<p>The aim with my research is to illuminate the meaning of IKEAs settle in Haparanda, for the region Haparanda-Tornio, its economic growth and its inhabitants. The research has been carried out only through qualitative methods. Some interviews with a range of people from varying companies have been conducted.</p><p>Haparanda is a smaller Swedish city situated in the north, on the border to Finland and to a city called Tornio. These two cities, Haparanda and Tornio, has realised they are stronger in pairs, so they initiated cooperation across the border. Haparanda-Tornio is not a region of historically welfare and well-being. At least on the Swedish side, high numbers of unemployment, absence from work and many youngsters leaving the region because of pore prospects for the future, dominates. In this case, something very different happened when IKEA, one of Sweden’s most famous home furnishing companies, chose to settle their new store in Haparanda.</p><p>The settle of IKEA was a joyful message for the region and for the city of Haparanda in particular. A lot of other Swedish companies are now settling in the city as an effect of IKEAs arrival. It is surprising, though, that IKEA chose Haparanda, because of its low number of inhabitants and its geographical position. But, the increasing welfare in the region, satisfactory communication opportunities and the status on the Russian market, are probably factors behind the settle. Also, the Swedish and Finnish membership in the European Union gives them advantages on trading over the borders. Further, the settle in Haparanda give the company access to high number of consumers in four countries. The personal involvement of IKEAs founder, Mr Kamprad, states how exciting and unique this project is.</p><p>IKEA has become a symbol for the positive development in the region. More people may be offered employment since the municipality believe 1000-1500 new jobs could be the result of IKEA, and other companies settle. The effects on the inhabitants can be described as more opportunities to personal development and a higher well-being, a more shaded life. The region may become central to four countries, not only in consumption, but also in meetings and trade for example. But, the status of the region may grow stronger on the expense of other regions in the north. The language question could also be of high importance again. This is because the majority of the companies are settling on the Swedish side which gives the only Finnish-speaking population limited access to the new jobs.</p><p>The previous critiques to the region may soften, but new could rise. For example a greater load on the environment is inevitable, but also a social and cultural development that could change Haparanda and Tornio essentially.</p>

The topic of infrastructure investment has emerged as a critical public policy issue over the last thirty years as governments grapple with an infrastructure deficit that has become one of the great global challenges of our time. Through the simultaneous processes of neo-liberalisation and globalisation, the urban infrastructure landscape has emerged as an attractive investment area for large financial institutions. With the recent Global Financial Crisis further exacerbating both the funding and growth lifting needs of nations, the urgency of linking institutional investors with urban infrastructure assets is more apparent than ever. This thesis looks at the evolving dynamics associated with the growing involvement of the financial industry in the provision of urban infrastructure assets. This is achieved by using a relational perspective, studying the interactions of financial actors, while simultaneously being aware that these decisions are made within a larger political economic context. It is argued that the complex, heterogeneous and long-term nature of institutional infrastructure investing requires a multi-disciplinary relational economic geography framework. Specifically, relational theory is used to explore the informational content and geographical structure of the infrastructure financial product, the influence of government decision-making, the corporate governance of infrastructure investments and the investment relationship between investors and financial intermediaries. Despite exponential growth in the field over the last decade, the infrastructure financial product has a level of sophistication and obscurity that prohibits it from being classed a transparent investment area, highlighting the importance of a relational approach to investments. From the case study on Auckland International Airport Ltd., it is shown that through a relational form of light-handed regulatory contract, the government plays a central role in affecting the favourable performance of an economically significant asset. The explication of the Spanish-led ADI consortium acquisition of UK airport operating company BAA illustrates the need for ‘glocal’ infrastructure governance to incorporate a wider stakeholder perspective as well as an appropriate shareholder wealth maximisation strategy. And finally, through analysing the relationships between investment partners for the infrastructure investment process, investment consultants are playing a crucial role to help align interests and promote the long-term relational approach to investing for the infrastructure asset class. In an age where infrastructure investment has been recognised by many nations around the world as the most important growth lifting strategy, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of how a relational approach can facilitate successful private institutional infrastructure investment.

The evolutionary economic geography of climate change is concerned with the processes by which the landscapes of greenhouse gas emissions and vulnerability to climate change are transformed from within over time. Unlike neoclassical economics, evolutionary economic geography is interested in how economic change is driven by innovation and shaped by structural, historical, and contextual factors at different scales. This thesis articulates an evolutionary economic geography perspective on three debates: (1) What factors influence human systems’ capacity to adapt to climate change, and how can these factors be assessed? (2) What forces drive and inhibit economic change towards low-carbon economies, and how should governments induce and manage such shifts? (3) What role should climate finance play in promoting developing countries’ shifts to low-emitting and climate-resilient economies, and how should it be managed? The thesis includes five academic papers. The first reviews the literature on vulnerability and adaptation. It argues that the adaptive capacity of human systems is constrained by structural and historical factors, and that the rich data necessary to identify these factors can only be obtained through qualitative research methods. The next two papers offer case studies from the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation and Policy Development project, which assess the adaptive capacity of Soufriere, Saint Lucia and Whitehouse, Jamaica, respectively. The fourth paper examines the mechanics of three low-carbon shifts in Brazil: the diffusion of no-till agriculture, the decrease in the deforestation rate in the Amazon, and the growth of the ethanol biofuel industry. It found that the driving forces behind each of the shifts were far more varied and complex than the price-based market dynamics analysed in neoclassical economics. The final paper argues that climate finance will need to perform a variety of functions beyond attracting low-carbon private investment. It concludes that the institutional architecture governing climate finance should enable direct access to national governments to incentivise them to implement sustainable innovation policy regimes.

In this collection of essays, I explore three topics where space and distance plays a fundamental role in international economics. Not only do spatial considerations affect the pattern of trade, the frictions that arise from distance also determine where and how goods are produced and where people live. In Chapter 1, I show that human made locational characteristics can determine the spatial allocation of economic activity. I take the standard core-periphery model and add endogenous housing to its forward-looking dynamic adjustment process. By introducing a model of adjustment with an extra state variable, which I interpret as housing, I show that the distribution of housing allows the model to converge to a unique spatial equilibrium. This explains the observed persistence and robustness of economic agglomerations in the data. Chapter 2 is a theory of task assignment in the production of final goods and across countries. By allowing for tasks to differ in their suitability of being used in the production of multiple goods, my model endogenizes the allocation of tasks in the production of goods that use them. The resulting equilibrium task allocation defines the pattern of off-shoring. Tasks that are used in only one good concentrate in the country with a specialization in production of that good. Tasks used in many goods are allocated across countries, with the more substitutable tasks located in the country with the larger overall output. Gains from off-shoring are derived from a better mix of allocation of tasks into goods as well as larger scale of production. Finally in Chapter 3, I study how real exchange rate fluctuations determine the size and composition of the export sector. Using the methodology set out in Dixit and Pindyck (1994) in a heterogeneous firms model, I determine the set of trigger real exchange rates for entry and exit into exporting. My primary result of this chapter is that exchange rate uncertainty coupled with sunk cost of entry causes hysteresis in the number and productivity of exporting firms. I then extend the model to allow free entry of firms. This explains the stylized fact of the existence of non-exporting firms with higher productivity than some exporting firms.

Tourism has become a major part of today's society and has been seen as a human privilege. The expansion of tourism makes travel more accessible to more people. Still, people with a disability can face difficulties when traveling for the purpose of tourism. Information becomes important to accomplish accessible tourism for everyone, but the problem in various tourism disciplines occurs with the lack of knowledge about people with disabilities.  Tourism has different disciplines. Transportation is one of the basics of making tourism accessible around the world. Transportation has a major impact on tourism development but also in tourist experiences. If the transportation mode is not accessible, it can be a negative experience for people with a disability and can affect the entire journey and their willingness to attempt further trips. Disability is a broad definition and it is important to understand that different disabilities require different needs and that everyone is individual. This study analyzes how hearing loss affects travelers and the understanding of; (1) What may be needed to assist people with hearing impairments when traveling; (2) How does traveling affect people with hearing impairment when they do not have accessibility? The method is a qualitative method with in-depth interviews because this study wants to understand and reflect participants’ experiences when traveling with a hearing impairment.

The purpose of the study is to highlight and investigate lack of basic services on city tourism in Bamenda from a national and an international stakeholders’ perspective. The study also aims to explore potential solutions and suggest improvements that can make Bamenda more competitive as a tourist destination. Basic services focused on has been insecurity, infrastructure shortage and unskilled personnel on tourism sub industries, electricity outages and unstable internet supply. To understand the scope of, the problem, a qualitative method approach was used whereby thirty-seven persons were interviewed. The respondents were adult males and females between the age range 38- 50 who have years of working experience and academic background that ranged from bachelor’s degree to Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D). The study identified government negligence in providing needed infrastructure and services as some of the biggest setbacks to the smooth functioning of the tourism industry in Bamenda. It was surprisingly realized that Bamenda has a diverse culture capable of attracting many international tourists as well as a very dynamic population. Additionally, it was noted that there is a devastating crisis of identity in the Cameroons that has brought tourism to near zero.

The tourism industry is today the most powerful driver of economic growth and development. Globalization plays a big role in diminishing traveling barriers across the globe, which has led to increased competition between destinations to identify themselves and delineate how they want to be perceived by tourists. In this case, developing a clear destination brand identity is paramount for success. Tourism destinations are complex; they are multidimensional and so are their consumer needs and stakeholders interests. The focal point of this research was on destination branding; it is crucial to have all the stakeholders on board. Consequently, a destination brand has to reflect the authentic identity of the destination hence differentiating it from its competitors. The purpose of the research was to explore stakeholders’ practices in destination branding, their attitude, experiences and expectations of branding Mombasa. The research was based on qualitative method where primary data was gathered through face to face interviews with the tourism stakeholders in Mombasa, and data collected was analysed using content analysis. The key findings include; lack of unity among stakeholders, Mombasa has not been branded, inadequate funds for branding Mombasa, and need for product diversification. The research concludes by suggesting step by step approach for branding the destination.

Trend of Sustainability is applied to city planning and try to achieve the sustainable development of a city and a town that is generous to people, environment and vitalise the economy at the same time. Initiatives for sustainable city planning in Japan is organized by the national Government, so called, FutureCity Initiative. This initiative enables to local city and representative to participate and act for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) within a city and aim sustainable development. Chiyoda city is one of the cities elected as an Eco-Model City’s FutureCity project. One of their approaches is to cooperate with local businesses group in Otemachi, Marunouchi, Yurakucho district (OMY district) to solve the environmental and social issues and contribute for their city to be sustainable. This thesis focuses on this OMY district that support a huge part of Japanese economy and aim to be the world most sustainable urban city to lead a sustainable earth in the future. When business leaders become main actors of sustainable city making, their business and economic knowledge and the interest to sustainability would be combined and influence the definition and understanding of ‘sustainability.’ It is important to acknowledge that the process of meaning making for sustainability, from a business perspective in capitalism and neoliberal society, has been influenced by historical factors that human beings has been prioritising economic growth and ideology of capitalism and affect the environment and vice versa. This also have impact on the structure of Tokyo including infrastructure, transportation, lifestyle, human behaviour in the future. In this circumstance, will it actually make the city sustainable for its environment, society and economy?

O estado de Mato Grosso do Sul possui, historicamente, uma produção agrícola que se solidificou com base na estrutura fundiária de propriedades agrícolas de grandes extensões, e que estabeleceu uma agricultura de alta produtividade, apresentando relevante participação no PIB agrícola brasileiro. A situação hipotética delineada na pesquisa tem como premissa a modificação do binômio econômico soja-boi, para o quadrinômio econômico soja-boi-eucalipto-cana-de-açúcar e sua relevância para o crescimento e desenvolvimento econômico do estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. O principal objetivo pesquisado correlaciona a dimensão agroindustrial nas microrregiões de Dourados e Três Lagoas aos aspectos socioeconômicos face ao crescimento dos setores primário agrícola e secundário industrial do agronegócio no período 2005-2015. A pesquisa qualitativa foi desenvolvida com base em dados primários e secundários utilizando entrevistas semiestruturadas e bibliografia. As microrregiões analisadas foram estudadas separadamente como estudos de caso. Os dados socioeconômicos utilizados foram demográficos e econômicos da produção agrícola e agroindustrial. A microrregião de Dourados possui diversificação de setores agroindustriais tornando-se um município que se consolidou em períodos recessivos economicamente. A microrregião de Três Lagoas possui uma economia alicerçada em poucas áreas do agronegócio e que possui vazios demográficos. Compreende-se, na busca pelo entendimento do processo de geração de riqueza e melhoria de qualidade de vida, o papel dos gestores públicos para executar um planejamento adequado, considerando a geração de riqueza e consequente melhoria de qualidade de vida da população investigada. / Historically, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul has an agricultural production that has solidified on the basis of the agricultural land structure of large extensions, and that established a high productivity agriculture, presenting a relevant participation in the Brazilian agricultural GDP. The hypothetical situation outlined in the research is premised on the modification of the \"soy-cattle\" economic binomial, for the economic \"soy-cattle-eucalyptus-sugarcane\" economic quadruom and its relevance for the economic growth and development of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. The main objective of this study correlates the agroindustrial dimension in the microregions of Dourados and Três Lagoas with the socioeconomic aspects in relation to the growth of the agribusiness primary and agribusiness sectors in 2005-2015. Qualitative research was developed based on primary and secondary data using semi-structured interviews and bibliography. The microregions analyzed were studied separately as case studies. The socioeconomic data used were demographic and economic of agricultural and agroindustrial production. The Dourados microregion has diversified agroindustrial sectors, becoming a municipality that has consolidated in economically recessive periods. The Três Lagoas microregion has an economy based on few agribusiness areas that has demographic vacuums. It is understood, in the search for the understanding of the process of wealth generation and improvement of quality of life, the role of the public managers to carry out an adequate planning, considering the generation of wealth and consequent improvement of quality of life of the investigated population.

We analyse in a Footloose Capital productive public services provided by a central government aiming at reducing regional disparities. Two countervailing effects occur - one upon productivity and another upon local demand - the relative strength of which depends upon the financing scheme. Only if the "rich" region contributes sufficiently to the financing of the public services in the "poor" region, the poor region will actually gain. In studying these questions we pay particular attention to the dynamic adjustment processes and to the role of trade freeness. / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series