Connecting cities with macroeconomic concerns : the missing link : do local public services matter? : a case study of five cities / Mila Freire and Mario Polèse, with the assistance of Pamela Echeverria..

Includes bibliographical references (pages [83]-87).

Ch. 1. Cities, Agglomeration Economies, Local Public Services and Economic Growth: a Reappraisal -- Ch. 2. Research Strategy and Methodology -- Ch. 3. The Impact of Inferior Localized Public Services. Qualitative Analysis: Discussion Group Results -- Ch. 4. The Impact of Inferior Localized Public Services: Survey Results -- Summary of Major Conclusions and Findings -- App. 1. Survey Questionnaire -- App. 2. Template of Focus Groups.

"This book examines the influence of local public services on the economics of cities. The relationship between economic development and urbanization is indisputable; less clear, however, are the ways in which cities directly contribute to economic growth and employment creation. Current economic thinking holds that the ability of cities to create wealth depends on "agglomeration economies;" that is, the geographic concentration of industries and people which enables economic actors to come together, interact, and become productive. However, this ability to promote productive interaction depends on several factors, one of which is the provision of local public services."--BOOK JACKET.