Spatial Disparities and Policy

The Spatial Disparities & Policy RPN, established in July 2021, for a period of three years, was successively led by Anthony Venables (University of Oxford and CEPR) and Helen Simpson (University of Bristol and CEPR). Leadership of the RPN was supported by a Steering Committee : Gilles Duranton (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania), Gianmarco Ottaviano (Bocconi University), Henry Overman (London School of Economics), Jens Suedekum (Henrich Heine University Düsseldorf) and Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal (University of Barcelona).

Spatial disparities in income and productivity are a feature of many countries. They arise in low-income countries during the process of economic development and in high-income countries that are experiencing or have experienced structural change. They are often persistent, lasting for many decades with consequent social and political implications. Economic adjustment mechanisms have failed to bring about convergence, and policy interventions have often been unsuccessful.

The network supported research to deepen our understanding of the causes and consequences of spatial disparities in income and productivity, while addressing two over-arching questions. How can spatial disparities persist for long periods of time, even in relatively well integrated modern economies? What policy measures are effective in addressing the disparities and their adverse consequences?