Spatial Development, Markus Gmünder

Question 1

Definition Globalisation

Answer 1

• Globalisation manifests itselfs in a worldwide increasing mobility of people, commodities, services and information
• commodities can be transported over longer distances at lower costs
• typical statistical indicators:
  1. growth in world trade
  2. + foreign direct investments
  3. + capital flow
  4. + technology
  5. + transfer

Question 2

Globalisation: Opportunity and threats

Answer 2

+ increasing mobility
+ more international division of labour
+ international goods markets instead of domestic markets
+ rapid technological developtment

• realignment of the global distribution power (China, India, the Arab World)
• migration
• environmental pollution
• income inequallity between 1-4 world
• pandemics

1st world: Switzerland, etc.
2nd world: BRICS
3rd world: Emerging markets
4th world: least developped country (mostly affected by civil wars) -> Somalia, Afganistan

Question 3

Globalisation of the economy

Answer 3

Question 4

Globalisation: What about transportation costs?

Answer 4

There has been a strong decline between 1950 - 1970, after that almost no costs

Question 5

Why do we have economic globalisation?

Answer 5

• Division of labour and specialisation increase the efficiency of resource allocation
  *

Question 6

What are absolute comparative advantages?

Answer 6

Question 7

Which are the most globalised countries?

Answer 7

• Netherlands
• Sweden
  -> small open economies are usualy more globalised

Question 8

What are hard and soft factors of locations?

Answer 8

Hard
- transport
- Taxes
- proximity suppliers

Soft
- economy-friendliness
- gastro
- criminality
- social climate

Question 9

What belongs into the CS Standortqualitätsindex?

Answer 9

Question 10

Can political arenas controll all factors of locations?

Answer 10

No, because these are often the result of market process

Question 11

What is important for globalisation?

Answer 11

• availability of skilled personell (for knowledge-based economy in CH)
• regional and international accessibility and taxes (can be controlled politically)

Question 12

Demarcation (Abgrenzung) of different regions

Answer 12

• Homogeneous regions: regions of similar characteristics, problems and interests
• functional regions: social and economic interdepencies are decisive for the demarcation (Entscheidend für Abgrenzung)
• institutional regions: normatively defined ares for the political activities of the state
• regions of perception (Wahrnehmung): unclearly defined image to the outside

Question 13

Why are regional disparities (Ungleichheit) important?

Answer 13

important for:
- understanding of functional relationships
- to show spatial change
- for political management

Question 14

Which two aspects does the conception of disparities have?

Answer 14

1. inequalities that lead to injustice
2. inequalities as regional characteristics

Question 15

Disparities: what does regional development policy still want to do?

Answer 15

• reduce undesirable disparities
• preserve desirable regional differences in the sense of location factors

Question 16

What clusters do exist?

Answer 16

• geographic clusters (Size, infrastructure, market potential)
• Sectoral clusters (Forward an backward effects between firms and sectors)
• Functional clusters (Spatial concentration of high-value conomic activities)
• Innovation clusters (Interlinkages of research and education -> knowledge economy)

Question 17

What are classic areas of disparities?

Answer 17

• Demography (Development of population, density, age structure
• Income (GDP)
• Employment (Labour force structure)

Question 18

Convergence vs. Divergence

Answer 18

Question 19

Porter’s Diamond Model

Answer 19

Question 20

Questions Thünen Model

Answer 20

Question 21

Levi Tax

Answer 21

Question 22

What are Economies of Localizations and Urbanization?

Answer 22

Economies of localization
Cost Advantages arising from the localization together of a number of firms in the same type of industry
Economies of urbanization
cost avantages gained from an urban location with closeness to overall economic activity including proximity to a market, labour supply, good communications, and financial and commercial services

Question 23

Clusters are vital for Competitiveness of Municipalities, Cities and Regions. What Clusters do exist?

Answer 23

1. Geographig clusters (Size, infrastructure, market potential)
2. Sectoral clusters (Forward and backward effects between firms and sectors)
3. Functional clusters (Spatial concentration of high-value economic activities)
4. Innovation clusters (Interlinkages of research and education -> Knowledge economy)