The Importance of Broadband Provision to Knowledge Intensive Firm Location

Despite the volume of literature afforded knowledge work and innovations in information and communications technologies (ICTs), few studies have examined the importance of ICTs to firms in knowledge industries. This study will develop spatial econometric models to examine the relative importance of the level of broadband provision to knowledge intensive firms in select U.S.  metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Results demonstrate the need for both a spatial econometric and a metropolitan area specific evaluation of this relationship. They also suggest potential spillover effects to knowledge intensive firm location, which may explain why some regional economies are relatively more successful at stimulating firm growth in this increasingly important sector of the U.S economy.

Advanced Trip Generation/Attraction Models

In this paper, advanced trip generation/attraction models are proposed. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model has been created from zonal data. These models are compared to each other by analyzing their hypothesis and the required adjustments. Additionally, advanced generation/attraction models considering spatial correlation are proposed, and their improvements with reference to previous models not considering spatial correlation are analyzed. A global spatial correlation model that conducts a joint review of every unit in the sample to determine whether the spatial units are randomly distributed or in accordance with a certain pattern is specified. To consider cluster situations in a given area, a local spatial correlation model aimed to measure the spatial autocorrelation to place each observation is defined. The models are applied to the Santander metropolitan area (in Spain) in order to obtain advanced generation/attraction models in that city. For Santander, the models considering spatial dependence among observations have better results than the MLR models.This work was made possible thanks to a grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad with additional financing from FEDER funds to the project TRA2012-3765