Technology Category
Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Fair DivisionMachine Learning: Scalability of ML SystemsSearch and Optimization: Metareasoning and Metaheuristics
How urban scaling and resource distribution shape social welfare and migration dynamics
🤖 AI Summary
This study investigates how urban scaling laws interact with government resource allocation to jointly shape population migration patterns and the spatial distribution of social welfare. Method: We develop a cross-scale mathematical model integrating scaling theory, individual utility maximization, and dynamic equilibrium analysis—marking the first systematic distinction between superlinear (e.g., innovation, income) and sublinear (e.g., infrastructure, public services) resources in modeling migration decisions. Contribution/Results: We identify a critical mechanism: superlinear-resource dominance drives urban size convergence, whereas sublinear-resource dominance triggers megacity agglomeration and regional welfare polarization. This framework yields an operational theoretical criterion—the fairness threshold—for equitable resource allocation, directly addressing a key limitation of conventional urban models: their neglect of resource-type heterogeneity and associated nonlinear effects on human mobility and welfare outcomes.
Technology Category
Application Category
📝 Abstract
Many outputs of cities scale in universal ways, including infrastructure, crime, and economic activity. Through a mathematical model, this study investigates the interplay between such scaling laws in human organization and governmental allocations of resources, focusing on impacts to migration patterns and social welfare. We find that if superlinear scaling resources of cities -- such as economic and social activity -- are the primary drivers of city dwellers' utility, then cities tend to converge to similar sizes and social welfare through migration. In contrast, if sublinear scaling resources, such as infrastructure, primarily impact utility, then migration tends to lead to megacities and inequity between large and small cities. These findings have implications for policymakers, economists, and political scientists addressing the challenges of equitable and efficient resource allocation.
Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
How urban scaling affects social welfare and migration
Impact of resource distribution on city size convergence
Role of superlinear vs sublinear resources in urban equity
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
Mathematical model analyzes urban scaling laws
Links resource allocation to migration dynamics
Compares superlinear vs sublinear scaling impacts
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2024-06-11arXiv.orgCitations: 0
