 4 December 2018  Trento, Italy
Organised by the OECD Trento Centre
The OECD Spatial Productivity Lab (SPL)
The OECD Spatial Productivity Lab (SPL) is a dedicated research laboratory that works with local and global partners to improve our understanding of the spatial dimension of productivity growth, the relevance of links between different types of areas and how regional policy can facilitate productivity growth, creation of better jobs and increased well-being.
The OECD Spatial Productivity Lab at the OECD Trento Centre for Local Development is an integral part of the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. The mission of the Trento Centre is to build capacities for local development in OECD member and non-member countries, working directly with policy makers at all levels of government.
Focus of this meeting
A recent research project by the Bank of Italy has analysed the role of urban areas as an engine of aggregate growth. In Italy, the share of population that lives in large cities is smaller than in France, UK, Spain, and –less markedly− Germany; the share of value added produced by urban areas is also lower. Partly traceable to historical roots, the weaker relevance of Italian cities can hamper growth by limiting interconnectedness and agglomeration. The research project finds that the magnitude of urban externalities on wages, productivity and innovation tends to be smaller in Italy compared to other developed countries. Another notable finding is that the costs of congestion in Italian cities are high, despite the relatively smaller size and that the high housing costs –explained by both physical constraints and public administration inefficiencies− discourage mobility.
Participation
The event was open to experts, civil society and all interested parties upon registration.
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