The Wealth Of Cities And The Poverty Of Nations

A corrective to the view that cities are only ever "good", arguing that the same urban properties which make cities so extraordinarily proficient at producing the "good" innovations also provides fertile ground for the development of the "bad" ones, on which urban elites have syphoned off wealth from other localities and regions.

Jordan stands in the middle of a turbulent region, experiencing substantial refugee flows and economic challenges due to the conflict and insecurity of its neighbors. While the Jordanian economy and labor market in 2010, prior to the refugee crisis, had been shifting in a positive direction, it was an unanswered question how the labor market is faring during these challenging times. The fielding of the new Jordan Labor Market Panel Survey (JLMPS) 2016 wave offers an unprecedented opportunity to assess the challenges Jordan is facing across a number of markets and services. This book leverages the new, nationally representative data to begin addressing key economic and policy questions. The chapters of the book are organized into three parts, the first focused on key indicators of the labor market: labor supply, job creation, wages and inequality, and own account work (self-employed and employers). The second section focuses on migrants and refugees in Jordan, including an in-depth examination of the wellbeing of Syrian refugees in Jordan. The third section examines transitions across the life course in Jordan, including education, the school-to-work transition, marriage and fertility, housing and new households, and social insurance and retirement. Together these chapters show how Jordan's economy has fared during challenging times and provide insight into important challenges Jordan's economy and society face.

This book provides both an accessible introduction to the economy of cities and an original perspective on what needs to be fixed if cities are to be places of economic opportunity and social cohesion.

In this eye-opening work of economic theory, Jane Jacobs argues that it is cities—not nations—that are the drivers of wealth. Challenging centuries of economic orthodoxy, in Cities and the Wealth of Nations the beloved author contends that healthy cities are constantly evolving to replace imported goods with locally-produced alternatives, spurring a cycle of vibrant economic growth. Intelligently argued and drawing on examples from around the world and across the ages, here Jacobs radically changes the way we view our cities—and our entire economy.

Although no less an authority than Joseph A. Schumpeter proclaimed that Antonio Serra was the world's first economist, he remains something of a dark horse of economic historiography. 'A 'Short Treatise' on the Wealth and Poverty of Nations' presents, for the first time, an English translation of Serra's 'Breve Trattato' (1613), one of the most famous tracts in the history of political economy. The treatise is accompanied by Sophus A. Reinert's illuminating introduction which explores its historical context, reception, and relevance for current concerns.

As the world becomes more interconnected through travel and electronic communication, many believe that physical places will become less important. But as Mario Polèse argues in The Wealth and Poverty of Regions, geography will matter more than ever before in a world where distance is allegedly dead. This provocative book surveys the globe, from London and Cape Town to New York and Beijing, contending that regions rise—or fall—due to their location, not only within nations but also on the world map. Polèse reveals how concentrations of industries and populations in specific locales often result in minor advantages that accumulate over time, resulting in reduced prices, improved transportation networks, increased diversity, and not least of all, “buzz”—the excitement and vitality that attracts ambitious people. The Wealth and Poverty of Regions maps out how a heady mix of size, infrastructure, proximity, and cost will determine which urban centers become the thriving metropolises of the future, and which become the deserted cities of the past. Engagingly written, the book provides insight to the past, present, and future of regions.