Urban Competitiveness

As a working definition, urban competitiveness can be seen as the ability to attract mobile investment: the creation of new establishments, expansion in existing premises, opening a branch plant, or in-migration. Unlike mergers, take-overs and the rationalization of existing facilities the different forms of mobile investment imply a choice of location for companies on the local level (1).

(1) Commission of the European Communities (1993) New location factors for mobile investment in Europe, Brussels and Luxembourg, Directorate-General for Regional Policies, 157 p.