The Making of the Modern Metropolis: Evidence from London / Stephan Heblich, Stephen J. Redding, Daniel M. Sturm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Heblich, Stephan.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Redding, Stephen J.

Sturm, Daniel M.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w25047.

NBER working paper series no. w25047

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

Making of the Modern Metropolis

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2018.

Summary:

Using newly-constructed spatially-disaggregated data for London from 1801-1921, we show that the invention of the steam railway led to the first large-scale separation of workplace and residence. We show that a class of quantitative urban models is remarkably successful in explaining this reorganization of economic activity. We structurally estimate one of the models within this class and find substantial agglomeration forces in both production and residence. In counterfactuals, we find that removing the entire railway network reduces the population and the value of land and buildings in London by up to 51.5 and 53.3 percent respectively, and decreases net commuting into the historical center of London by more than 300,000 workers.

Notes:

Print version record

September 2018.