Growth and Decline of European Cities: Changing Positions of Cities in Europe

The paper reviews the various models of the core or cores of Urban Europe. Seeking a causal explanation for regional economic shifts the paper uses data on the location of major corporate headquarters offices. An analysis of the 500 largest companies shows a concentration in London and Paris in 1973 which intensifies in the period 1973-88. This period also sees significant growth in southern Europe although not necessarily in the second (Mediterranean) banana. The most significant losers in 1973-88 were the Ruhr and the Randstad. In terms of the urban hierarchy corporate office growth is strongly concentrated in Paris and London and the study offers no evidence of a comparative advantage for smaller cities.