Regional Science Association Research Articles

Twenty years of the Hungarian Regional Science Association in numbers

This study is a retrospect on the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Hungarian Regional Science Association. Our aim is to provide a brief but comprehensive overview of these two decades in the light of quantifiable facts and results. We use document analysis and statistical descriptive methods in order to present a compact picture of the history of the Association's development. The results of our analysis confirm the impression that the Association, after a consistent building process, is characterised by stability, and it offers a wide range of perspectives for professional cooperation between the representatives of regional science.

Opportunities of core and peripheral regions for their sustainable future. Report on the 18th annual meeting of the Hungarian regional science association

International online peer-reviewed open-access journal offers a possibility for the international community of professionals working in the fields of regional and rural development or tourism to exchange their ideas and research results or practical achievements as it publishes results of both theoretical and applied research in these fields.

Working Together as Regional Scientists: A Forward-Looking Retrospective

Several past presidents of the Southern Regional Science Association (SRSA) have used the occasion of the presidential address to reflect on the past and contemplate the future of both the association and regional science more broadly. In this paper, I revisit a group of addresses focused on the relevance and broader impact of regional science, touching on how regional scientists came together, how they have remained together, and how they can continue to work together for collective success.

The National Drug Crisis - What Have We Learned from the Regional Science Disciplines?

Brian Cushing’s Presidential Address for the Southern Regional Science Association Cushing (2017) detailed the U.S. drug crisis, including the high cost in terms of lost lives and financial costs. After determining almost no participation in drug crisis research by the regional science community, he charged regional scientists to learn about the crisis and become part of the discussion. In the few years since that address, the drug crisis has continued to accelerate. This time, however, regional science scholars have stepped up to conduct research and become part of the policy discussions. We update Cushing’s (2017) discussion with new details regarding the worsening crisis. We then document and discuss the “regional science” contributions to the ongoing drug crisis literature. We finish with thoughts regarding what regional scientists doing research on the drug crisis should consider going forward.

When Rent Seeking Smacks You in the Face: TIF and Motivated Reasoning

This article is a substitute for the Fellows Address that I did not get to present at the 2020 Southern Regional Science Association (SRSA) Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regional science research typically addresses real world problems in hopes of guiding better policy decisions. Why is it, then, that economic development plans often fail to reflect best practices? What do you do when you find that your own community is about to buy into a terrible plan? In this address, I share my observations and experience with a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) development plan implemented in Norman, OK. I point out how motivated reasoning leads policy makers to seek reasons to approve a plan rather than to evaluate if a plan is good. To make a meaningful impact on public policy decisions, scholars will need to step out of their comfort zones and engage in - sometimes contentious - community outreach education.

Territorial Research in Central Europe - Report on the 2019 Conferences of the Hungarian Regional Science Association

International online peer-reviewed open-access journal offers a possibility for the international community of professionals working in the fields of regional and rural development or tourism to exchange their ideas and research results or practical achievements as it publishes results of both theoretical and applied research in these fields.

Interprovincial differences in labour force distribution and utilization based on educational attainment in Indonesia, 2002–2015

AbstractIntroducing an employment variable with five levels of educational attainment per capita and employing inequality decomposition, this study addresses three questions. How does labour force vary by education and provinces? How does labour force utilization vary by education and provinces? What are the potential causes of differences? We find that the no‐primary‐education group is more endowed in less‐developed provinces and allocated most unequally among education groups across provinces, despite past universal primary education policies. The senior‐secondary‐education group with the largest labour share is a growing concern due to the lower employment rate and largest interprovincial inequality.

Searching for Isard’s Regional Essence

At the inception of the Southern Regional Science Association in the early 1960s, Walter Isard maintained that areal regions are fundamental units of observation and analysis. To this day, understanding the special significance of regions motivates much of our empirical research. In my address, I argue that regional fixed effects estimates from regression analysis can help us comprehend the distinctive character of areal units. This paper offers two examples from my research. First, I present the results of a regression model that explains regional knowledge spillovers in U.S. counties. Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) has by far the largest fixed effect estimate of any U.S. county. Overall, the county level fixed effects for knowledge spillovers follow a pattern of rapid exponential decay. Next, I inspect neighborhood fixed effects taken from a hedonic housing price model of the Charleston, South Carolina region. The results suggest a clear preference for coastal proximity as reflected in house prices. For neighborhoods away from the coast, the fixed effects estimates exhibit a steep decline toward zero. Like Silicon Valley’s regional advantage in knowledge, beachfront neighborhoods benefit from an exclusive, time invariant advantage that is hard, if not impossible, to replicate in space.

Disillusionment and disenchantment at the fringe: explaining the geography of the One Nation Party vote at the Queensland election. [A version of this paper was delivered to the Regional Science Association. Australian and New Zealand Section. Conference (1998: Tanunda, SA)

The 1998 Queensland State Election resulted in Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party capturing 22.7 per cent of the State’s primary vote and winning 11 of the 89 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The impressive performance of this political party in its first official electoral opportunity has changed the short-term political landscape and left the major political parties pondering why nearly one in four Queenslanders did not vote for them. This paper represents the most detailed analysis so far on the characteristics of One Nation voters in Queensland. Using booth level data, and collector district level information from the 1996 Census, a highly accurate description of One Nation voters is provided. In particular, the paper places an emphasis on the strong showing of One Nation on the fringes of urban areas, which saw the election of One Nation members in the seats of Ipswich West and Caboolture (outskirts of Greater Brisbane), Thuringowa (outskirts of Townsville) and Mulgrave (outskirts of Cairns). Copyright. Monash University and the author/s

For Whom the Bells Toll: Alonso and a Regional Science of Decline.

In his presidential address to the Regional Science Association over thirty years ago, William Alonso presented the case for "Five Bell Shapes in Development" and argued that "the developed countries will enter fully in to the realm of the right-hand tail of these curves" (p. 16) and that this transition might result in several surprises. He proposed, therefore, that we should study the right tail of these "curves" as well as interactions among them. Much of what Alonso suggested has come to pass, although his prognostications were not always exact. And although he touched on several issues of relevance to regional scientists, the discipline has been slow to move away from a growth-centered paradigm. The strength of regional science-the capacity to consider economic, demographic, and geographical aspects of an issue simultaneously-has yet to be focused on some of the "right-hand" challenges that have arisen, population loss, for example. In this article, we provide a review of regional science research within the context of Alonso's five bells and hypothesize how Alonso's propositions might differ in today's world. We then focus more specifically on one particular area: population loss. Using these examples allows us to highlight how regional science might contribute to the conceptualization of "right-hand tail" development challenges, especially where theory, issues of spatial scale, and interregional dependencies are concerned.

A magyarországi regionalizmus egy gyakorlati szakember szemével

More than two decades after the change of the political system, with the EU accession about 12 years ago, Hungarian regionalism and regionalisation processes deserve some attention. The objective of the study is the presentation of the subsequent structural, institutional and regulatory changes from the pre-accession programmes through the first, half programming period, decentralisation initiatives and the Competitiveness Pole programme to the regional policy of our days, including re-industrialisation and smart specialisation. Methodologically, the study combines the theoretical background with an empirical, process-based analysis and involves two new elements in addition to the relevant regulatory framework, strategic programming documents and historical facts. The two new examined elements are the main topics of the Falu Varos Regio (Village, City, Region) periodical from the first issue in 1994 (as the practical side); and the main topics of the annual conference of the Hungarian Regional Science Association from 2003 (as the academic sector). With regard to the applied character of regional studies, the author examined the relationship of regional science (theory and practice) and the necessity, recognition and difficulties of regionalisation and regionalism in the last 25 years. The terms “Theory and Practice” are referred to in the study as synergistic elements and not as contrary definitions. The period examined between the Nineties and the present day is divided into three stages as the Age of Heroes (1992–2003); Stabilisation (2004–2011); and Pathfinding (2012–). These periods are described and compared through a set of characteristics, defined by the author. These include territorial processes; legal regulation; policy development; institutional system and frame-work; infrastructural background; human capacities and resources; internationalisation; financial resources; complexity and specialisation; strategic programming; the relationship of theory and practice; and lastly, the importance of determining characteristics. Finally, some conclusions are presented and some recommendations are formulated for the future, without being exhaustive. The contribution of the study to the state of the art is twofold. Firstly, it provides an overall presentation of the period examined and thus contributes to a better understanding of the processes, especially for the next generation of students and practitioners. Secondly, it can form a sound and inspiring basis for further research, mainly comparative and/or cross-country analysis, in the field of territorial processes of Central and Eastern European countries between 1990 and 2015.

Maximal Coverage Location Problem

The maximal covering location problem was first introduced by Church and ReVelle in 1973 at the North American Regional Science Council meetings and subsequently published in Papers in Regional Science (formerly Papers of the Regional Science Association) in 1974. It has proven to be a seminal contribution to location analysis and modeling, in terms of both technical merit and practical significance. With more than 1,500 citations in the academic literature, it has truly stood the test of time and may actually be as relevant or more so today than when it was first presented/published. Not only is it the subject of broad application and extension, but it has also been integrated in a number of geographic information system–based commercial software packages, including ArcGIS and TransCAD, for general use. This article provides an overview of the maximal covering location problem, highlighting the use, application, solution, evolution, and extension of this important location analytic approach.

Population aging: What role for regional science?

This paper is a revised version of the Western Regional Science Association Presidential Address, delivered at the 54th annual meetings of the Western Regional Science Association, Tucson, Arizona, February 17, 2015. The paper addresses population aging, an issue that has increasingly become a concern for developed and developing nations. Specifically, it considers aging in the USA and the world along with how, where and why Regional Scientists can be more engaged in this discussion.

A Regionális Kutatások Központjának harminc éve. Sikerek és kudarcok egy új tudományágazat megteremtésében

A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia 1984-ben új kutatóközpontot alapított több, korábban regionális kutatásokat végző tudományos műhelyből. A Regionális Kutatások Központjának három évtizedét, kutatási és publikációs eredményeit, a nemzetközi kutatóhálózatban játszott szerepét, területfejlesztési tanácsadási működését foglalja össze a tanulmány. Az intézet alapításkor megfogalmazott missziója a regionális tudomány meghonosítása volt. Az intézet kutatóinak kezdeményezésére jöttek létre e tudományágazat különböző fórumai: a Tér és Társadalom folyóirat, a Területi és Települési Kutatások könyvsorozat, az akadémiai bizottság, a Magyar Regionális Tudományi Társaság, egyetemi tanszékek és képzési szakok. A kutatási portfólió állandó elemei a térfejlődési folyamatok törvényszerűségeinek feltárása, a modern területfejlesztő erők hatásmechanizmusainak alakulása Európában és Magyarországon, a vidéki elmaradottság összetevőinek elemzése, a területpolitika cél-, eszköz- és intézményrendszerének a vizsgálata, a többszintű kormányzás és a területi fejlődés kapcsolata és a regionalizmus voltak.

Knowledge‐based economy in Arab countries between Silicon Valley and Phosphate Gully

AbstractThe above article, published online on 24 February 2014 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, Professor Mike Carroll, the Regional Science Association International and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to overlap with text from “The Knowledge‐Based Economy and the Failure of the Arab Dream: What the !#%@ Happened?” by Wesley Schwalje (Social Science Research Network, published on 24 May 2012).

Thinking about economic growth: cities, networks, creativity and supply chains for ideas

Discussions of economic growth require an examination of the role of cities. It is widely claimed that cities exist because they facilitate economic growth and development. Spatial concentrations reduce transactions costs. There are additional benefits gained as positive spillover effects are realized. The latter is especially important for the exchange of ideas. Creativity comes from new arrangements of thoughts and ideas. The thoughts of others facilitate new combinations of ideas. It is argued here that propitious spatial arrangements make both sets of benefits possible. These arrangements involve choices from a very large combinatorial set. The choice problem is too complex to entrust to models or planning agencies. Rather, flexible land markets are required. This paper is based on the author’s presidential address delivered at the February 2012 meetings of the Western Regional Science Association in Kauai, Hawaii.

Editor’s introduction to: a scholarly tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Western Regional Science Association

The paper provides an interpretive guide to the Special Issue commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Western Regional Science Association. The Special Issue contains 13 papers arranged into four groups (1) Perspectives on the Western Regional Science Association, (2) Assessment with a view to the future (3) Current topics—regional issues, and (4) Current topics—urban issues.

What about aging in regional science?

This paper is a revised version of a North American Regional Science Council Presidential Address delivered at the 57th North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, Denver, Colorado, November 11, 2010. The question ‘What about aging in regional science?’ is posed and discussed from three perspectives. First, the aging of the corpus of practitioners of the multidisciplinary field is considered. Second, views are expressed about how, as each of us individually ages, participation in the temporal and spatial web of the regional science community helps to structure and impart meaning to our professional lives. Third, it is argued that age and aging deserve more attention as regional science research continues to advance. The implications of aging for research in the author’s specialty area of migration are discussed.

In Memoriam: Walter Isard

Walter Isard passed away on November 6, 2010. Walter Isard (1919-2010) was Professor Emeritus of Economics and Regional Science at the Cornell University. Walter's contribution to science is widely acknowledged. He pioneered the fields of both regional science and peace science. Walter was a founder in 1954 of the Regional Science Association. He was also one of the founders of the Peace Research Society in 1963, renamed as the Peace Science Society (International) in 1973.He had founded Peace Economics, Peace Science and Public Policy in 1993 in order to further research in Peace Economics and Peace Science, and to disseminate peace methods and analysis to a wider audience. His commitment and efforts for PEPS have been intense and tireless. We all owe to him a great debt of gratitude for having developed and sustained this journal. His benevolent character and his goodness of heart were not inferior to his science. The whole peace research community will miss him.

The first fifty years of the Western Regional Science Association: the making of the WRSA brand

In 1954 the Regional Science Association held its first conference in Detroit, Michigan. Seven years later, in 1961, the Western Regional Science Association was founded as one of the four United States-based sections (the Northeastern, the Southern, the Mid-Continent, and the Western). In the 50 years since its founding, the WRSA has met its obligation to promote regional science in Western North America and has gone beyond that initial mandate to promote regional science internationally and to become an association that truly delivers on the somewhat whimsical motto: “The way academic life should be.” In this paper, coauthored by the Association’s three long-term Executive Secretaries, W. W. Rostow’s model of the stages for economic advancement is employed, by analogy, to interpret the historical development of the Western Regional Science Association—and of its distinctive “brand”—over its first half century.