordial world was transformed into the modem world by a series of events often consisting first of vague cosmic beings (whose names and nature are not generally cognate) giving rise to a Primordial Pair who then gave rise to first order anthropomorphic gods. The Primordial Pair in Tonga were ‘Seaweed’ and ‘Sediment/Slime’ while in Nuclear Polynesian we find the female named Papa‐adj. and evidence for the male being named Papa‐adj. in Proto Nuclear Polynesian and Proto Central Eastern Polynesian as well. These are thought of as physical strata or rock in Samoa while in Central Eastern Polynesia there was commonly the notion that Papa (the female) was the earth itself and that her mate was the sky or the space between the sky and the earth. It was, however, only amongst New Zealand Maori that the male was specifically given the name ‘Sky’ although an alternative name for the male in the Marquesas is ‘Sky Parent’ but seems a (lexical) development independent of the N.Z. Maori.     

Regional Convergence in Central and Eastern European Countries: A Multidimensional Approach

The paper examines the dynamics of regional income at the NUTS3 level of the new EU Member States from Central and Eastern Europe in the years 1998–2005. The authors apply a wide range of methods and tools including classical beta and sigma convergence analysis supplemented by transition matrices, kernel density estimations and spatial autocorrelation statistics. Results of such a multi-dimensional empirical study reveal some previously unrecognized patterns of regional growth in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). Well-acknowledged metropolization and marginalization processes that cause regional divergence at the national scale are accompanied by the following processes. Firstly, at the macroregional scale, regional convergence has been observed as a result of differences in growth rates between individual countries. Secondly, at the national scale, petrification of existing regional structures has been prevailing in majority of the countries. Furthermore, weak convergence of clubs has been observed separately among the richest metropolitan regions and between the group of the poorest regions. In general, the polycentric spatial structure of the macroregion has reduced the impact of rapid growth of rich capital city-regions on convergence processes. Simultaneously, diffusion of development processes had a rather limited range and polarization in larger metropolitan regions have been a characteristic feature of CEECs.     

GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM OF A REGIONAL ECONOMY WITH A FINANCIAL SECTOR–PART I: AN ACCOUNTING FRAMEWORK WITH BUDGET AND BALANCE SHEET LINKAGES

ABSTRACT. An accounting framework is presented that can be used as a basis for a regional general equilibrium economic model that meaningfully incorporates both real and financial activity. The accounting framework describes a circular flow from regional income to credit base, and back to regional income, including the balance of payments identity. Both real market transactions and capital stock changes are explicitly recognized. Linkages between real activity flows and sectoral balance sheets are highlighted. Financial activity is recognized as a service, and all assets are assumed to be valued at market prices.     

Educational and other books received

SCOTLAND

A Development Plan for Scotland. By G. McRobbie. Planning. Vol. XXIX No. 476. 8 ½×5 ½. Pp. 30. London: Political and Economic Planning, 1963. 4s. 6d.

The Contour Road Book of Scotland. By H. R. G. Inglis, revised and extended by R. M. G. Inglis. 6 ½ × 3 ½. Pp. 28 + xx + 288 + 16. 4 pages of black and white maps. 24 pages of coloured maps. 146 pages of profile diagrams. Edinburgh: Gall &; Inglis, 1963. 8s. 6d.

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland. By A. C. O'Dell and K. Walton. 9 ¾ × 6 ¼. Pp.xii+ 353. One folding coloured map. 49 plates. 94 figures. Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson &; Sons Ltd., 1962. 50s.

Scotland's Eastern Coast. By L. Scott‐Moncrieff. 8 ¾ × 5 ½. Pp. xiv + 214. 41 plates. 2 end‐paper maps. Edinburgh: Oliver &; Boyd, 1963. 25s.

The Fortified House in Scotland. Volume Two, Central Scotland. By N. Tranter. 8 ½ × 5 ½. Pp. 183. 97 drawings. Edinburgh: Oliver &; Boyd, 1963. 25s.     

邺城六代建都述略——附论曹操都邺原因

<正> 邺城曾是曹魏、后赵、冉魏、前燕、东魏、北芹六代国都。在政治、经济、军事、文化各个方面,在历史上均发挥过重要作用,产生过深远影响。邺城在我国重要古都中,具有着它自己的一些特点。其中最显著的一个特点是:邺城建都次数多,但时间都不长。六代中在邺城建都时间最长的是北齐,共计二十八年。最短的是冉魏,不足三年。这六代在邺城建都,前后跨越约三百七十年,但实际建都时间,总计亦不过八十多年。 这里将这六代在邺城建都的经过,连同有关史实,以及曹操都邺原因,约略述之如下:     

Population size, concentration, and civil war. A geographically disaggregated analysis

Why do larger countries have more armed conflict? This paper surveys three sets of hypotheses put forward in the conflict literature regarding the relationship between the size and location of population groups. These hypotheses are based on population mass and concentrations, distances, and some residual state-level characteristics. The hypotheses are tested with a new dataset – ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset) – that disaggregates internal conflicts into individual events. The analysis covers 14 countries in Central Africa. The conflict event data are juxtaposed with geographically disaggregated data on populations, distance to capitals, borders, and road networks. The paper develops a statistical method to analyze these types of data. The analysis shows that the risk of conflict events increases with local population size, and is particularly large in highly populous locations within a country. We find only a moderate difference in conflict-proneness between areas located close to or far from a country's capital, except when combined with population concentration: Conflict events cluster particularly strongly in larger population concentrations that are distant from the capital, such as the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo.     

Tackling human capital loss in shrinking cities: urban development and secondary school improvement in Eastern Germany

Selective migration, and the loss of highly qualified employees that it implies, is frequently mentioned as a major problem related to urban shrinkage [Fol, S. (2012). Urban shrinkage and socio-spatial disparities: Are the remedies worse than the disease? Built Environment, 38(2), 259–275.] However, despite the fact that research conducted on the issue of shrinking cities has increased, urban development strategies targeting human capital loss are rarely discussed in the literature on urban decline. This paper addresses this research gap. It focuses on the investment in secondary school infrastructure in Eastern Germany and presents the findings of an empirical study that observed how the issue of secondary education improvement was integrated into the urban development strategies of shrinking cities. Two case studies will be discussed in order to highlight initiatives for educational advancement, which directly targeted the problem of human capital loss. On the basis of this ‘reality check', the paper argues that an investment in secondary education is part of a potentially rewarding strategy in dealing with urban shrinkage that may be linked to the concept of social innovation.     

PRODUCTIVITY AND THE DENSITY OF HUMAN CAPITAL*

ABSTRACT We estimate a model of urban productivity in which the agglomeration effect of density is enhanced by a metropolitan area's stock of human capital. Estimation accounts for potential biases due to the endogeneity of density and industrial composition effects. Using new information on output per worker for U.S. metropolitan areas along with a measure of density that accounts for the spatial distribution of population, we find that a doubling of density increases productivity by 2–4 percent. Consistent with theories of learning and knowledge spillovers in cities, we demonstrate that the elasticity of average labor productivity with respect to density increases with human capital. Metropolitan areas with a human capital stock one standard deviation below the mean realize no productivity gain, while doubling density in metropolitan areas with a human capital stock one standard deviation above the mean yields productivity benefits that are about twice the average. These patterns are particularly pronounced in industries where the exchange of information and sharing of ideas are important parts of the production process.     

Host economy impacts of transnational retail: the research agenda

The last decade has witnessed an acceleration of retail foreigndirect investment into a range of emerging markets across EastAsia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America, led by asmall cohort of food and general merchandise retailers fromWestern Europe, and to a lesser extent, North America. Whilethese investment flows have had profound developmental impactsin host economies, research in this area is still in its infancy.This article therefore maps out a detailed research agenda withrespect to the host economy impacts of transnational retailing.After setting the scene empirically and conceptually, the articleconsiders different dimensions of these impacts on retail competitiveness,supply chain dynamics, consumption practices and consumer/civilsociety, institutional and regulatory frameworks and, reciprocally,on the retail transnational corporations themselves. It concludesby calling for a concerted interdisciplinary research effortinto this important and understudied aspect of economic globalization.     

Classification and provenance of soapstones and garnet chlorite schist artifacts from Medieval sites of Tuscany (Central Italy): insights into the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic trade

Soapstones (talc-bearing schists) and garnet chlorite schist artifacts found in Medieval archaeological sites of Tuscany (Central Italy) were classified, in order to define provenance of the different lithotypes. In Italy and throughout the Central Europe, these greenschist facies metamorphic rocks are generally known, among the archaeologists, as the pietra ollare from the Alps. The investigated Tuscan archaeological sites are between 6 and 13th century AD and were strictly linked, in that period, to the well defined network trade running along Tyrrhenian coast. Samples come from little containers used for cooking and preserving food and showing traces of lathe manufacturing at their sidewalls. According to modal mineralogy, petrographic texture, XRD, SEM-EDS and whole rock chemistry we recognised, among the 18 studied findings, three different petrographic groups of the Alpine pietra ollare. (i) Fine grained magnesite talc schists (i.e. soapstones) from outcrops of the Central Alps located in the Valchiavenna area. (ii) Garnet chlorite schists from the Valle d'Aosta region. (iii) Amphibole talc schists (i.e. soapstones) with a provenance in the Ticino area. It is worth noting that artifacts of pietra ollare lithotypes from the Western Alps (i.e. garnet chlorite schists and amphibole talc schists) were not detected in the archaeological sites of the Middle Adriatic coast of the Central Italy, belonging to the same Medieval time interval. This emphasises that the petrographic groups of pietra ollare from the Alps spread to the south of the Po Plain according to Western and Eastern trade along the Italian Peninsula, using respectively, the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic Sea commercial routes.     

晚清苏沪民间资本组合与股份公司经营形态

晚清时期是中国民间资本重新组合的重要历史时期。在这一时期 ,集中于城镇的各种手工业组织对资本的需求增大 ,而拥有资金的商人又缺乏投资渠道。因此 ,在经济相对富裕的苏沪地区 ,民间资本开始通过招股与认股的方式组合成为股份公司。各股份公司成立后 ,在股金管理、红利分配和组织机构等方面均形成了新的体制。同时 ,随着股份公司的建立 ,传统的生产和销售等经营方式也开始发生转变     

The changing identity of the Central European city: the case of Katowice

The issue of diverse identities imprinted on the urban landscape as the result of political changes and the struggle for power between different social and ethnic groups is analysed here using the example of Katowice, the capital and largest urban centre in Upper Silesia, Poland. Basing their conclusions on systematic investigation of the most important changes and features in the cityscape in five clearly distinct historical periods, the authors explore the conditions and mechanisms of the creation of the city’s symbolic landscape and its links with urban identity. They argue that Katowice represents a peculiar model of urban identity formation in Central and Eastern Europe that has to date not been researched in any depth, in which each successive historical period represents a rupture with the foregoing values and ideas and an attempt to make a new, lasting imprint on the material outlook of the city. The development of such a model of identity is the result of the complex interplay between the city’s changing geopolitical context and its economic and functional development path.     

外资流动的动力学研究——以广东省为例

资本流动受推力、引力和阻力作用,在空间上先向中心城市和交通干线集聚,然后沿城市体系和交通干线作"蛙跳"式、点线式推进,最后向乡村面状扩散。资本流动对流入地区产生正负两方面的影响。投资环境建设和引资工作应针对不同阶段资本流动的特点和驱动因素,采取相应的政策,调控外资流动,减少负面影响,使利用结构合理化。     

Charting the East European process of transformation

Central and Eastern Europe, 1944–1993: Detour from the Periphery to the Periphery. By Ivan T. Berend (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996). Cambridge Studies in Modern Economic History, xviii + 414 pp. £45.00 cloth.

The Transition in Eastern Europe, vol. 2: Restructuring: A National Bureau of Economic Research Project Report. Edited by Olivier Jean Blanchard, Kenneth A. Froot, and Jeffrey D. Sachs (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994) £38.50/$55.25 cloth.

Children of Atlantis: Voices from the former Yugoslavia. Edited by Zdenko Lesic. (Budapest, London, and New York: Central European University Press, 1995 and Oxford University Press, 1997) 183 pp. £7.99 paper.