Medieval Cities Through the Lens of Urban Economic Theories

Mark Koyama, Remi Jedwab and Noel Johnson (njohnsol@gmu.edu)

No 14828, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: We draw on theories and empirical findings from urban economics to explore and explain patterns of city growth in the Middle Ages (c. 800-1500 CE). We discuss how agricultural development and physical geography determined the location and size of cities during the medieval period. We also consider the relative importance of economies of scale, agglomeration, and human capital spillovers in medieval cities and discuss how their growth was limited by disamenities and constraints on mobility. We discuss how medieval cities responded to shocks such as the Black Death and describe how institutions became increasingly important in determining their trajectories. Avenues for future research are also laid out.

Keywords: Medieval era; City growth; Urbanization; Food surplus hypothesis; Agglomeration effects; Labormobility; Pandemics; Institutions; Europe; Asia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N9 N93 N95 R11 R12 R19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-his and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Working Paper: Medieval Cities Through the Lens of Urban Economic Theories (2020)
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