Central place theory and spatial dynamics in US county growth: an empirical analysis

This thesis examines how position within the urban hierarchy influences county-level growth in the United States from 2010 to 2019 as informed by Central Place Theory and agglomeration theory. Using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes to operationalise the Central Place Theory and three estimation strategies, I find that metropolitan adjacency remains crucial for growth when controlling for various indicators of agglomeration and disagglomeration. These findings support Jacobs-style urbanisation economies over traditional industrial clustering effects and suggest that modern agglomeration benefits operate primarily through population dynamics rather than business concentration. The results have important implications for regional development policy and spatial economic theory.<p></p>