European Regional Science Association
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European Regional Science Association
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The abstract for paper number 127:
Jos Van Ommeren, Free University
Department Of Spatial Economics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Wouter Vermeulen, CPB, Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, Den Haag, The Netherlands
Commuting and Panel Spatial Interaction Models: Evidence of Variation of the Distance-Effect over Time and Space
We apply spatial interaction models using panel data to explain commuting behaviour in the Netherlands. Our main conclusion is that the distance-decay effect is not constant over time and that changes in this effect are region specific. In more densely populated regions the change in the distance-decay parameter is small suggesting that regional increases in congestion have a large negative effect on the increases in average commuting distance. The panel spatial interaction model we derive is well-suited for testing significance of the centrality index (an often used variable in spatial interaction models). Although evidence is found for competition effects in a pooled cross section framework, controlling for time invariant unobserved heterogeneity renders this relation spurious.