Growing resources for growing cities: Density and the cost of municipal public services in Latin America
研究发现市政公共服务的人均支出与城市人口密度呈强非线性相关，最优密度约为每平方公里9000人，而拉丁美洲85%的市镇低于此水平，为发展中城市紧凑发展提供了政策支持。
We find that per capita municipal spending on public services is strongly and non-linearly correlated to urban population density. Optimal expenditure levels for municipal services are achieved with densities close to 9000 residents per square kilometre. In our study of about 8600 municipalities of Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico, 85% of all municipalities are below this ideal density level. This result provides strong policy support for densification, particularly in medium-sized cities of developing countries, which are currently absorbing most of the world’s urban population growth.