Urban Economic Theory
Land Use and City Size

Masahisa Fujita (Author)

9780521396455, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 25 January 1991

380 pages
22.7 x 15 x 2.6 cm, 0.584 kg

"This is an elegant and comprehensive exposition of modern urban economic theory. It should be read by any economist who wants to do research in urban economic theory, who wants to understand what economic theory has to say about urban analysis, or who wants to do applied urban research using a careful theoretical framework. It is an ideal text for graduate courses in urban economic theory." Journal of Regional Science

This book examines the economic reasons why people choose to live where they live and develops, through analysis of the bid rent function, a unified theory of urban land use and city size. The first part of the book explicates the basic theory of urban land use and optimal city size. Residential location behavior of households is examined in a microeconomic framework and equilibrium and optimal patterns of residential land use are discussed. The corresponding equilibrium and optimal city sizes are studied in a variety of contexts. Part Two extends the classical theories of von Thunen and Alonso with the addition of externality factors such as local public goods, crowding and congestion, and racial prejudice. The rigorous mathematical approach and theoretical treatment of the material make Urban Economic Theory of interest to researchers in urban economics, location theory, urban geography, and urban planning.

Preface
1. Introduction
Part I. Basic Theory: 2. Locational choice of the household
3. Equilibrium land use and optimal land use: single household type
4. Equilibrium land use and optimal land use: multiple household types
5. Urban aggregates and city sizes
Part II. Extensions With Externalities: 6. Local public goods
7. Neighborhood externalities and traffic congestion
8. External economies, product variety, and city sizes
Appendixes
References
Author index
Subject index.

Subject Areas: Economic geography [RGCM]