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Think of a bumblebee. With its overly heavy body and little wings, supposedly it should not be able to fly--but it does.... This is how so-called analysts view the Swedish economy. We 'defy gravity.' We have high taxes and a large public sector, and yet, Sweden reaches new heights. We are still flying, so well that many envy us for it today. --Goran Persson, Swedish Prime Minister, March 10, 2000 (1) Many mainstream economists have been predicting the demise of the Swedish model of social democratic capitalism for decades. But the Swedish welfare state, while slightly smaller in scope than it once was, is still largely intact. Furthermore, the Swedish economy has outperformed that of the United States and most OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries for the past decade (see Table 1). So the question arises, why is the Swedish bumblebee still flying? Indeed, why is it soaring despite the opinions of so many observers that it is doomed to fail? The argument that the Swedish model was doomed to failure rested on two ideological artifices. The first was a simplistic application of the theory of comparative advantage. This theory implies that exogenously determined resource endowments and factor costs are the primary determinants of trade flows and the location of production. Second, critics tended to assume that government intervention is inherently inefficient relative to the wonders of the market system, and in an era of globalization, countries must reduce the size and scope of government to compete internationally. The Swedish resurgence in the last decade indicates that there are serious flaws with this analysis. A more sophisticated explanation of the forces determining the location of production can be provided by the theory of comparative institutional advantage. This theory seeks to go beyond standard analysis to consider the institutional factors that better explain trade patterns. Part of this explanation includes the fact that

What is more important--race or class--in determining the socioeconomic success of the blacks and whites born since the civil rights triumphs of the 1960s? When compared to whites, African Americans complete less formal schooling, work fewer hours at a lower rate of pay and are more likely to give birth to a child out of wedlock and to rely on welfare. Are these differences attributable to race per se, or are they the result of differences in socioeconomic background between the two groups?Being Black, Living in the Red demonstrates that many differences between blacks and whites stem not from race but from economic inequalities that have accumulated over the course of American history. Property ownership--as measured by net worth--reflects this legacy of economic oppression. The racial discrepancy in wealth holdings leads to advantages for whites in the form of better schools, more desirable residences, higher wages, and more opportunities to save, invest, and thereby further their economic advantages.Dalton Conley shows how factoring parental wealth into a reconceptualization of class can lead to a different future for race policy in the United States. As it currently stands, affirmative action programs primarily address racial diversity in schooling and work--areas that Conley contends generate paradoxical results with respect to racial equity. Instead he suggests an affirmative action policy that fosters minority property accumulation, thereby encouraging long-term wealth equity, or one that--while continuing to address schooling and work--is based on social class as defined by family wealth levels rather than on race. What is more important--race or class--in determining the socioeconomic success of the blacks and whites born since the civil rights triumphs of the 1960s? When compared to whites, African Americans complete less formal schooling, work fewer hours at a lower rate of pay and are more likely to give birth to a child out of wedlock and to rely on wel

We consider the dynamics of knowledge-based sources of advantage as they move between geographical locations and multinational and other firm level networks using the specialist context of Formula 1 motor over a 59-year period. We suggest that shifts in competitive advantage are underpinned by the movement of both architectural and component knowledge at both the firm and cluster level, and in particular we suggest that isolated firms can both benefit from and add to cluster level knowledge. We conclude by suggesting ways in which MNEs can adapt their approach to both location and knowledge development in order to enhance their ability to create competitive advantage.

Regional advantage: culture and competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128 AnnaLee Saxenian 12 Resenhas Harvard University Press, 1996 - 226 páginas Why is it that business in California's Silicon Valley flourished while along Route 128 in Massachusetts declined in the 90s? The answer, Saxenian suggests, has to do with the fact that despite similar histories and technologies, Silicon Valley developed a decentralized but cooperative industrial system while Route 128 came to be dominated by independent, self-sufficient corporations. The result of more than one hundred interviews, this compelling analysis highlights the importance of local sources of competitive advantage in a volatile world economy

The social, economic, and political landscape of northern British Columbia (BC), Canada, has undergone considerable transformation since a recession in the early 1980s. From this, there is an emerging recognition of the need to move from an economy based upon comparative advantage to one embracing competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper, drawn from ongoing regional research, is twofold. First, we apply a rural lens to the regional planning and development literature, which highlights the significance of competitive advantage as a tool for regional rejuvenation. Second, we add to this dialogue by exploring the relevance and meaning of competitive advantage in the non-metropolitan setting of...

Knowledge Economies: Clusters, Learning and Cooperative Advantage Philip Cooke London, Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0-415-16409-5 The rapid growth of technology-based industries, most visible first in California's Silicon Valley and along Route 128 in Boston, and subsequently followed by Silicon Glens, Prairies, Alleys and Valleys throughout the world, has drawn lots of attention to industry clusters and networks. Often without being able to define or identify the process very precisely, economic development professionals and policy makers quickly grabbed on to the idea that there seemed to be an opportunity for a whole new round of proximity-based synergy and economic development. This synergy appeared to be much stronger than the effects of agglomeration which economists and planners had known about for decades, perhaps well over a century. It is not just based on companies jointly taking advantage of a large labour force, reducing their transaction costs by co-locating, and attracting specialized suppliers to the concentration of potential customers, but it appeared to facilitate the basic invention, application and growth process itself. Furthermore, somewhat to the surprise of those who thought that computer and other communication technology would make distance irrelevant, these new business networks continue to have a strong spatial component.

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The cost of auto orientation MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2012 | CHARLES MAROHN In the United States we've proceeded for sixty years with reconfiguring our public spaces to accommodate the automobile. The built in assumption of this approach, especially when it comes to commercial property, is that the more cars driving by the better. What we've overlooked in our haste to "modernize" is the lower return on investment we get from this approach, even under ideal conditions. Today we need the humility to acknowledge that our ancestors -- who built in the traditional style -- may have known what they were doing after all. After a nice break, we want to welcome everyone back and wish you all a fantastic 2012. We're still dedicated to publishing this blog at least three days a week (typically Monday, Wednesday and Friday) as well as releasing a podcast every week or two. We've got one other channel here we'll be starting next week, so stay tuned. If you'd like to stay informed with what's going on with the Strong Towns movement, sign up for our newsletter. We don't share your address and we don't spam. We do bite though, at least rhetorically. Highway 210 runs east/west through downtown Brainerd. In the hierarchical road system, it is the top of the pyramid and would be classified in most places as a "major arterial". It is designed as a STROAD (a street/road hybrid), attempting to apply highway design standards to what otherwise would be an urban street. In doing so, it has dramatically transformed the land use pattern of the area. The picture below highlights two blocks that front the highway corridor. The one on the left, which we've labeled "old and blighted", is a block that has retained its traditional development pattern. To the right we have identified the "shiny and new" area, the block that has recently been transformed to an auto-oriented development style, to the glee of city officials and local economic development advocates. In between is a hybrid of the two; part

Creative regions: technology, culture and knowledge entrepreneurship Philip Cooke, Dafna Schwartz 0 Resenhas Routledge, 2007 - 294 páginas This unique book focuses on regional creativity, analysing the different factors that can affect creativity and innovation process within regions in the knowledge economy. Approaching creativity from technological, organizational and regional viewpoints, it attempts to break down the influence of oppositional approaches and take account of multi-level interactions in economy and policy. The variety of papers presented looks at: how regions can be creative and competitive how research and development is outsourced and the scientific knowledge and technology transferred what types of technology based cultural activities can operate the relevant financing and development of knowledge entrepreneurship. Whilst many of these aspects are driven by market forces Creative Regions demonstrates that the regional and national public sectors have a significant role to play and is essential reading on how to generate a competitive advantage for regions in the knowledge economy in the global market.

This book addresses the problem of how to make a large-scale socio-technical transition to renewable energy, so as to realize an environmentally sustainable economy in the long run. Transition thinking has in a short time managed to occupy a central position in the policy debate on sustainable development. The transition approach offers an innovative view on the role and content of public policy, compared with traditional views from economic, administrative and political sciences. The main motivation for using this notion is that while it links up with the system-wide approach of sustainable development, it has the advantage of shifting the attention from a vague end goal (blueprint) to the processes leading towards this goal. These processes in turn provide a concrete basis for thinking about appropriate public policies, taking account of the complex relations between technologies, institutions and behaviours. This book offers perspectives from a wide range of disciplines, addressing macro, regional and local scales. Contributions come from mainstream economics, evolutionary economics, sociology, political sciences, innovation studies, spatial economics and decision theory. Important lessons are also drawn from historical transitions. Managing the Transition to Renewable Energy will appeal to academics and researchers in environmental science and economics, environmental and technological policy advisors, evolutionary economists and researchers on technological innovation

The Geography of Innovation Series: Economics of Science, Technology and Innovation, Vol. 2 Feldman, M.P. 1994, 172 p., Hardcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-2698-4 Ships in 3 - 5 business days $215.00 ABOUT THIS BOOK The Geography of Innovation offers a geographic dimension to the study of innovation and product commercialization and develops a conceptual model which links the location of production innovations to the sources of these knowledge inputs. The geographic concentration of this knowledge forms a technological infrastructure which promotes information transfers, and lowers the risks and the costs of engaging in innovative activity. Empirical estimation confirms that the location of production innovation is related to the underlying technological infrastructure and that the location of the knowledge inputs are mutually-reinforcing in defining a region's competitive advantage. The Geography of Innovation concludes by considering the policy implications of these findings for both private firms and state governments. This important new work is intended for academics, policy practitioners and students in the fields of innovation and technological change, geography and regional science, and economic development. Content Level » Research Related subjects » Economic Policy - Geography - Industrial Organization TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Why Location Matters for Innovative Activity. 3. Spatial Patterns of Innovation. 4. Technological Infrastructure. 5. Regional Innovative Capacity. 6. Policy Implications. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.

Christopherson S., Clark J. (2007) Power in firm networks: what it means for regional innovation systems, Regional Studies 41, 1223-1236. The role of power within regional firm networks is noted in empirical studies but insufficiently theorized. It is suggested that network functioning is conflictual and that more powerful network members, particularly transnational corporations (TNCs), leverage regional resources to advance their sustainable competitive advantage. The agendas and power exercised by TNCs within regionalized firm networks have significant implications for regional policy and the uneven allocation of resources and capacities within and among regions. The findings indicate that transnational firm access to resources that are critical to innovation, including university research and skilled labour, negatively affects the potential for innovation by small and medium-size firms

reative regions: technology, culture and knowledge entrepreneurship Philip N. Cooke, Dafnah Schwartz 0 Resenhas Routledge, 2007 - 294 páginas This unique book focuses on regional creativity, analysing the different factors that can affect creativity and innovation process within regions in the knowledge economy. Approaching creativity from technological, organizational and regional viewpoints, it attempts to break down the influence of oppositional approaches and take account of multi-level interactions in economy and policy. The variety of papers presented looks at: how regions can be creative and competitive how research and development is outsourced and the scientific knowledge and technology transferred what types of technology based cultural activities can operate the relevant financing and development of knowledge entrepreneurship. Whilst many of these aspects are driven by market forces Creative Regions demonstrates that the regional and national public sectors have a significant role to play and is essential reading on how to generate a competitive advantage for regions in the knowledge economy in the global market.

Urban Environmental Pollution Creating Healthy, Liveable Cities People all over the world are migrating to cities in search of jobs and cultural advantages, especially in Asia. This has resulted in the formation of huge megapolitan areas and surrounding periurban environs. In China, a 40 million urban area is planned. The effects of cities on people are not well-understood. Cities require huge amounts of energy, resulting in large quantities of waste products, causing unsustainable environments. Cities are sources of air, water and soil pollution. Light and noise pollution are now known to adversely affect urban people. The role of urban heat islands and air pollution, Pm 2.5 and ozone, on human health is beginning to emerge. Lack of green space may have psychological effects for urban dwellers. We began to explore the nature of the urban environment and pollution on human health and well-being at UEP2010 in Boston in June of 2010. This very successful conference identified many areas of urban life that warranted further investigation. UEP2012 aims to pick up where UEP2010 left off and continue the exploration of the urban environment and how we can begin to create a healthy and liveable environment in cities. Topics List New information about urban environments and how they function Pollution problems and possible solutions Role of the built environment in alleviating heat islands Human health problems and solutions Role of vegetation in mitigating urban pollution and human health problems Innovative methods for alleviation of urban stress problems Submit abstract here