These are 10 of my favourite #UrbanEconomics articles published in 2020, in alphabetical order by author, continuing with a tradition from the last couple of years

1) @TrebAllen, Arkolakis & Takahashi, JPE. Shows key theoretical properties & predictions of large class of trade/geography gravity models depend on 2 parameters: elasticities of supply and demand. Proposes IV estimation strategy relying on GE structure https://t.co/5On1AQkbeP
2) Ambrus, Field & @rmgonzalez046, AER. 1854 London: prices fell in blocks served by well transmitting cholera. Differences persist. Model: tenants change as contracts expire, -ve externality of poor tenants, shock makes landlords persistently target poor https://t.co/6uaxjG6Bmf
3) @kon_buechel & @maxvehrlich, JUE. More sociable individuals sort into cities. Even after accounting for sorting, those in denser areas call each other more often & longer, suggesting complementarity between face-to-face and phone interactions https://t.co/bymmL4PzaJ
4) @CarozziFelipe, JEEA. Shows how credit constraints affect composition of housing sales & access to home-ownership by the young. Neat model of housing markets as ladders with young in cheap units, possibly trading up as they age, post-2008 UK evidence https://t.co/PCn7w35Qu8
5) Harari, AER. City shape matters. More compact (circular) Indian cities grow faster (IVs compactness with mechanical expansion + geographic constraints). Compactness affects road network, location patterns, quality of life. Regulations affect shape https://t.co/TbXX9X4qwC
6) Heblich, @ReddingEcon & Sturm, QJE. Uses quantitative urban model & spatially disaggregated data for London 1801-1921 to explore how steam railways triggered workplace-residence separation, enabling substantial agglomeration in production & residence https://t.co/Z0CnPlQnMY
7) Liu, Rosenthal & Strange, RSUE. Agglomeration in tall buildings depends on street access, height amenities & productivity. Ground & high floors most valuable. Density & law firm sales indicate strong same-floor spillovers quickly attenuating vertically https://t.co/YxXFQ4yydZ
8) @OtoPeralias, JDE. Explores origins of settlement patterns exploiting spatial discontinuity in insecurity in medieval Spain. Frontier warfare encourages population concentration in few livestock-oriented (vs. agriculture) settlements, strong persistence https://t.co/FkXwJ9EohA
9) Owens, @HansbergRossi & Sarte, AEJEcPol. Rationalises healthy Detroit CBD surrounded by vacant land through model with residential externalities leading to coordination problem, evaluates development guarantees & other alternatives https://t.co/WMQiUhWf46
10) @piazzesi, Schneider & @stroebel_econ, AER. Housing search model with many segments, agents with different search ranges, broad searchers that narrow down by segment inventory. Helps think about Beveridge curve, scope & connectedness in housing markets https://t.co/wmpnDqsoL1
The 2019 list is at https://t.co/MhayLpevo0
The 2018 list is at https://t.co/qr16DmqNvq

More from Economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is analyzing damage due to COVID and projecting further severe consequences if current policies persist. They state “despite involving short term economic costs, lockdowns may lead to faster economic recovery by containing the virus”

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Note: This report doesn’t do a dynamic analysis that makes things much clearer, but it does a thoughtful statistical analysis based upon increasingly available data.

https://t.co/5Xmt8y7lCL

A few more quotes:

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“The analysis also finds that lockdowns are powerful instruments to reduce infections, especially when they are introduced early in a country’s epidemic and when they are sufficiently stringent.”

3/


“lockdowns become progressively more effective in reducing COVID-19 cases when they become sufficiently stringent. Mild lockdowns appear instead ineffective at curbing infections.”

4/

“The results suggest that to achieve a given reduction in infections, policymakers may want to opt for stringent lockdowns over a shorter period rather than prolonged mild lockdowns...

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$600/wk Unemployment Insurance cannot deliver the benefits of a $600/wk Job Guarantee. From the outset, I should say JG is not a replacement for UI, no matter what you may have heard. I’ll get to this later, but read this long 🧶 w/ that in mind.


Automatic stabilization: Both $600/wk UI and JG will provide counter cyclical spending. But UI will be weaker. Counter-cyclical stabilization is not just about the absence of income. It is also about the transmission and structure of economy

Firms don't like to hire the unemployed. Mass and long-term unemployment make the problem worse. JG would recover labor markets much faster than a UI of the same amount, both b/c of the higher direct, induced & tertiary employment effects & b/c of private firm hiring preferences.

JG stabilizes spending patterns better. Uncertain job prospects may mean more cautious spending from the unemployed compared to those w/ guaranteed jobs.
UI is temporary, which makes matters worse. Even if it were permanent, it still won't resolve the problem of job scarcity.

Nations who once achieved tight full employment through active labor market policies demonstrate that unemployment does NOT fluctuate the same way it does w/o them. Direct employment, ELR type policies diminish drastically/even eliminate these amplitudes (eg postwar Japan/Sweden)

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Following @BAUDEGS I have experienced hateful and propagandist tweets time after time. I have been shocked that an academic community would be so reckless with their publications. So I did some research.
The question is:
Is this an official account for Bahcesehir Uni (Bau)?


Bahcesehir Uni, BAU has an official website
https://t.co/ztzX6uj34V which links to their social media, leading to their Twitter account @Bahcesehir

BAU’s official Twitter account


BAU has many departments, which all have separate accounts. Nowhere among them did I find @BAUDEGS
@BAUOrganization @ApplyBAU @adayBAU @BAUAlumniCenter @bahcesehirfbe @baufens @CyprusBau @bauiisbf @bauglobal @bahcesehirebe @BAUintBatumi @BAUiletisim @BAUSaglik @bauebf @TIPBAU

Nowhere among them was @BAUDEGS to find