Migration and urban economic growth

Why some cities grow while others decline in population is a relevant question for public policy. Although there are many theories about why metropolitan areas develop, very few of these concepts have been empitically applied. In this paper, several empirical models of urban and regional growth are examined in terms of postulated causes of growth. In particular, the role of migration as a cause or consequence of development is emphasized. It is concluded that these models take a very narrow view of the growth process and that a promising area of future research lies in models of urban labour market dynamics