DELOS/LOC - Presentations

11.30 AM - Lab 4 (UNITN) and room TBA (UNIFI)

Giulio Galdi: Investigating Institutional Change: are local institutions doomed to institutional lock-in through self-reinforcement?

Abstract

How do institutions change? And why do they otherwise persist and resist to change? Scholars in institutional economics have a hard time to grasp both the persistent and changing nature of institutions with the same theoretical model, especially since there has been little contamination among the theoretical models in this field. In this work, I aim at a reconciliation between the two most notorious schools in institutional economics by proposing feedback loops as a bridging concept allowing for an enhanced comprehension of both institutions' persistence and change. Indeed, after a brief review of the most relevant literature on the topic, I shall outline the theoretical framework to interpret institutional change. Finally, I shall propose an empirical investigation on environmental associations to test the efficacy and the interpretive capacity of the theoretical model. Possible further developments of this work are then offered for a subsequent investigation.

Amir Maghssudipour: TBA

Niccolò Pieri: Urban shape and city economic specialization in the global scenario

Abstract

Rapid specialization changes and human capital development impact the urban shape on the growing and declining trends of Cities in high income Countries. This research is focused on the specific responses in terms of shapes modification of selected urban areas to the emergence of new job classes percolating City microgeographic levels and inter City relations. The preliminary review of urban economics literature identified a research gap in spatial effects on neighbourhoods impacted by production specialization and innovative jobs. Rapid changes in international production specialization derive from innovation, globalization processes and international trade, thus creating a new scenario of local-global challenges and institutional interactions. The concurrency of these factors affects human capital in urban environments and the role of Cities. Solid literature streams confirm that concentration and agglomeration of skilled workers are instrumental to foster creation, implementation, development and accumulation of knowledge across workers as well as geographic spaces, defining human capital externalities and labour market agglomeration economies are benefits enhancing productivity in defined areas. The creation of new jobs and innovative post manufacturing sectors in high income Countries, such as high-tech and bio-tech industry in the urban areas of Boston and San Jose in US, boosts the definition of new spaces and structures for interactions responding to new geographical proximities. Following the identification of the theoretical framework and investigation of rapid changes in specialization and human capital impacts, the project proceeds with the empirical quantitative analysis of urban areas datasets for differences in wage distributions, occupation and education. 

Patrizia Casadei: TBA

Stefania Galli: TBA

Vecciolini Claudia: TBA