Urbanization Dynamics

Urbanization has dramatically increased over the past two centuries, with notable examples like a city in eastern China producing a staggering percentage of the world's zippers and buttons. This concentration of firms fosters specialized labor and knowledge spillovers, enhancing competitiveness. However, urbanization also brings challenges, such as urban bias, where concentrated interests pressure governments for favorable policies, and urban gigantism, which can lead to inefficiencies from excessive agglomeration.