Creative clustering: The location of independent inventors1. (5th August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guimarães, Paulo; Munn, Johnathan; Woodward, Douglas
• Is Part Of: Papers in regional science. Volume 94:Number 1(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 45
• Page End: 65
• Publication Date: 2013-08-05
• Subjects: Regional planning -- Periodicals; City planning -- Periodicals; Urbanization -- Periodicals; Economic geography -- Periodicals; 307.12
• DOI: 10.1111/pirs.12052
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1056-8190

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>There is a growing body of regional research on the location of creative and talented workers. This paper offers a new perspective by examining independent inventors. Based on a comprehensive inventor database for 2000–2009, we detect a striking orientation toward the western regions of the United States. In a negative binomial regression analysis, the effects of natural and cultural amenities, the research milieu, human capital, local <italic>per capita</italic> income, industrial diversity, tolerance, and other factors are tested against the US county‐level distribution of independent inventors. Statistically significant estimates are found for natural amenities, human capital, research universities and county population. Of all variables, independent inventor location exhibits the highest elasticity with respect to per capita income. This factor has often been overlooked in research on the creative economy.</p> </abstract>