Spatial and Commuting Networks

U.S. Commuting Networks and Economic Growth: Measurement and Implications for Spatial Policy

“…2009; Dorogovtsev and Mendes 2003; Jackson 2008; Wasserman and Faust 2007). The literature on urban commuting behaviors (e.g., Patuelli et al. 2009) is beginning to fill the void for urban places, focused on characterizing urban networks to understand overlapping urban labor sheds and urban–suburban linkages.…”

“…County‐to‐county commuting patterns represent complex social and economic interactions between regions that involve workers, firms, industries, residential communities, transportation, and amenities, and they are influenced by strong forces including agglomeration economies. Patuelli et al. (2009) point out that while Krugman (1991) and others (e.g., Rossi‐Hansberg and Wright 2006) have analyzed relationships between growth in urban areas, agglomeration economies, and commuting costs, “A point of concern is that, in these spatial (growth and interaction) models, the effects of spatial typology and connectivity are only implicitly included, but never explicitly considered and discussed” (Patuelli et al.…”

“…Patuelli et al. (2009) point out that while Krugman (1991) and others (e.g., Rossi‐Hansberg and Wright 2006) have analyzed relationships between growth in urban areas, agglomeration economies, and commuting costs, “A point of concern is that, in these spatial (growth and interaction) models, the effects of spatial typology and connectivity are only implicitly included, but never explicitly considered and discussed” (Patuelli et al. 2009:257).…”

“…. .” In many respects, the entropy measures capture the extensiveness of the network over which flows of information and communication can occur, and as described by Patuelli et al. (2009), the extent to which flows are more homogeneous and dispersed.…”

“…The greater connectedness between many places has implications for the debate about governance issues and the best balance between the responsibilities of the central cities and the suburbs (or in our case, places now or soon to be “connected” to commuting networks—rural‐to‐urban or rural‐to‐rural). This is particularly important today as there is evidence, presented by van der Laan (1998) and others, to suggest that newly emerging regional economic structures are horizontal as opposed to more traditional hierarchical organizations (Patuelli et al. 2009).…”