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How did the location of industry respond to falling transport costs in Britain before World War I?

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Crafts, N. F. R. and Mulatu, Abay. (2006) How did the location of industry respond to falling transport costs in Britain before World War I? Journal of Economic History, Vol.66 (No.3). pp. 575-607. ISSN 0022-0507

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S002205070600026X

Abstract

This article explores the location of industry in pre–World War I Britain using a model that takes account both of factor endowment and also of New Economic Geography influences. Broadly speaking, the pattern of industrial location in this period was quite persistent and regional specialization changed little. The econometric results show that factor endowments had much stronger effects than proximity to markets, although the latter was an attraction for industries with large plant size. Overall, falling transport costs had relatively little effect on industrial location at a time when proximity to natural resources, notably coal, mattered most.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications

Divisions:

Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Industrial location -- Great Britain, Transportation -- Great Britain -- History, Coal -- Transportation -- Great Britain, Industries -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century, Industries -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 19th century, Great Britain -- Economic conditions -- 20th century

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of Economic History

Publisher:

Cambridge University Press

ISSN:

0022-0507

Official Date:

September 2006

Dates:

Date	Event
September 2006	Published

Volume:

Vol.66

Number:

No.3

Page Range:

pp. 575-607

Identification Number:

10.1017/S002205070600026X

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Open Access

Funder:

Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC)

Grant number:

R000239536 (ESRC)

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