The role of the neighbourhood for firms that stayed- or left

This paper looks at the factors that influence an entrepreneur's decision to stay or move out of a neighbourhood. In general, new and relatively small firms tend to have a strong connection to their local environment and hardly ever move across large distances. In the Netherlands, 75% of all moving firms even stays within the same municipality, to business parks or to other neighbourhoods (RPB, 2007). Aspects of the building (e.g. size) are the most likely reason to move, but does the neighbourhood itself matter as well? We look to what extent neighbourhood aspects influence or have influenced the decision to stay or move, both on the push and the pull side. These aspects may be related to the local physical environment or the safety situation, but also to the local social community. There is recent evidence that localized firm support network contacts contribute positively to firm success (Sleutjes & Schutjens, 2009). Local personal and professional relationships may tie firms to their local environment. If certain neighbourhood characteristics or localized networks turn out to be pull or push factors for entrepreneurs, this might interest policy makers aiming at stimulating the neighbourhood economy by attracting and retaining entrepreneurs within certain urban neighbourhoods. Basically, three questions will be answered in this paper: 1. To what extent do social and physical neighbourhood characteristics play a role in a firm's decision to stay or move? 2. How do localized firm support networks influence a firm's decision to stay put within a certain neighbourhood or not? 3. To what extent do moving firms keep in touch with local network contacts from their former neighbourhood? We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews among 40 entrepreneurs from five similar Dutch neighbourhoods. The sample is equally divided between firms that stayed and firms that recently moved out of the neighbourhood (20/20). The survey provides detailed information on the characteristics and the performance of firms, as well as network contacts, neighbourhood attachment, location choice, and the valuation of location aspects. We make use of qualitative methods in order to analyze our data

The Measurement of Ethnic Segregation in the Netherlands:Differences Between Administrative and Individualized Neighbourhoods

The debate on residential segregation often focuses on the concentration of migrant groups in specific neighbourhoods and its presumed effects on, e.g. personal life chances and social inclusion. However, cross-regional and international comparisons of segregation are hampered by differences in the size and delineation of the spatial units that are used for its measurement: the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem. This paper therefore measures segregation for scalable 'individualized neighbourhoods', defined by a predefined number of closest neighbours instead of by administrative or statistical boundaries. This approach allows for measuring segregation levels and patterns across different spatial scales, ranging from the micro-scale (50 neighbours) to larger spatial areas (51,200 neighbours). Using population register data from the Netherlands, we study the segregation of four different migrant origin groups across individualized neighbourhoods at eleven spatial scales. Outcomes are compared to those found using administrative neighbourhoods. We are especially interested in how levels and patterns of segregation change with an increase in scale level. Our findings indicate that segregation levels and patterns are different across various spatial scales, and the most relevant spatial scale is also group-specific. Measuring segregation while using scalable individualized neighbourhoods seems an appropriate way to deal with both the multiscalar nature of segregation and the large within-district variety associated with it

Longitudinal prospective cohort study to assess peripheral motor function with extensive electrophysiological techniques in patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA): the SMA Motor Map protocol

Background: Hereditary spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disorder with a wide range in severity in children and adults. Two therapies that alter splicing of the Survival Motor Neuron 2 (SMN2) gene, i.e. nusinersen and risdiplam, improve motor function in SMA, but treatment effects vary. Experimental studies indicate that motor unit dysfunction encompasses multiple features, including abnormal function of the motor neuron, axon, neuromuscular junction and muscle fibres. The relative contributions of dysfunction of different parts of the motor unit to the clinical phenotype are unknown. Predictive biomarkers for clinical efficacy are currently lacking. The goals of this project are to study the association of electrophysiological abnormalities of the peripheral motor system in relation to 1) SMA clinical phenotypes and 2) treatment response in patients treated with SMN2-splicing modifiers (nusinersen or risdiplam). Methods: We designed an investigator-initiated, monocentre, longitudinal cohort study using electrophysiological techniques (‘the SMA Motor Map’) in Dutch children (≥ 12 years) and adults with SMA types 1–4. The protocol includes the compound muscle action potential scan, nerve excitability testing and repetitive nerve stimulation test, executed unilaterally at the median nerve. Part one cross-sectionally assesses the association of electrophysiological abnormalities in relation to SMA clinical phenotypes in treatment-naïve patients. Part two investigates the predictive value of electrophysiological changes at two-months treatment for a positive clinical motor response after one-year treatment with SMN2-splicing modifiers. We will include 100 patients in each part of the study. Discussion: This study will provide important information on the pathophysiology of the peripheral motor system of treatment-naïve patients with SMA through electrophysiological techniques. More importantly, the longitudinal analysis in patients on SMN2-splicing modifying therapies (i.e. nusinersen and risdiplam) intents to develop non-invasive electrophysiological biomarkers for treatment response in order to improve (individualized) treatment decisions. Trial registration: NL72562.041.20 (registered at https://www.toetsingonline.nl. 26–03-2020)

Neighbourhood Effects on Firm Success and Strategy

The main objective of this dissertation is to provide new insights on the relationship between local firms and their neighbourhoods. As a result of economic transitions and several societal developments over the past 50 years, residential neighbourhoods have developed from being places where people predominantly live into places where people also work. A growing number of small- and medium-sized firms are located in residential neighbourhoods, many of which are home-based. Triggered by relatively high levels of turbulence in residential neighbourhoods and inter-locality differences in firm survival, employment growth and firm relocation, this thesis concerned how neighbourhood characteristics, through composition effects or genuine neighbourhood effects, contribute to the success and strategies of local firms. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed, using a combination of primary and secondary data on firm success and strategy, firm support networks and economic, physical and social neighbourhood characteristics. The findings demonstrate that, after controlling for firm and entrepreneur characteristics, robust neighbourhood effects on the success and strategies of local firms remain. Clearly, the most significant results were found with regard to the social dimension of the neighbourhood. In general, high quality contacts and trust between neighbourhood residents (neighbourhood cohesiveness) create a business climate that is beneficial to local entrepreneurs and their firms, in which entrepreneurs are both more successful and more likely to invest. Similarly, channelling firm support at the neighbourhood level positively influences employment growth prospects and, for the dominant group of solo entrepreneurs, also results in more sales and profit growth.When making firm relocation decisions, the firm’s premises are usually more important than aspects of the neighbourhood itself. The size and cost of the business space are the most important aspects affecting both actual relocation decisions and future relocation propensity. The attractiveness of a neighbourhood for entrepreneurs is therefore largely determined by the stock of business property available. It cannot be overemphasised that firm and entrepreneur characteristics are the main determinants of firm success and strategy, and the contribution of neighbourhood aspects is small. Nonetheless, the mere existence of neighbourhood effects on firm success and strategy indicates that there are processes at the neighbourhood level (particularly social ones) that influence the likelihoods of survival and success for local firms. Fundamentally, the accumulation of problems in disadvantaged neighbourhoods creates an unfavourable business climate. Specifically, a local policy target should be the stimulation of network opportunities for local entrepreneurs, both inside and outside their own neighbourhoods, with special attention given to local solo entrepreneurs. Furthermore, investing public money to improve a neighbourhood’s social and physical order, e.g., through public safety and combating physical deterioration, may stimulate entrepreneurs to invest more in their businesses. These investments can trigger further investments, leading to improved firm performance rates and, in turn, a more thriving neighbourhood economy. In addition, spatial targeting should not exclusively focus on local neighbourhoods but should also consider the circumstances in the surrounding districts. Spillover effects from adjacent neighbourhoods may be equally important to the success of local firms as the characteristics of the local neighbourhood