The Spatial and Public Economics of Regions, a Theoretical and Empirical Survey

The aim of this paper is to survey what has been done by the New Economic Geography (NEG) on a regional scale in order to answer the three following questions: what are the predictions of the NEG concerning the future of regions in the triad? Are these predictions robust? What can be the optimal public policy on a regional and national scale in a world characterized by agglomeration, trade liberalization and entrepreneurs� mobility?Economic geography; Growth; Region; Public policy

Lumpy World and Race to the Bottom.

This paper presents a model of the New Economic Geography which integrates commuting costs and land rent and displays a dispersion - agglomeration configuration when regional and/or international trade are liberalised. Two main results are found, the first one is that dispersion Pareto dominates agglomeration, the second one is that the agglomeration rent is not bell-shaped but strictly decreasing when impediments to trade are removed. This turns out to be a convenient framework to revisit the links between tax competition, location of firms and trade integration. It is shown in particular that trade liberalization only leads to a race to the bottom in terms of taxation, and that a tax floor set at the level of the small country may be detrimental to it.Economic geography; Cities; Trade; Tax competition.

Is Agglomeration Desirable ?

Is Agglomeration Desirable ?

Good Governance, Trade and Agglomeration

We develop a model for developing countries that investigates the factors behind agglomeration of activities in urban giants. Firstly we show that relatively easier market access to external demand provided by the urban giant tends to attract entrepreneurs to this place. Secondly we find that the attractive power of the urban giant can be linked to a lack of democracy. Indeed we demonstrate that democracy acts as a dispersive force in the sense that by reversing the cost of living effect, it allows to reduce the spatial inequality and then the tendency of agglomeration. Lastly we analyse how the funds embezzled by a bad government vary according to internal and external trade liberalisation. We show that a decrease in the disadvantage of the periphery to trade with the external market can limit the funds embezzled by a Leviathan.Economic geography; Cities; Trade; Corruption

The Commonality of Earthquake and Wind Analysis

Earthquakes and wind loadings constitute dynamic effects that often must be considered in the design of buildings and structures. The primary purpose of this research study was to investigate the common features of general dynamic analysis procedures employed for evaluating the effects of wind and earthquake excitation. Another major goal was to investigate and develop a basis for generating response spectra for wind loading, which in turn would permit the use of modal analysis techniques for wind analysis in a manner similar to that employed for earthquake engineering. In order to generate wind response spectra, the wind loading is divided into two parts, a mean load treated as a static component and a fluctuating load treated as a dynamic component. The spectral representation of the wind loading constitutes a simple procedure for estimating the forces associated with the dynamic component of the gusting wind. Several illustrative examples are presented demonstrating the commonality.National Science Foundation Grants ENV 75-08456 and ENV 77-0719

Le rôle et les fonctions des centres de relations industrielles en France

Après une brève description des caractéristiques du système de relations industrielles en France et du rôle de l'Université, l'auteur présente les structures et l'organisation des Centres de relations industrielles en ce pays. Il insiste sur la recherche, l'enseignement et la formation dans ce domaine.The main characteristics of the French industrial relations system have shaped the teaching and the research in this field, by privileging the legal and ideological aspects, and at a lesser degree, sociological. But, the weak interest taken in the industrial relations in France until a recent date can be also explained by the general organisation of the University which has been highly divided in newcommunicating disciplines. The used methods had led to neglect of the applied teaching and research for more theoretical activities and to rejection of the industrial relations as a very minor speciality.Thereby, they are outside University institutions which have undertaken the teaching of industrial relations most of the time considered as a secondary field in its legal or sociological aspects.The University centres of industrial relations are devoted to the research but are, with certain exceptions, not multidisciplinary. The lack of interest of the University and the split between the teaching and the research have contributed to limit the number of centres to some units and incited the employers and the unions to develop their own centres, which are also very little and practical goals oriented.But if the industrial relations are not a minor field, some encouraging dues can be found in the changes of attitudes of the University members more conscious now of the interest of the multi-disciplinarity and of the employers and union managers more anxious to adapt themselves to the economic and social changes. It is hoped that the industrial relations centres could benefit from this new situation

El lenguaje natural de los olores y la hipótesis Sapir-Whorf

Según la hipótesis de Sapir-Whorf sobre el relativismo lingüístico, las palabras organizan las categorías cognitivas que nos sirven i) para conocer el mundo y ii) para compartir este conocimiento con los demás. Fuertemente criticada, esta hipótesis vuelve una y otra vez al primer plano de la escena científica. Con todo, su aplicación a la experiencia olfativa se encuentra con tres tipos de dificultades: i) El lenguaje natural de los olores se caracteriza por su imprecisión e inestabilidad, ¿cómo, en estas condiciones, puede contribuir a estructurar una experiencia olfativa sumamente rica y compleja, por ser producto de un continuum de percepciones? ii) Paradójicamente (aunque se puede mostrar que la paradoja es sólo aparente), los descriptores olfativos son a veces mucho más ricos que los estímulos que los individuos son capaces de percibir. El hecho de que la verbalización (la «descripción») exceda, en este caso, las propiedades organolépticas del producto sentido ¿es compatible con la hipótesis whorfiana) iii) No existen sensaciones aisladas. Sólo hay actos multisensoriales. En las experiencias sobre el mundo intervienen siempre varios sentidos. Pero no tenemos un verdadero lenguaje multisensorial, condición que incluso en esta situación sería necesaria para validar la hipótesis Sapir-Whorf. Por eso, de esos tres argumentos podemos sacar la conclusión de que, si bien no hay que excluir una influencia de la codificación verbal sobre la percepción olfativa, existen razones de peso para pensar que la elaboración de las informaciones sensoriales precede al lenguaje, si bien, a continuación, éste, actuando como un valioso auxiliar, permite comunicarlas y compartirlas

Manger et les cinq temps du drame olfactif

L'acte de menjar pot assemblar-se a un drama olfactiu. Primer, és dramàtic en el sentit etimològic del vocable (es tracta d'una acció complexa) i, segon, en el sentit teatral. Com pot succeir damunt d'un escenari de teatre, les olors del menjar ens commouen tot suscitant imatges mentals que quedaran marcades permanentment en la nostra memòria