TY  - JOUR
AU  - Davis,Donald R.
AU  - Weinstein,David E.
TI  - Bones, Bombs and Break Points: The Geography of Economic Activity
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 8517
PY  - 2001
Y2  - October 2001
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w8517
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w8517.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Donald R. Davis
Department of Economics
Columbia University
1004 International Affairs Building
420 West 118th St.
New York, NY 10027
Tel: 212/854-4037
Fax: 212/854-8059
E-Mail: drd28@columbia.edu

David Weinstein
Columbia University, Department of Economics
420 W. 118th Street
MC 3308
New York, NY  10027
Tel: 212/854-6880
Fax: 212/854-8059
E-Mail: dew35@columbia.edu
AB  - We consider the distribution of economic activity within a country in light of three leading theories - increasing returns, random growth, and locational fundamentals. To do so, we examine the distribution of regional population in Japan from the Stone Age to the modern era. We also consider the Allied bombing of Japanese cities in WWII as a shock to relative city sizes. Our results support a hybrid theory in which locational fundamentals establish the spatial pattern of relative regional densities, but increasing returns may help to determine the degree of spatial differentiation. One implication of these results is that even large temporary shocks to urban areas have no long-run impact on city size.
ER  -