An analysis of the sustainability of the spatial urban structure in pre-World War II Berlin

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Volker Nitsch
• Subject Area: Economic and Social History
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 168531600

The traditional theory of urban structure, as developed by Von Thünen (1826), Alonso (1964), Muth (1969), and Mills (1972), features an exogenously determined central location (core) that hosts all economic activity. New Urban Economics (NUE) accounts for more realistic settings. A range of new models has been recently developed that explain the emergence of sub-centers of cities and the functional segregation of commercial and residential land use within cities (Lucas and Rossi- Hansberg, 2002).This research project aims to provide a comprehensive empirical evaluation of NUE. The project examines detailed evidence from Berlin for the period 1871-1939. In particular, it is argued that the city of Berlin provides an excellent case study for analyzing the ideas of NUE. For one thing, the city represented a typical monocentric structure at the beginning of the 19th century and proved to be one of the most dynamic urban locations in continental Europe over the sample period. Berlin thereby offers one of the rare opportunities to track the evolution of a city’s structure from the onset of emerging (monocentric) functional segregation until its transformation into a polycentric structure. Moreover, relevant data (e.g., on land valuation) are readily available. As a result, the project will produce a unique body of historic data and evidence that, if at all, is only matched worldwide by the case of Chicago (e.g. Mcdonald, 1981, 1987; Mcdonald and Mcmillen, 1990; Mcmillen, 1990, 1994; Mcmillen, 1996; Mcmillen and Mcdonald, 2002, 2004).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Gabriel M. Ahlfeldt