Urban Resurgence and the Consumer City

Glaeser, Edward L.; Gottlieb, Joshua D.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.884183

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Urban Resurgence and the Consumer City

Harvard Institute of Economic Research Discussion Paper No. 2109

47 Pages Posted: 15 Feb 2006

See all articles by Edward L. Glaeser

Edward L. Glaeser

Harvard University - Department of Economics; Brookings Institution; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Joshua D. Gottlieb

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); University of Chicago

Date Written: February 2006

Abstract

Cities make it easier for humans to interact, and one of the main advantages of dense, urban areas is that they facilitate social interactions. This paper provides evidence suggesting that the resurgence of big cities in the 1990s is due, in part, to the increased demand for these interactions and due to the reduction in big city crime, which had made it difficult for urban residents to enjoy these social amenities. However, while density is correlated with consumer amenities, we show that it is not correlated with social capital and that there is no evidence that sprawl has hurt civic engagement.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Glaeser, Edward L. and Gottlieb, Joshua D. and Gottlieb, Joshua D., Urban Resurgence and the Consumer City (February 2006). Harvard Institute of Economic Research Discussion Paper No. 2109, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=884183 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.884183