Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP14828
Authors: Remi Jedwab; Noel Johnson; Mark Koyama
Abstract: We draw on theories and empirical findings from urban economics to explore and explain patterns of city growth in the Middle Ages (c. 800-1500 CE). We discuss how agricultural development and physical geography determined the location and size of cities during the medieval period. We also consider the relative importance of economies of scale, agglomeration, and human capital spillovers in medieval cities and discuss how their growth was limited by disamenities and constraints on mobility. We discuss how medieval cities responded to shocks such as the Black Death and describe how institutions became increasingly important in determining their trajectories. Avenues for future research are also laid out.
Keywords: medieval era; city growth; urbanization; food surplus hypothesis; agglomeration effects; labor mobility; pandemics; institutions; europe; asia
JEL Codes: R11; R12; R19; N9; N93; N95
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Agricultural development (O13) | City growth (R11) |
| Physical geography (R12) | City growth (R11) |
| Higher agricultural productivity (Q11) | Urbanization (R11) |
| Lower transportation costs (L91) | Urbanization (R11) |
| Economies of scale (F12) | Economic growth in cities (R11) |
| Agglomeration effects (R11) | Economic growth in cities (R11) |
| Higher concentrations of skilled workers (J69) | Rapid city growth (R11) |
| Natural advantages (F11) | Recovery from the Black Death (N93) |
| Political institutions (D02) | City growth (R11) |
| Self-governing cities (N93) | Economic vibrancy (R11) |
| Self-governing cities (N93) | Different growth trajectories (O41) |