Inequality and space in a highly unequal country: What does the literature tell us in the context of Colombia?

Abstract

AbstractThis article reviews the international literature focusing on territorial disparities to identify key areas of focus through both a traditional and a big data approach considering a highly unequal country: Colombia. First, we use a traditional approach with a manual scan of the literature to provide a structured review and highlight areas of focus and the key findings. We then take a big data approach to identify gaps in the literature. Using the international literature on regional disparities as a point of reference, we identify areas that, compared with international literature, have been understudied in Colombia. We also point to areas that are guaranteed to be subjects of further research to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges related to regional development in Colombia and thus to better informed policy design.