Natural amenities, neighborhood dynamics, and persistence in the spatial distribution of income

Sanghoon Lee and Jeffrey Lin

No 13-48, Working Papers from Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia

Abstract: We present theory and evidence highlighting the role of natural amenities in neighborhood dynamics, suburbanization, and variation across cities in the persistence of the spatial distribution of income. Our model generates three predictions that we confirm using a novel database of consistent-boundary neighborhoods in U.S. metropolitan areas, 1880{2010, and spatial data for natural features such as coastlines and hills. First, persistent natural amenities anchor neighborhoods to high incomes over time. Second, downtown neighborhoods in coastal cities were less susceptible to the suburbanization of income in the mid-20th century. Third, naturally heterogeneous cities exhibit spatial distributions of income that are dynamically persistent.

Keywords: Neighborhood change; Suburbanization; Locational fundamentals; Multiple equilibria (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N90 O18 R23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 53 pages
Date: 2013-12-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Natural Amenities, Neighbourhood Dynamics, and Persistence in the Spatial Distribution of Income (2018)
Working Paper: Natural Amenities, Neighborhood Dynamics, and Persistence in the Spatial Distribution of Income (2017)
Working Paper: Natural amenities, neighborhood dynamics, and persistence in the spatial distribution of income (2015)
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