Abstract
This work introduces an original methodology for analysing the role of intra-rural population movements in the formation or consolidation of rural districts. For this purpose, the authors adapted Rosen's hedonic models, developed in other areas of the economy, to explain individual decisions in rural migration dynamics. The methodology was drawn up to explain population movements in rural areas, on a sub-regional scale, as a new centre-periphery dynamic. Empirical application of this methodology in the future might be useful for better explaining sub-regional dynamics and for the design of territorial development policies.
TopBackground
Population tends towards a type of settlement that changes with time (García & Otero, 2012), and one of the main traditional causes of migratory phenomena is economic (Pissarides & Wadsworth, 1989; Layard et al., 1992; Jennissen, 2003; Márquez et al 2004). Along this line, we find the following theories, among others: a) the Neoclassic Theory, with workers moving to places where labour is short and wages high; b) the Greenwood model (1997) and its disequilibrium variables; c) Myrdal’s Theory (1957) and the correlation between population accumulation and concentration of economic activity.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Main Town: The most important municipality in the rural district, that is, the one with the largest population and most services.
ISTAT: A methodology drawn up by the Italian National Statistics Institute to identify the municipality that has the largest number of workers.
Hedonic Population Model: A model that explains population movements in terms of the qualities or attributes of a municipality.
Intra-Rural Movement: The displacement of individuals from one rural area to another.
Periphery: The municipalities in a rural district that are not the main towns.
Rural District: A set of rural municipalities with endogenous resources, which are close to each other, have geographical and lifestyle similarities, and have a network of relations.