Download This PaperCities and Inequality
25 Pages Posted: 27 Aug 2016 Last revised: 27 Dec 2016
Date Written: August 25, 2016
Abstract
We propose an innovative methodology to measure inequality between cities. If an even distribution of amenities across cities is assumed to increase the average well-being in a given country, inequality between cities can be evaluated through a multidimensional index of the Atkinson (1970) type. This index is shown to be decomposable into the sum of inequality indices computed on the marginal distributions of the amenities across cities, plus a residual term accounting for their correlation. We apply this methodology to assess inequality between Italian cities in terms of the distribution of public infrastructures, local services, economic and environmental conditions.
Keywords: Inequality; inequality aversion; social welfare; city
JEL Classification: R11; R12 ; R23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Alessandra Michelangeli (Contact Author)
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Department of Economics, Management and Statistics (DEMS) ( email )
Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1
Milan, 20126
Italy
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca - Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Economics, Psychology & Social Sciences (CISEPS) ( email )
Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1
Milano, 20126
Italy
Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?
