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giants McDonald's, "a symbol of a modern lifestyle and urban?

Justin LaHart

Contrary to what the documentary Super Size (Super Size Me, its original title) might suggest, McDonald's might be good for those who live in Europe.

• 's right, eat there may not be very good for your health. However, living somewhere in Europe with a high concentration of McDonald's can also mean that in a culturally diverse area where ideas and innovation thrive, research suggests economists Ceren Ozgene and Peter Nijkamp University of Amsterdam and Jacques Poot University of Waikato, New Zealand.

• Economists say McDonald's is different in Europe, not only because in France it is called Royal Cheese the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. "Unlike North America and other parts of the world, McDonald's restaurants are regarded in Europe as a symbol of cosmopolitanism and a modern lifestyle and urban young people, rather than just a fast food service led low-income sectors, "they explain.

• also argue that image means that in areas where there are McDonald's restaurants there is probably also a large number of immigrants with high qualifications. And because McDonald's is a major source of employment for low-skilled immigrants are likely to be concentrated there also a large number of people with that profile.

• The researchers speculate that the number of McDonald's for a million people would be a good indicator of migration flows, allowing them to test the idea that areas with large concentrations of people from different cultural backgrounds are more likely to generate of ideas, entrepreneurship and economic growth. addition to the figures on the location of McDonald's, for their analysis, economists used data on immigration and patent applications, as a measure of innovative activity.

• Research suggests that the concentration of immigrants in an area alone does not seem to drive innovation. However, areas with large numbers of immigrants from countries with high levels of training, and those with a large population of diverse cultural backgrounds tend to be more innovative.