关键词: 创意阶层 , 集聚 , 知识外部性 , 创新

Abstract:

Is creative class agglomeration in cities beneficial for innovation? To answer the question, this paper builds a creative person living choice model, to expose the theoretical mechanism that creative class agglomeration promotes urban innovation through knowledge externalities, and then, uses panel data of Chinese 20 large cities during 2007—2012 to test the theoretical mechanism. In the basic estimation, after controlling knowledge externality variables such as human capital, foreign direct investment and foreign trade and other environmental variables, creative class agglomeration significantly promotes urban innovation. Based on city or period subsample, regressions show that the causal relationship between creative class agglomeration and urban innovation is robust. Research of this paper indicates that creating a good environment to attract the agglomeration of creative class can effectively enhance large cities  innovation level.

Key words: creative class , agglomeration , knowledge externalities , innovation