Henri L.F. de Groot

After a long period of suburbanization, cities have been in vogue again since the 1980s. But why are people prepared to spend far more money on a small house in the city centre than on a large house in the countryside - and why doesn't this apply to all cities? The authors of this book argue that the appeal of the city in the 21st century is not only determined by the production side of the economy, but also by the consumption side: its array of shops, cultural activities and, for example, an historic city center. All these factors translate into a huge disparity in land prices as well as different wages for urban and rural citizens. This study maps out these variations, with an economic approach to spatial planning and an emphasis on land rents as a basis for cost-benefit analysis. The use of land prices as a reflection of the appreciation for urban amenities is an ideal measurement tool in the cost-benefit analyses for local investments and spatial planning policies, and sheds new light on the organization of public administration. This accessible book will be of interest to geographers, economists and social scientists, as well as policymakers involved in urban planning, seeking an in-depth understanding of land prices and the increasing importance of cities in the 21st century.

Improvement of energy efficiency is one of the important options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, hundreds of technologies for improving the end-use energy efficiency make up more than half of the global potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction in the short and medium term (2010 -2020). (IPCC, 2001; see also WEA, 2000). An important next question is how these options can actually be deployed. More specifically, one may ask what role governments can play by using policy instruments to promote the deployment of energy efficient technologies. In this introductory Chapter, we will first set out the aim of the research described in this book. Then we will discuss the various policy instruments that may playa role in energy-efficiency improvement. Next the various aspects important for characterising policy instruments will be discussed and the various disciplinary approaches are listed. Finally, the outline of the complete book will be given.

Improvement of energy efficiency is one of the important options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, hundreds of technologies for improving the end-use energy efficiency make up more than half of the global potential for greenhouse gas emission reduction in the short and medium term (2010 -2020). (IPCC, 2001; see also WEA, 2000). An important next question is how these options can actually be deployed. More specifically, one may ask what role governments can play by using policy instruments to promote the deployment of energy efficient technologies. In this introductory Chapter, we will first set out the aim of the research described in this book. Then we will discuss the various policy instruments that may playa role in energy-efficiency improvement. Next the various aspects important for characterising policy instruments will be discussed and the various disciplinary approaches are listed. Finally, the outline of the complete book will be given.

The sectoral composition of economies is fundamental to the understanding of growth, unemployment and the relative performance of nations. Henri de Groot models the relationship between these four factors from a single theoretical perspective in order to determine the foundations of the wealth of nations. Special issues that are addressed include: the macroeconomic consequences of outsourcing and downsizing unemployment and catching-upthe relationship between growth and unemployment in a dual labour marketthe relative stagnancy of Europe versus the USA in terms of productivity levels and unemploymenttransitional dynamics in two-sector endogenous growth modelsthe causes of deindustrializationthe role of trade unions and efficiency-wage considerationsGrowth, Unemployment and Deindustrialization will be of paramount interest to scholars of endogenous growth theory, economic growth and unemployment, labour market economics and industrial organization.