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Railroads, engineers, and the development of spatial economics in France

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2016

Robert B. Ekelund Jr.  and
Robert F. Hébert
Robert B. Ekelund Jr.
Affiliation:
Auburn University, USA
Robert F. Hébert
Affiliation:
Auburn University, USA
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Summary

This article traces a little-known French tradition in spatial economics that was advanced by state engineers who were trained at the École des Ponts et Chaussées and worked for the State corps of engineers. Spurred in part by changes in power technology, especially the advent of the railroad, these engineers pioneered the spatial aspects of competition in a microeconomic framework. The contributions of Jules Dupuit (1804-1866) and Emile Cheysson (1836-1910) are especially singled out for analysis, and are shown to have anticipated later important developments in spatial economic theory.

Cet article retrace une tradition française peu connue en économie spatiale qui a été avancée par des ingénieurs d’État formés à l’École des Ponts et Chaussées. En partie encouragés par des changements technologiques, et surtout par l’avènement du chemin de fer, ces ingénieurs introduisirent les aspects spatiaux de la concurrence dans un cadre microéconomique. Les contributions de Jules Dupuit (1804-1866) et de Emile Cheysson (1836-1910) sont mises en évidence, et sont présentées comme anticipant les développements ultérieures en théorie économique spatiale.

Keywords

B10R10N73B10R10N73
Type
Research Article
Information
Recherches Économiques de Louvain/ Louvain Economic Review , Volume 64 , Issue 1: Space and economics in retrospect , 1998 , pp. 45 - 62
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de recherches économiques et sociales 1998 

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Footnotes

(*)

This article is abridged and adapted from a book by the same authors entitled Jules Dupuit, the Engineers, and the Origins of Microeconomics, forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press.

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