Fragmented local government in the US

Bruce Katz, of the Brookings Institution, has a very interesting piece on the Wall Street Journal about the costs of fragmentation in local government. This is an old discussion that has emerged over the years. Planners and Geographers tend to favour a more rational organisation of local government, with a view to making them more efficient in delivering services and managing local and regional economies. However a different version, supported by the notion popularised by Charles Tiebout that citizens vote with their feet, is that fragmented local authorities have the effect of increasing competition between constituencies and therefore promoting greater fiscal responsibility and better local government.

Bruce Katz clearly supports the former and he provides a solid body of evidence as to why it is the best option. His approach of justifying it first as something that makes sense from an economic point of view is probably a good way to convince people that would otherwise not care much if he mainly refered to better governance. The key issue now is whether the Obama's administration emphasis on urban policy will provide the necessary support to introduce sweeping reform. I wouldn't be surprised if reforming local government would lead to as much or even more anger and political opposition than the Health Care bill.

BRICs and the new global economic geography

This article from the Huffington Post talks about the emergence of a new global economic geography as a result of the growing importance of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). It is not the most accurate piece, since the article recognizes that these countries have different interests, while at the sime time predicting that they will become the next global, rival superpower. It is difficult to conceive how 4 different countries, located in different regions of the world, with different political cultures and with deep rooted suspicions of each other can ever become a superpower. The EU is composed of countries that in theory are closer to each other culturally and is yet to become a strong political entity, particularly in matters of foreign policy. It is nevertheless a topic to bear in mind in the future.

Krugman

Paul Krugman addressed the Association of American Geographers two weeks ago to reflect on the last 20 years of the New Economic Geography (or Geographical Economics, if you prefer). The paper on which his presentation was based is available online here.

For those who didn't attend his presentation it's a good read as it tackles the issue of Economics vs. Geography, with Krugman providing a sensible analysis of the limitations of both disciplines.

New Geography

I should have probably noticed this magazine earlier, but it has only come to my attention now.

New Geography is an excellent source of information for people interested in urban and regional studies. Definitely worth bookmarking!

Wal Mart's growth

You can see here an amazing visual representation of Wal Mart's growth in the USA. It is part of a website called Flowing Data, where you can find many more examples of data visualisation. It is definitely an excellent resource for anyone working with GIS.

A case for the return of geography

An article on Geography's contribution to the expansion of knowledge by a Nigerian professor.

IMF seeking advice

The International Monetary Fund is rethinking its role in a is a post-crisis world and is seeking advice from Governments, civil society and academics. You can read more about it here.

The type of advice that they want is very specialised, so probably many Economic Geographers will not have the expertise that they are after. Nevertheless this is an opportunity to engage with a much berated institution, provided they are really listening.

Geography lesson from the Ethiopian Review

Why Internet Retailers Should Pay Attention to Where Potential Customers Live

Online courses

At the Open Culture website you can find hundreds of podcasts on all sorts of topics, including free e-books, old films, and courses on several topics. Among the latter there are courses that relate to the content of this blog, such as one on the Economic Geography of the Industrial World, thaught by Richard Walker from the University of California Berkeley.

'New Global Economic Geography'

Report from the States, where Robert Hormats, Undersecretary of State of Economics, Energy and Agricultural Affairs in the US, looks ahead to the future of energy and what he calls "Global Economic Geography."