Productivity impacts of infrastructure investment in the Netherlands 1853-1913

The paper considers a (static) portfolio system that satisfies adding-up contraints and the gross substitution theorem. The paper shows the relationship of the two conditions to the weak dominant diagonal property of the matrix of interest rate elasticities. This enables to investigate the impact of simultaneous changes in interest rates on the asset demands.

Output responses to infrastructure investment in the Netherlands, 1850-1913

This paper combines a new historical data set regarding capital formation in infrastructure in the Netherlands in the nineteenth century with data-oriented econometric techniques aimed at testing the causal relationship between these infrastructural investments and economic growth. The resulting vector autoregression (VAR) model is analysed further with impulse response analysis. The results show that the time series characteristics of both capital formation and GDP are trend stationary, which is a fundamental difference with their twentieth century counterparts. The paper finds strong evidence of both a long term and medium term or short term impact. In the short run positive expenditure effects are partly offset bu negative transitional dynamics. To fine tune the analysis we have exploited the possibility to disaggregate the data set in basic and complementary infrastructure investment. Whereas the effect on output is significantly positive for basic infrastructure investment, it is absent for complementary infrastructure investment.

Living standards in a dairy region, 1850–1900:From urban penalty to urban premium

This paper adds to our knowledge and understanding of the time and space dimensions of the shift from an urban penalty to an urban premium effect on the biological standard of living in the second half of the nineteenth century. Although in the literature there is general agreement that urban-rural relations are part of the explanation of declining stature in the period of early economic growth (the so-called Komlos paradox), little is known about its exact timing and spatial dimensions. We use the province of Fryslân, the Netherlands, 1850–1900 as a case study to take a step towards filling this knowledge gap. The area is known for the early modernization of its agriculture, mainly specializing in dairy farming. We would expect a clear development towards an urban premium before 1900, but seek to investigate its timing and placing. This involves running a panel data regression on annual data per municipality, with annual coefficients estimated as interaction effects. The proportion of military conscripts that met the minimum height requirement is the explained variable. Population density and milk supply are the explanatory variables. Our analysis adds to the existing literature on the urban penalty and premium by, first, explicitly focusing on differences over time as well as over space in the relation between urbanization and living standards; second, by using population density data, which is a continuous variable, instead of a simple urban-rural dichotomous variable; and third, by taking into account the importance of dairy farming. The results show that the effect of the availability of milk, the dairy premium, was significantly positive over the period 1850–1900, but remained relatively constant. The effect of population density, however, shows a clear temporality, transitioning from statistically significant negative (urban penalty) to statistically significant positive (urban premium) from 1877 onwards

Industrial heritage in tourism marketing:legitimizing post-industrial development strategies of the Ruhr Region, Germany

Many post-industrial regions reinterpret their industrial past as a heritage resource for marketing purposes. This paper explores how two sites in the Ruhr area in Germany, Zollverein and Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, are narrated in marketing brochures with selective industrial heritage narratives. Industrial heritage is utilized for both immediate marketing purposes and as a tool for memory and identity politics. Through thematic analysis, we uncover that industrial heritage legitimizes the Ruhr–Europe’s largest post-industrial region–as a distinct region by providing a seemingly uncontested, neutral and universal industrial history targeted at a wide audience. Simultaneously, the established narratives reinterpret industrial heritage as places of consumption, valued for their aesthetics and facilities for sports, arts and leisure. Such a marketing practice attempts to tap into the growing demand for postmodern consumption of culture, and simultaneously justifies and institutionalizes a specific, consumption-driven post-industrial development strategy for the Ruhr. The study reveals how the marketing of a post-industrial region promotes a select set of industrial heritage narratives that aim to strengthen the region’s economic position in a neoliberal setting of interregional economic competition

Towards Resilient Regions:Policy Recommendations for Stimulating Synergy between Tourism and Landscape

To make regions more resilient, a useful idea is that of synergy between tourism and landscape (i.e., a win-win situation). To help policymakers manage for synergy, we provide practical recommendations. Using the case of Terschelling (the Netherlands), an island that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Wadden Sea, we analyzed how policy and public opinion have been changing, and how multilevel governance is arranged. We recommend that: policymakers seek to understand the historical institutional context of a region; strive for integrated policy aimed at synergetic interactions; gain an overview of all stakeholders in the decision-making process; include all stakeholders; develop a shared story; co-create a clear vision for the future; but also allow flexibility in local implementation; and dare to experiment. Overall, we conclude that synergy is a promising concept that requires a different approach to decision-making

The legacy of literacy:Evidence from Italian regions

Italy was unified in 1861. As part of the process of nation-building, a mandatory free-of-charge primary school system was established. Whereas the new school system greatly contributed to the modernization of the country, its initial design did not considerably reduce regional disparities in human capital, with Southern regions lagging behind. The paper studies the effects of the heterogeneous territorial diffusion of literacy during the post-unification period (1871–1911) on economic outcomes of Italian provinces 100 years later. We exploit the exogenous variations in the territorial spread in literacy rates arising from the gradual building and expansion of the railway network across provinces. We find evidence that provinces with a higher territorial diffusion of literacy in the post-unification period today have higher income per capita, lower unemployment and greater educational attainment

Improving heritage impact assessment:an analytical critique of the ICOMOS guidelines

In 2011, ICOMOS published its Guidance on Heritage Impact Assessment for Cultural World Heritage Properties. By 2016, over 100 Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) had been requested by UNESCO. This paper provides an analytical critique of the HIA Guidelines focusing on their implicit assumptions. We argue that the assumptions in the HIA Guidelines derive from the 'preservation' discourse in heritage management, rather than from the 'conservation' or 'heritage planning' discourses. This is important because the discourse affects the way impacts and their severity are assessed within HIAs, thereby potentially affecting the conclusions reached. We also argue that this framing results in miscommunication and misunderstanding amongst the different stakeholders, about: (1) their perceptions of the nature of heritage value; (2) the perceived purpose of HIA; (3) the way impacts are assessed; and (4) the differing agendas of stakeholders. We recommend that HIA practitioners acknowledge the existence of the various discourses. This could make HIA a more effective heritage management tool. We also consider that for HIAs to be more robust that they be conducted by a multidisciplinary group and with a peer-review mechanism