An area within the city where most of the economic activities are concentrated.
Answers
Answer:
The increasing complexity of economic activities might be behind the growing economic importance of large cities, finds new study
Explanation:
Even as the world has become more connected, regional differences in economic development within countries have been increasing. This is partly because economic activity is now increasingly concentrated in large cities. This urban concentration is driven by the growing complexity within economies, according to research.
In a study, Pierre Alexandre Balland of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and others use data on scientific publishing, patents, employment, and gross domestic product (GDP) to examine economic activity across 353 metropolitan areas in the US.
They find that complex economic activities, such as biotechnology, neurobiology and semiconductors, tend to concentrate disproportionately in a few large cities compared to less complex activities, such as apparel production or paper manufacturing.
This, they argue, is because more complex activities require individuals to develop niche expertise and specialize. As a result, knowledge becomes increasingly fragmented. The greater division of knowledge requires greater coordination as specialized knowledge needs to be brought together and cities provide greater opportunities for such coordination.