Path dependence in medieval English and French town siting

It turns put that total collapse can be better than partial collapse when siting towns.  Confirms the conclusions from post WW2 when Japan and Germany benefited from total destruction. Worth a gander.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/krugman/2013/12/09/the-dead-hand-versus-the-invisible-hand-urban-edition/?_r=0