Economic Base Studies for Urban and Regional Planning

Abstract

Comprehensive regional plans, economic development plans, land-use plans, transportation plans, and other planning efforts are shaped by a mental image of economic and demographic conditions and change. Much has changed in the social and political context of urban and regional planning. This chapter briefly notes three sets of ideas that affect planning, as well as demonstrates how elements of economic base analysis can be reoriented to the new ideas. First, the theory of economic change has focused or refocused on agglomerations, clusters and networks of firms, industrial districts, industrial organization, external economies, cumulative causation, and the globalization of the economy. Second, interest in strategic planning and reinventing government has produced an emphasis on accountability and evaluation. Third, the roles of expert and citizen have changed markedly since the 1950s. Economic base analysis can serve a useful role in a citizen-oriented process to create the employment and population forecasts that are central to planning.