Employment Dynamics,Spatial Restructuring,and the Business Cycle

The multinodal metropolis is an evolving system, affected by both long-term restructuring and by business cycle dynamics. This study of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex points, first, to the multiplicity and wide dispersion of employment centers within the region and, second, to the importance of vintage. During business cycle upswings new centers in new and more dispersed locations receive the preponderant share of new growth. During business cycle downswings, old activities are pruned most heavily from old locations. The result is an increasingly complex array of specialized agglomerations.     

Chronology of red dune aggradations of South India and its Palaeo-environmental significance

Red sand dunes occur in the coastal plains of south east and west of Tamil Nadu, India between the coordinates of 8°00′ to 9°30′ N; 77°18′ to 79° 00′ E. OSL dating of these sands indicated aggradations between ～16-9 ka and ～9-3 ka in the west and east coasts respectively. Dating results from inland red dunes at the foothills of Western Ghats show a break in deposition at ～6 ka and aggradation since ～2 ka. The sand aggradations in the west coast occurred during the transition period when SW monsoon in the area was reestablishing. The dunes attained their stability by 9 ka. In the coastal region, the aggradations were controlled by sea level changes and a local recycling of earlier dunes (in the east coast). In the inland areas, the dune building was controlled by sand supply from fluvial sources.     

The Pace of Indian Urbanization

In contrast with conventional formulations of urban growth, Tolley proposed a simple, supply-driven model relying upon the intersectoral differential in nonlabor productivity growth as the prime motivator of urbanization in developing countries. In the present paper, we apply Tolley's model to India over the period 1951–1981 and attempt to explain its mixed performance in tracking the pace of urbanization in that country. A modified version, adjusted for inter-regional migration, is then simulated for individual Indian states; the exercise confirms actual urban growth during 1971–81 to have been generally below that predicted by Tolley's model. Tolley's assumptions then are tested through an examination of the relationship between urban growth rates and translog indexes of intertemporal productivity growth. Finally, exploratory analysis of Tolley-model deviations in the various states is used to suggest directions for extending urban growth formulations for India. We conclude with a normative examination of policy implications.