Thompson work into distant local labor markets, then massive migration is dictated. But if the more talented, motivated and educated are the more mobile, the net flow is biased toward the larger, higher skill places. Large Cities as Instruments of National Economic Policy The urban hierarchy and the industrial filtering process, as presently constituted, could perhaps be assimilated in a way which would serve the national interest if we were to act to increase the mobility of labor, especially the lesser skilled workers, and to arrange inter-regional fiscal transfer of a magnitude that would ensure that local public services were made reasonably uni-form from place to place, to assure equality of opportunity. Or we could instead see in the current trend toward large metropoli-tan areas the resolution of the problem of balancing local labor markets, and reinforce that trend. If nearly the whole national population were contained within a handful of very large metro-politan areas, each of which would perhaps be more a conjuncture of overlapping local labor markets than a single, indivisible commuting space, then virtually the full range of occupations would be within easy reach of nearly everyone. Every area would not, of course, produce every product; inter-regional product specialization and trade would continue. And gross flows of migration would go on, as between universities for example. But a nation of multi-million population metropolitan areas would produce balanced local labor markets as a by-product. 27 May 1971

DOI link for Thompson work into distant local labor markets, then massive migration is dictated. But if the more talented, motivated and educated are the more mobile, the net flow is biased toward the larger, higher skill places. Large Cities as Instruments of National Economic Policy The urban hierarchy and the industrial filtering process, as presently constituted, could perhaps be assimilated in a way which would serve the national interest if we were to act to increase the mobility of labor, especially the lesser skilled workers, and to arrange inter-regional fiscal transfer of a magnitude that would ensure that local public services were made reasonably uni-form from place to place, to assure equality of opportunity. Or we could instead see in the current trend toward large metropoli-tan areas the resolution of the problem of balancing local labor markets, and reinforce that trend. If nearly the whole national population were contained within a handful of very large metro-politan areas, each of which would perhaps be more a conjuncture of overlapping local labor markets than a single, indivisible commuting space, then virtually the full range of occupations would be within easy reach of nearly everyone. Every area would not, of course, produce every product; inter-regional product specialization and trade would continue. And gross flows of migration would go on, as between universities for example. But a nation of multi-million population metropolitan areas would produce balanced local labor markets as a by-product. 27 May 1971

Thompson work into distant local labor markets, then massive migration is dictated. But if the more talented, motivated and educated are the more mobile, the net flow is biased toward the larger, higher skill places. Large Cities as Instruments of National Economic Policy The urban hierarchy and the industrial filtering process, as presently constituted, could perhaps be assimilated in a way which would serve the national interest if we were to act to increase the mobility of labor, especially the lesser skilled workers, and to arrange inter-regional fiscal transfer of a magnitude that would ensure that local public services were made reasonably uni-form from place to place, to assure equality of opportunity. Or we could instead see in the current trend toward large metropoli-tan areas the resolution of the problem of balancing local labor markets, and reinforce that trend. If nearly the whole national population were contained within a handful of very large metro-politan areas, each of which would perhaps be more a conjuncture of overlapping local labor markets than a single, indivisible commuting space, then virtually the full range of occupations would be within easy reach of nearly everyone. Every area would not, of course, produce every product; inter-regional product specialization and trade would continue. And gross flows of migration would go on, as between universities for example. But a nation of multi-million population metropolitan areas would produce balanced local labor markets as a by-product. 27 May 1971