Regional Development Studies Research Articles

Reflexive Local and Regional Economic Development and International Policy Transfer

This article looks at the international dimension of local and regional economic development policy. We illustrate our argument about the difficulties of comparing the relative effectiveness of policy using the experience of a comparative study of local and regional economic development in Australia, the US, England and Northern Ireland. The empirical work suggests that the preferred tools of local economic development and their locally perceived effectiveness vary but that careful interpretation is necessary to understand why this is the case. Given that international policy exchange is neither inherently bad nor good, but that it is inevitable, we argue for further exploration of the process of cross-national policy transfer to ensure we are learning appropriate lessons.

Là mise en œuvre des fonds structurels en Pologne : influence européenne, poids du passé et apprentissages collectifs

This study of regional development and institutional changes in central Europe examines the impact of EU structural funds in Lower Silesia, Poland. The system designed by the Polish government for distributing these funds is assessed by focusing on the origin and relevance of institutional arrangements and possible changes therein. Attention is paid both to the institutional adjustments made in Poland before the introduction of the EU's regional policy and to the process whereby the administrations responsible for distributing these funds and beneficiaries learn through practice. The reform of territorial management that was supposed to prepare an administrative framework for managing the structural funds (an EU requirement) ran afoul of Polish centralization and other legacies from the Communist past, which are still deeply rooted in the administrative system. As a result, central authorities still oversee the management of regional policy - a tendency reinforced by the reassertion of control by the very state that had designed the system for distributing structural funds so as to restrict the role of regional authorities. As the analysis of Lower Silesia shows, persisting centralism and formalism hamper the system's effectiveness. However collective learning at all levels has helped develop the administration's capacities while gradually rationalized procedures made it easier to absorb structural funds. Furthermore, the regionalization of the management of the structural funds during the 2007-2013 period could turn out to be a vector for reinforcing regional authorities despite persisting supervision by the central government. These two phenomena might weaken the centralization that has deeply shaped territorial administration and the system for distributing structural funds.

Nepal's Geography of Underdevelopment

Baburam Bhattarai, The Nature of Underdevelopment and Regional Structure of Nepal: A Marxist Analysis (Delhi: Adroit Publishers, 2003), xx, 540 pages, hardcover, Rs 600 ($14). Emerging from a middle-peasant family background in Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai excelled at school and then, with a Colombo Plan scholarship in hand, studied architecture and planning in India. By the early to middle 1980s, the theoretical structure of spatial and regional planning studies had changed—in a Marxist direction. Bhattarai wrote his doctoral dissertation at one of the centers of political-theoretical ferment—the Centre for Study of Regional Development, at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi—finishing in 1986. While he was a student, Bhattarai was president of the All India Nepalese Students Association on its founding in 1977. He joined the illegal Communist Party of Nepal (Masal) in the early 1980s. Returning to his native Nepal in 1986, he was the spokesperson of the United National People's Movement during the 1990 uprising, and from 1991 the Coordinator of the United People's Front Nepal, the legal front of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre), which in turn gave birth in 1995 to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN[M]). Bhattarai served prominently in the Peoples' War 1996-2006, and is now de facto second in command of the CPN(M). As of the date of writing preparatory negotiations for Constituent Assembly elections are still taking place, with the fate of the monarchy and the future direction of Nepalese society to be decided in the continuing struggle This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

The Multiplant Business Enterprise and Geographical Space: Some Issues in the Study of External Control and Regional Development (Volume 10, Number 4, 1976)

The Multiplant Business Enterprise and Geographical Space: Some Issues in the Study of External Control and Regional Development (Volume 10, Number 4, 1976)

Regional Development in China: Transitional Institutions, Embedded Globalization, and Hybrid Economies

This paper by a recognized specialist reviews the substantial recent literature on regional development in China, emphasizing studies of regional inequality and local development. It attempts to critically assess progress and changes in the structure of such research, highlighting the important role of institutions and geography, as well as emerging theoretical notions of transitional institutions, embedded globalization, and hybrid economies. The paper identifies intriguing and important questions that remain understudied, and highlights concepts deserving further development. In so doing, it raises questions relating to future research and explores avenues for moving the field forward. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O10, O15, O18. 145 references.

An institutional convergence perspective on China’s recent growth experience: A research note

Abstract. This research note reconsiders China’s recent growth experience from an institutional convergence perspective. Based on the neoclassical production function of growth, a stochastic growth model incorporating an institutional variable is specified and estimated using cross‐province socioeconomic data for 1984–2001. While three explanatory variables all contribute to growth, the most significant and important effect comes from the variable of institutional progress. This suggests that China’s good economic performance since 1978 can be attributed to the convergence of China’s economic institutions with the economic institutions of modern capitalist economies, particularly the East Asian capitalist economies. If this suggestion is accepted, then China’s newly emerging regionalism can be better understood as resulting from an uneven institutional convergence process in a spatial context. These results are different from those of conventional Chinese regional development studies. They are important because they represent the first detailed evidence on the role of institutional effects in a Chinese regional economic study.

Prospecting for Economic Returns to Research: Adding Informational Value at the Market Fringe

ABSTRACT. Private markets constantly assess project investment opportunitiesacross a spectrum of such possibilities. The market’s perspective on the boundary ofviable projects, however, may be more limited than socially optimal due to informationalconstraints. In the case of economic development projects in particular, this boundarycould be extended by public researchers. This paper constructs a method to estimate theprivate and social value-added of such research, providing a new means to understandand assess the public/private sector interface. The framework uses agents’ evolvingsubjective perceptions through Bayesian updating to value research information, alongwith methods to estimate functional forms and relative optima. Two case studies ofregional development research on value-added agriculture in Colorado highlight theutility of the approach. 1. INTRODUCTIONA burgeoning literature is exploring returns to economic research. Recentadvances have been particularly pronounced in the study of applied scholar-ship in agriculture (Alston, Norton, and Pardey, 1995; Fuglie et al., 1996;Huffman and Evenson, 1993; Zilberman and Heiman, 1997). These studiesevolved out of a growing need to be accountable for taxpayer outlays whencompeting with other public activities in budget-cutting eras (Alston et al.,2000). While figures vary substantially and there is considerable discussionabout the appropriate way to measure returns, core estimates converge near40–60 percent per annum (Fuglie, 1996). In the largest statistical survey onresearch returns, Alston et al. (2000) found median rates to fall near the corerange but mean rates to be higher. Their results are based on a meta-analysis

China's Unbalanced Economic Growth

This paper summarizes empirical findings and results from the author's most recent research publication in Chinese: China's Unbalanced Economic Growth. It studies China's economic growth with a special emphasis on its regional disparities. It provides an analysis of China's overall economic landscape as well as an empirical study of China's unbalanced regional development. Based on its quantitative findings and results, the author predicts the emergence of ten Chinese metropolitan economies in the early twenty-first century and recommends a regional development strategy as well as implementation policies for China's future development. The major empirical findings, results and conclusions of this research are outlined in three sections: the first describes China's economic future—the emergence of ten regional metropolitan economies, the second reports the empirical findings of China's national and regional economic disparities and discusses policy implications, and the third investigates China's future economic growth and discusses its growth limitations.

Spatially varying development mechanisms in the Greater Beijing Area: a geographically weighted regression investigation

This study aims to extend the understanding of regional development mechanisms in China. This study investigates spatial non-stationarity in China’s regional development mechanisms by applying geographically weighted techniques on spatial datasets in the Greater Beijing Area, China. The analyses reveal two results: first, regional development mechanisms in the Greater Beijing Area show significant spatial non-stationarity; and second, development mechanisms have strong local characteristics; this study hence complements the current literature in China’s regional development studies. The study demonstrates the importance of local spatial modeling techniques in regional development research.

Regional Development in Transylvania, Romania

The paper deals with regional development issues in Transylvania, making proposals for professionals working at the local governments concerned. Human, geographical and economic studies on and spatial management of these microregions emerge as an essential issue connected to European regional policy and rural development. Based on the analysis of social and economic statistical data in frame of a research programme, the paper introduces associations and organisations, and their relationship in the territory under examination. Local governments of settlements joined to form development associations on a voluntary basis. These non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are to be directly involved in the activities of regional development councils of settlements and counties (judeo). The principles adopted by the EU concerning regional and rural development, and criteria to obtain pre-accession support are studied in detail. The documentation and study of regional development as a result of the research are to se...

Regional Planning Cartography

On the development of regions, whatever they are cannot be separated from the planning stage before the development stage it self. This paper aims to investigate the role of artography, in relation with the study of regional development, especially in relation with the preparation of map types that are relevant and need for both planning and regional development processes. Planners have agreed that maps are highly neede in the planning process, but much is still debated as to ways of presentation, contents of theme, and suitable scala for planning purposed. There are two groups of maps neede by planners, i.e. status maps that are neede before planning and maps that are neede during the planning process. The selection of how much information needed to be drawn on maps for the aims of regional planning, is a difficult problem to solve and also challenge for us, especially geographers. This paper is only a desription of our contribution of thoughts, not based on any research, but is a compilation from various source/ideas, particularly from cartographer who are experienced in their new field, i.e. “Regional Planning Cartography”.

Information Technology, Municipal Planning and Geographical Rationalities

In recent years increasing attention has been directed towards the production of situated knowledge and localised learning, not least within the field of local and regional development studies. The overall purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between Swedish municipal planning and information technology (IT). More specifically, the focus is on the use of IT as a means to stimulate local development and on the difference that space makes in this process. A theory of IT planning as a spatio-temporal learning process is developed in an attempt to highlight the links between space, time and thought-and-action in relation to IT. The summary of an inquiry covering 85% of the municipalities in Sweden is presented along with five case studies of the municipalities of Arvidsjaur, Arvika, Gotland, Helsingborg and Ystad. Some general tendencies within Swedish planning today and the role of planning in a flexible political economy are outlined. The paper concludes with a discussion about the connections between IT, municipal planning and geographical rationalities.

Development of Basic Rusal Services: An Operational Approach

Approach on the study of rural service development is often confused with general regional development study in which both development indicators are interchanged. However the two study are closely related and able to contribute one to another. A confusion also exist in the setting up of the concepts of social services, economic services, and infrastructures functions. As such, the study of service development should have a great care of the study implication in which sectoral action planning should follow up. This article tries to present an operational approach on the rural service development with an ilustrative case study of Yogyakarta Special Region.

Institutions, Power and Space

Economic geographers have drawn upon concepts from institutional economics and economic sociology in recent years to understand processes of regional development within an increasingly globalized economy. In this paper, we assess the influence of this institutional `turn' in economic geography and regional development studies. Two interrelated themes provide the focus of our critique. First, we emphasize the neglect of power and politics in relation to potential intraregional tensions and divisions and the effects of wider processes of uneven development and political-economic regulation. Second, we are critical of the tendency to reify the region over other geographical scales as an object of empirical enquiry and a site of policy intervention. In response to these shortcomings, we conclude by emphasizing the need to rediscover `a sense of political economy' (Martin and Sunley, 2001), suggesting that the potential of institutional approaches can best be realized by linking these to a reworked spatial political economy. While this will inevitably run up against conceptual and methodological difficulties given the differing origins and orientations of the two bodies of knowledge, such a theoretical synthesis could combine a sensitivity to difference, context and contingency with a stronger appreciation of the realities of uneven development and contested social relations under advanced global capitalism.

Fuzzy Concepts and Sloppy Thinking: Reflections on Recent Developments in Critical Regional Studies

H UDSON R. (2003) Fuzzy concepts and sloppy thinking: reflections on recent developments in critical regional studies, Reg. Studies 37 , 741-746. There have been considerable changes in approaches to the study of regions and regional uneven development in recent years. Much of this has been associated with cultural and institutional "turns' in the social sciences, involving a greater reliance upon case studies, qualitative forms of evidence and analysis, and different concepts of theory. For Ann Markusen these developments are problematic, both in themselves and in their resultant increasing detachment from public policy. I have some sympathy with her critique but in some respects see it as misconceived. Not least this is because of its conflation of quantitative methods with a traditional conception of theory that sits oddly with her call for greater policy and political involvement. Such concerns are better served by the theoretical traditions and practices of critical theory and political economy. H UDSON R. (2003) Des concepts confus et des pensées laxistes: des réflexions sur des développements récents dans le domaine des études régionales critiques, Reg. Studies 37 , 741-746. Dans les dernières années, il y a eu d'importants changements des façons d'étudier les régions et les déséquilibres régionaux. Pour la plupart, cela s'explique par des "tournures' culturelles et institutionnelles prises dans les sciences sociales, nécessitant une dépendance accrue vis-à-vis des études de cas, des formes qualitatives de preuves et d'analyse, et des concepts de théorie différents. Pour Ann Markusen, ces dé veloppements-là s'avèrent problématiques en soi et en termes de leur séparation accrue de la politique publique. Dans une certaine mesure, on est d'accord avec sa critique, mais à certains é gards on la considère mal conçue. A commencer parce qu'elle regroupe les méthodes quantitatives autour d'une notion traditionnelle de la théorie qui va lourdement de pair avec sa demande d'un engagement politique et de politique accru. Les traditions théoriques et les pratiques de la théorie critique et de l'économie politique sont plus utiles à de tels soucis. H UDSON R. (2003) Unklare Konzeptionen und schludriges Denken: Betrachtungen über seit kurzem auftretende Entwicklungen bei kritischen Regionalstudien, Reg. Studies 37 , 741-746. Ansä tze zum Studium von Regionen und regional ungleichmßiger Entwicklung sind in den letzten Jahren beträchtlichem Wandel unterworfen gewesen. Viel davon ist kulturellen und institutionellen "Wenden' in den Sozialwissenschaften zu zuschreiben, die sich vermehrt auf Fallstudien, qualitative Beweisformen und Analysen, sowie verschiedene theoretische Konzepte stützen. Für Ann Markusen sind diese Entwicklungen als problematisch, sowohl an sich, als auch in ihrer sich daraus ergebenden zunehmenden Loslösung von der öffentlich verfolgten Politik. Der Autor hat in gewisser Weise Verständnis für ihre Kritik, sieht sie jedoch in mancher Beziehung als von falschen Voraussetzungen ausgehend an. Dies ist hauptsächlich so wegen ihrer Zusammenfassung von quantitativen Methoden mit einer traditionellen Konzeption von Theorie, die schlecht zu ihrem Aufruf zu stärkerem Engagement in Bestrebungen und Politik paßt. Solchen Anliegen ist besser mit den theoretischen Traditionen und dem Praktizieren von kritischer Theorie und Volkswirtschaft gedient.

Perplexity, Complexity, Metroplexity, Microplexity: Perspectives for Future Research on Regional Growth and Change

In this paper I make some summarizing comments regarding the papers in this special issue. I argue that we have entered a product-specialization stage in regional science scholarship and that there may now be a need for some broad synthesizing research such as that characteristic of earlier years of the research venture. I contend that studies of regional growth and development constitute “the highest form of the regional scientist’s art.” And I argue for greater consideration to be given to disaggregating our variables by demographics and paying greater attention to geographic units and scales. In that spirit, I present some information about the forthcoming new system of Core-Based Statistical Areas. I use an experimental version of the new system of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas to illustrate some urban-scale effects evident in recent county-level growth trends.

A Large‐Scale Dynamic Multi‐Regional Cge Model with an Illustrative Application

This paper describes FEDERAL‐F, a large‐scale general‐purpose multiregional computable general equilibrium model. The model is dynamic and can be used for forecasting, policy analysis and historical analysis. Large‐scale CGE models are commonly used in Australia and play a central role in policy analysis. In this paper we provide an overview of the core of FEDERAL‐F's equations via a stylized representation that expresses the model's equations in functional form. An illustrative application demonstrating the power of the model is undertaken. It demonstrates that a feasible state government fiscal policy to halt Tasmania's declining share of national GDP does not exist.

Testing the differential urbanisation model in Great Britain, 1901–91

This paper tests the relevance of the differential urbanisation model for depicting the spatial urban development of Great Britain. Population change is studied for eight, mainly decade–long, periods from 1901 to 1991 using a version of the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) Functional Regions framework. Rates of population growth are calculated for a Britain–wide classification of settlements based on population size and for a six–fold typology based on status within the national urban hierarchy. The differential urbanisation model is then tested for Great Britain as a whole and for four broad regional divisions. The results suggest that the British urban system had very largely moved beyond the urbanisation stage by the beginning of the twentieth century and that counter–urbanisation was the prevailing pattern before mid century.

Local organisations and institutions. How can geographical proximity be activated by collective projects?

This paper deals critically with the concept of geographical proximity as a prerequisite for successful regional innovation processes. Using three case studies, we show that regional development studies need to connect geographical proximity with organisational proximity achieved by actions to mobilise resources around a collective project or utilising common institutional routines and values.

Development Strategy, Viability, and Economic Convergence

The paper argues that an economy's industry/technology structure is endogenously determined by the economy's endowment structure. For the convergence to occur, the government of an LDC should target the upgrading of endowment structure instead of the industry/technology structure in its development strategy. If the government chooses to pursue an industry/technology structure, which is inconsistent with the comparative advantage determined by the economy's endowment structure, the firms in the government's priority sectors will be nonviable and the government needs to suppress the function of market and distort all kinds of prices as a way to protect the nonviable firms. Convergence will fail to occur as a result. Regression results from cross-country panel data are consistent with the predictions of the above arguments.