This paper examines the effect of spatial structure, as measured on the monocentricity–polycentricity dimension, on labour productivity at the prefectural level in China. Using pooled cross-sectional and instrumental variable techniques, we find that, all else being equal, prefectures with a more monocentric spatial structure have a higher labour productivity, robust to different specifications. Furthermore, large agglomeration economies may fuel the beneficial effects of monocentricity. We conclude that, in terms of economic performance, monocentric-oriented spatial strategy could be a better choice for Chinese prefecture-scale regions.

Although an increasing number of scholars are evaluating rail transit benefits, there have been surprisingly few studies of the links between metro proximity and happiness. The principal objective of this paper is to assess the benefits of metro proximity for individual’s happiness. A key challenge to empirically answering this question is the fact that residential location is likely to be the result of self-selection, i.e., personal preference, such that living around a rail station can increase residents’ happiness. Taking advantage of the largely exogenous residential locations of those who bought their house 10 years earlier than the operation of their nearest metro station and those households living in non-market housing in Shanghai, we find proximity to a subway station robustly promotes happiness at the individual level. These results suggest that the development of rail transit and transit-oriented development (TOD) are promising ways to increase happiness.

Using data on new private firm formation in prefectural cities in China in 2008 and internal migration of Chinese people in 2000, this paper examines to what extent cultural diversity can explain the regional variation of entrepreneurship. The results indicate that, holding other factors constant, cultural diversity vigorously promotes new private firm formation, especially in the manufacturing industry and for small firms. We address the endogeneity of cultural diversity by applying instrumental variables methods and confirm the relative robustness of this result.

Although there seems to be a widely shared expectation that polycentricity increases economic competitiveness, the empirical findings are inconsistent. As the first meta-analysis, this paper examines whether emerging empirical evidence provides an insight into the polycentricity–productivity effect. Based on 139 estimates, we find no compelling evidence to support that polycentricity is either beneficial or detrimental for economic development. Further meta-logit regressions show that the measurement of polycentricity and the control of agglomeration economies indeed affect the polycentricity–productivity effect. In contrast, measuring polycentricity from different perspectives and the potential endogeneity do not appear to significantly influence this effect.