The formation of creative clusters is not preceded by increases in city size. Instead, the emergence of city institutions protecting economic and political freedoms facilitates the attraction and production of creative talent

Serafinelli, Michel and Tabellini, Guido, Creativity Over Time and Space (October 2017). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP12365. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3053893

Abstract: Creativity is often highly concentrated in time and space, and across different domains. What explains the formation and decay of clusters of creativity? In this paper we match data on thousands of notable individuals born in Europe between the XIth and the XIXth century with historical data on city institutions and population. After documenting several stylized facts, we show that the formation of creative clusters is not preceded by increases in city size. Instead, the emergence of city institutions protecting economic and political freedoms facilitates the attraction and production of creative talent.

Keywords: agglomeration, Gravity, Immigration, Innovation, Political Institutions