Doctoral Guest Lectures in Transport, Environmental and Spatial Economics

Lecture: Spatial Economics – A Unified Framework for Economic Geography

Abstract

This lecture will present key insights from the new book, Spatial Economics, by Koster, Thisse, and Proost, which develops a unified framework to explain the spatial distribution of economic activity. It explores how increasing returns to scale, transportation costs, and factor mobility interact to shape cities, regions, and trade patterns. The lecture will examine how these forces drive agglomeration and dispersion, determine land rents, and influence the spatial sorting of firms and households. Emphasis will be placed on the role of market imperfections, public goods, and infrastructure in shaping urban and regional outcomes, with applications to policy design in transportation, housing, and regional development. Hints to the recent literature will be covered.

About the speaker

Prof. Jacques‑François Thisse is Professor Emeritus of Economics and Regional Science at UCLouvain and at École des Ponts ParisTech, with key contributions in spatial economics, industrial organization, location theory, economic geography, and international trade. He has authored over 150 papers in top journals and seminal books. Recognized internationally, he has received honorary doctorates (Montréal 2005; Paris-Panthéon-Assas 2010), the William Alonso Memorial Prize (2004), the Solvay Scientific Prize (2005), and the European Prize in Regional Science (2007), and was elected Fellow of the Econometric Society, CEPR, and RSAI. He has also held leadership roles including President of CORE (2000–06), Programme Chair of the Econometric Society’s European meetings (1992), and visiting professorships worldwide.