Urbanization and start-up rates in different geographies: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden

Abstract

This study addresses the mediating role of settlement patterns in the relationship between urbanization and start-up activity. Places do not operate in a vacuum and to understand the effect of Bown^density on start-up patterns, we need to account for the urban spillovers or borrowed size that they may experience from other places nearby. The results can explain the empirical ambiguity in the relationship between urbanization and start-up patterns: the relationship between urbanization and start-up rates becomes more similar between countries when controlling for countryspecific settlement patterns by including a spatially lagged urbanization variable and variables measuring the distance to urban centers. Accounting for the relative location of places and relevant sorting effects, we find that Bown^density has a consistently negative effect on start-up activity. Yet, access to other places has a generally positive effect. This implies that nearby regions profit from the advantages offered by urban environments without having to deal with the costs involved.

Dynamic Villages in the Hinterland of a Polycentric Region: Case Study of the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis in Poland

“…Pensioners contribute to the local development and economic entrepreneurship of the suburban area [65]. Hans and Koster [66] point out in some countries the positive participation of 65+ seniors in setting up start-ups, which may be a form of partial retirement. Sometimes, however, migration from urban to peri-urban regions due to second homes or retirement can directly or indirectly affect the socio-spatial conflicts that make it difficult for new residents to take root.…”

Industrial Variety, Firms and Resilience

“…In regional analyses, urbanization economies are used as a variable to explain that in denser or larger cities, businesses obtain profits related to the concentration of businesses, consumers, universities and government offices. A study that reviewed the economies of three countries found both a negative impact of urbanization on the creation of new businesses in the Netherlands and Belgium and a zero impact in the case of Sweden (Hans and Koster, 2018). The authors argued that urbanization should be analyzed along with other economic characteristics.…”