An approximation to household overcrowding: evidence from Ecuador

This paper addresses the household overcrowding problem. To do so, a binary choice model with logit specification is constructed. The cross section data used in the empirical analysis comes from Ecuador which is a developing South American country. Although, household overcrowding has more incidence in developing countries, it also takes place in developed economies. The findings of the research suggest that a set of variables related to the head of the household like his/her gender, age, and level of education affect the probability of being under overcrowding situation in the household. Furthermore, the regime of tenancy under which the household is living in the dwelling also influences the probability of being in overcrowding situation

The Business Excellence Attraction Composite Index (BEACI). Design and application to the Municipalities of the Barcelona Province

The location of economic activity, in general, and of that of activities of business excellence (high-tech or knowledge-intensive businesses that have a low environmental impact), in particular, is not dependent on one single factor, but rather on a series of economic, geographical, social and political variables. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to design a composite index for assessing the capacity to attract this kind of economic activity. As a case study, we have calculated this index for 26 of the main municipalities in the province of Barcelona, Spain

Explorando las relaciones entre el desplazamiento al trabajo y los cambios de residencia en España. Un análisis con datos individuales

En este artículo, se analizan los factores determinantes de los tipos de movilidad más significativos que afectan a los trabajadores: los desplazamientos cotidianos entre la residencia y el lugar de empleo, y los cambios de domicilio. También se explora la influencia que cada uno de estos fenómenos ejerce en el otro. Para ello, se estiman dos modelos alternativos mediante la técnica del logit multinomial. Los datos individuales utilizados se refieren al caso español y proceden del Censo de Población de 2011, con lo que se actualizan estudios previos realizados antes de la gran recesión. Una aportación significativa del artículo es el uso de los mercados locales de trabajo (MLT) españoles como unidad territorial de referencia

On the links between spatial variables and overeducation

This article considers the role that diverse spatial variables play in explaining overeducation. Unlike previous analyses of the Spanish case, we have directly tested the links between current mobility (commuting and migration) and overeducation, and in contrast to previous literature, we have included a direct measure of potential spatial flexibility at an individual level (worker availability to migrate, in response to the needs of his/her firm). Regional labour market conditions are also considered in the analysis. Our results show that the links between overeducation and spatial variables vary depending on the specific sub-group of wage earners considered, based on gender and education

How Important to a City Are Tourists and Daytrippers? The Economic Impact of Tourism on The City of Barcelona

In this paper, we devise a methodology that is able to objectively quantify the impact of tourism on the urban economy. This methodology takes various dimensions into account. First, to analyse the impact at sectoral level, it should bear in mind that tourism is a cross-sectional activity which affects many sectors, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, it is important to consider the impact of urban tourism on sectors traditionally defined as tourism-related, -that is, hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.- but also its impact on other sectors -for instance, textiles, food, construction, to name only a few- due to the intersectoral relationships that emerge. Second, we need to calculate the percentage of the turnover of each sector that is due to the tourism industry. Third, it is important to establish the geographic distribution of this impact: how is the effect shared between the city and its neighbouring areas QUESTION Finally, the effect of urban tourism should be quantified not only in terms of turnover, but also in terms of its contribution to GDP and employment

Measuring Overcrowding in Households with Children: Official vs. Actual Thresholds in the Ecuadorian Case

This paper reports research into the official (more than three people per bedroom, ppb) compared to the actual classification of household overcrowding using a developing country as a case of study. In this respect, the aim of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, using the official Ecuadorian household overcrowding threshold, we explore the association between household overcrowding and a well-being variable. Secondly, we identify and compare whether this official threshold corresponds to the actual level at which the well-being variable seems to be affected. To do so, we use a probit regression in which our well-being variable, young children's respiratory health, depends on household overcrowding. We find that overcrowding is positively associated with the incidence of respiratory diseases in children at a level of α=1%. Always using the official classification of overcrowding (3 ppb), marginal effect analysis indicates that, for two hypothetical households with at least one 0- to 5-year-old child with average values in terms of the other estimates, the predicted probability of having a child with a respiratory disease is 0.0022 greater for an overcrowded household than in one that is not. With respect to our second objective, we find that the threshold at which household density starts to affect the incidence of respiratory disease in children is 1.33 ppb, which is significantly lower than the official classification of over 3 ppb. In conclusion, the Ecuadorian government and other authorities that have established their household overcrowding classification arbitrarily should re-evaluate their official criteria, setting a threshold at which household density starts to deteriorate the health outputs of the household members. In fact, it may be useful to discuss and incorporate a refined definition of overcrowding, which could include other considerations than just density (e.g., an age limit for children for sharing a bedroom and gender separation), taking the restrictions of a developing country into account, in this case. Moreover, an official classification that reflects the social reality allows accurate policies, goals and strategies to be established to improve household overcrowding

Efectos económicos asociados a las ciudades aeroportuarias. El caso del aeropuerto Josep Tarradellas - Barcelona - El Prat

Los aeropuertos se han convertido en uno de los principales factores de competitividad urbana, por su función de nodos de comunicaciones y también por su capacidad de generar actividad económica. La literatura demuestra que, en muchas áreas metropolitanas, los aeropuertos son un importante polo de actividad económica que atrae a empresas relacionadas con la actividad aeroportuaria, pero también a otros tipos de empresas debido a la accesibilidad y al menor precio del suelo respecto al centro. En este artículo se describe el plan para la creación de una Ciudad Aeroportuaria en el Aeropuerto de Barcelona y se estima el efecto económico que tendría su puesta en marcha sobre la economía catalana y español

An operational definition of day trips: methodological proposal and application to the case of the province of Barcelona

The day tripper (or day visitor) is a visitor type that represents a high proportion of total visitor trips; however, unlike the tourist, few studies focus their attention specifically on them. Additionally, there is currently a marked deficit of methodological specificity in the definition of the concept and the quantification procedures used in its study. This article examines the various definitions proposed to date of the 'day trip', highlighting this lack of specificity, above all with regard to the concept of usual environment. It then proposes a specific methodology for the quantification of day trips in small areas, without discounting official statistics, but seeking to make it independent of other variables (including the size of a territory). We propose linking usual environment with belonging to the same urban system. The article concludes by applying our proposal to the case of the province of Barcelona

Economic impact of cruise activity: the case of Barcelona

This article shows the methodology and the main figures of the local and regional economic impact generated by cruise activity. This article is pioneering in combining different issues: estimating the impact of the cruise port activity, presenting these impacts disaggregated at a sectoral level, using a rigorous methodology and carrying out extensive fieldwork. It is demonstrated that all sectors, not just traditional tourism-related sectors, benefit from cruise tourism. In order to test and apply our methodology we focus the analysis on the Port of Barcelona, which has become the leading cruise port in the Mediterranean area

How to quantify and characterize day trippers at the local level. An application to the comarca of the Alt Penedès

This article presents a methodology for the operational definition, quantification and characterization of day trippers, for use at the local or regional levels. The methodology stresses the importance of such concepts as 'daily urban systems', 'functional areas', 'travel-to-work areas' and other similar aggregations to define what is one of the main features of tourism: 'usual environment'. Different systems are developed for the quantification of day trippers, based on both primary (fieldwork) and secondary data, and we apply both to the case of a comarca in the Province of Barcelona (Catalonia). The results show the relevance of the phenomenon of 'same-day trips' (for tourism) and the interest for defining and characterizing this phenomenon correctly in order to implement tourism policies that address the different profiles presented by day trippers