Regional Development Studies Research Articles

Kritikus tömeg alatt: a fejlesztési együttműködés lehetőségei a kisebb nagyvárosokban

A globális gazdaságban lezajló folyamatok a bővülő agglomerálódás és a nagyvárosok radikális felértékelődése felé mutatnak. A világvárosok hálózata és a hozzájuk kapcsolódó nagyvárosi központok a magas hozzáadott értékű gazdasági tevékenységek erős koncentrációját valósítják meg, és ezek a térségek a fejlesztéspolitika idealizált esettanulmányaivá is válnak. Ezzel párhuzamosan azonban az elégséges méretgazdasági előnyökkel nem rendelkező, 100–300 ezer lakosú kisebb nagyvárosok a perifériára sodródás veszélyével kénytelenek szembenézni. Mivel ezek a városok és kapcsolatrendszereik fedik le a közép-európai tér jelentős részét, kritikus kérdés, hogy képesek-e alkalmazkodni az uralkodó térfolyamatokhoz, képesek-e a gazdaságukat jó irányba elmozdító fejlesztő együttműködések kialakítására.Ebben a tanulmányban három kisebb nagyváros (Pécs, Miskolc és Győr) példáján azt vizsgálom, hogy a gazdasági szerkezet, a telephelyi adottságok és az üzleti környezet átalakulása, valamint a hálózatszerveződés milyen kapcsolatban van a helyi–térségi intézményi struktúrákkal, és mennyiben lehetséges az innovatív fejlesztéspolitika kialakítása olyan térségekben, ahol csak gyenge agglomerációs előnyök találhatók. A tanulmány felhívja a figyelmet a kedvező folytonosságot hordozó örökölt tényezők és az emberi erőforrások, a társadalmi tőke jelentőségére, valamint az ezek folyamatos megújítására képes intézményrendszer fontosságára.A városi kormányzás gyengesége miatt és meghatározó, tőkeerős hazai nagyvállalatok hiányában nem beszélhetünk fejlesztő városi rezsimekről, de a helyi tudás és a stratégiai gondolkodás városi térségekben fellelhető elemeinek egymáshoz illesztésével kialakíthatók a fejlesztési döntések megfogalmazására és képviseletére alkalmas fejlesztési koalíciók, illetve a neokorporativista (osztrák és délnémet mintájú) modellhez közel álló formalizált együttműködési rendszerek.

Strategic Coupling and Regional Development in Resource Economies: the case of the Pilbara

ABSTRACTThe relationship between regions and external capital has been a topic of recurring interest in economic geography and regional development studies since the 1970s. This relationship has recently been re-conceptualised in terms of strategic coupling, a concept that is closely associated with the adoption of a Global Production Networks (GPNs) approach among economic geographers. Like many other concepts in economic geography, strategic coupling has been informed by the experiences of manufacturing and service-orientated regions in developed countries. As such, the question of the applicability of strategic coupling to resource economies in semi-peripheral regions of the world economy remains unexamined, despite the emergence of critical work seeking to unpack and evaluate the concept. This paper aims to extend this embryonic strand of research by providing a critical appraisal of the meaning and relevance of strategic coupling in the Pilbara mining region of Western Australia. My argument is that the relationship between mining capital and regional actors in the Pilbara is more akin to an unbalanced form of structural coupling than the balanced process of strategic coupling depicted in the GPN literature. This underlines the enduring relevance of some long-standing themes of geographical political economy such as external domination, uneven development, conflicts over value and the distinction between development ‘of’ a region and development ‘in’ a region.

Conceptualising the State, Governance and Development in a Semi-peripheral Resource Economy: the evolution of state agreements in Western Australia

ABSTRACTFor the past 60 years, successive Western Australian governments have used a unique policy instrument—state agreements—as a regulatory tool for the development of natural resources and infrastructure in the regions. State agreements are essentially contracts between the government and private-sector companies that are given the status of law through ratification by parliament. From a state theoretical perspective, the evolution of state agreements spans a period that commenced during the Fordist–Keynesian configuration of capitalist development and has continued through the increasing neoliberalisation of the global capitalist system. In many respects, the continued use of state agreements in the regional development of Western Australia is inconsistent with the principles of neoliberalism. This paper integrates an empirical study of regional development in Western Australia with theoretical perspectives in economic geography of the ‘state’, ‘governance’ and ‘development’. More specifically, the paper reflects on the role of state agreements in the development of the Pilbara region.

AN EXTENDED ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION INPUT-OCCUPANCY-OUTPUT MODEL OF THE NON-COMPETITIVE IMPORTS TYPE

This paper provides an extended environment protection input-occupancy-output model of the non-competitive imports type based on the theoretical basis integration of environment protection input-output model,interregional input-output model,and non-competitive imports input-output model.Firstly,the new type of input-output table and principal balance equations of the new model are presented; secondly some new computing methods and main applications of the new model are given in the regional sustainable development study,and a brief summary about some advantages of the model is given at last.

A comparative study of within-basin and regional peatland development: implications for peatland carbon dynamics

Northern peatlands are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems on Earth, but many unanswered questions remain regarding linkages between their long-term developmental processes and climatic variability. In this paper, we present a detailed paleoecological reconstruction of the developmental history of a kettle peatland in northern Wisconsin, USA (Fallison Bog) based on 21 coring locations and temporally constrained by 69 radiocarbon dates. This record of within-basin developmental history is compared to a regional dataset containing estimated ages of peatland establishment for 75 core samples collected from 37 depressional peatlands throughout the Great Lakes Region. Finally, our data are used to develop a spatially explicit model of whole-system carbon accumulation in Fallison Bog, which distinguishes between carbon pools stored in limnic sediments and peat deposits. Results indicate that peatland development in Fallison Bog was episodic and spatially complex. Peatland development was related to the morphology of the underlying basin and characterized by pulses of both terrestrialization and paludification. Major episodes of terrestrialization centered on 4980 and 3180 years before A.D. 1850 (cal yr BP), with less extensive episodes occurring around 3840, 1060, 670, and 410 cal yr BP. Extensive peatland area developed by paludification of shallow portions of the basin around 2040 cal yr BP. The timing of peatland development within Fallison Bog was correlated with the timing of peatland development in other depressional peatlands across the Great Lakes Region (r = 0.70), suggesting a common climatic driver. Comparison of peatland development in Fallison Bog and independent paleoclimate records suggested that both millennial-scale and sub-centennial-scale variability in moisture balance influenced spatiotemporal patterns of peatland development. Model results indicated that Fallison Bog accumulated ∼6655 t of carbon during the Holocene, with 66% of this total stored in peat deposits that have accumulated in only the last ∼5000 years. Collectively, model results and the strong correlation between the timing of within-basin and regional pulses of peatland establishment imply that depressional peatlands likely experienced climate-sensitive and episodic changes in carbon accumulation rates during the Holocene, and similar dynamics could be expected in response to ongoing and future climatic change.

Global changes – new urban realities: University of Basel’s contribution to the study of contemporary urban and regional development

Global economic restructuring, the creation of a knowledge economy and the trend towards sustainability and social inclusion alter the course of local urban and regional development processes, institutions and policies. In shaping policy responses for building up competitive cities and regions in developed countries or for improved governance of uncontrollable cities in emerging economies and developing countries, local and regional policy-makers are embracing regionalization/city-regionalism and are changing administrative and governance structures at the national, regional, sub-regional and local levels. Such inter-related developments are challenges that demand an increased capacity for analysis, strategic planning and policy-making related to local urban and regional development. The article presents the approaches towards the study of urban and regional development characterizing Human Geography at Basel University, as well as its emphasis on professional training in these areas of specialization.

The personal touch

SecEdVol. 2012, No. 2 OthersThe personal touchAlison ThomasAlison ThomasSearch for more papers by this authorAlison ThomasPublished Online:18 Feb 2014https://doi.org/10.12968/sece.2012.2.736AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View articleAbstractAlison Thomas returns to Essa Academy more than two years since it issued every one of its students with an iPod. FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byCoordinating the ISM Code and OHSAS procedures to improve the occupational health and safety at sea14 July 2020 | Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, Vol. 1RILEM Recommended Specification: AAR-7.3 Preliminary International Specification to Minimise Damage from Alkali-Aggregate Reactions in Concrete—Part 3: Concrete Dams and Other Hydro Structures1 October 2015ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION AND GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE LABOR MARKET: A THEORETICAL APPROACH24 February 2015 | Review of Urban & Regional Development Studies, Vol. 27, No. 1 1 February 2012Volume 2012Issue 2ISSN (print): 1479-7704ISSN (online): 2755-290X Metrics History Published online 18 February 2014 Published in print 1 February 2012 Information© MA Education Ltd 2012KeywordsiPodsManaging ICT

Why do Social Innovations in Rural Development Matter and Should They be Considered More Seriously in Rural Development Research? – Proposal for a Stronger Focus on Social Innovations in Rural Development Research

AbstractThe article discusses social innovation from a rural development perspective. The central questions addressed are: What are social innovations and why are they important for rural development? How can we gain more insights into the role and functioning of social innovations in rural development? Drawing on different approaches to conceptualise social innovations pursued in economy, management, sociology, psychology and regional economics, planning and development studies, the article outlines the central aspects on which the concept is built. Based on these insights a proposal for a concise basic definition of social innovations is given and a model of the social innovation process is introduced. Reasoning that a lack of social innovation is often one of the strongest restraints of the vitality and further development of rural communities in developed, democratic, capitalist, industrial countries, the second part orf the article highlights the need to put a stronger focus on social innovations in future rural development research. Building on these insights, the third part addresses open research questions and explains why an actor‐oriented network approach seems to be a promising potential methodological way to approach social innovations in rural development research.

The Economic Role of Metro Manila in the Philippines: A Study of Uneven Regional Development under Globalization

The Economic Role of Metro Manila in the Philippines: A Study of Uneven Regional Development under Globalization

Institutional Entrepreneurship for Knowledge Regions: In Search of a Fresh Set of Questions for Regional Innovation Studies

We investigate conceptually the institutional change process and innovation underpinning knowledge-based regional development from the point of view of institutional entrepreneurship. The main aim is to raise institutional entrepreneurship among debated concepts in regional development studies. We set out to discuss the following question: what kind of conceptual base provides empirical studies with a fresh set of research questions and hence point of departure in a study of the ways in which actors influence the course of events and aim to change the very institutional setting in which they are embedded?

TEORIAS DE LOCALIZAÇÃO APLICADAS ÀS EMPRESAS DE BASE TECNOLÓGICA: UM ESTUDO EMPIRICO

AA área do desenvolvimento regional tem merecido especial atenção por parte de diversos investigadores. Empreendedorismo, clusters, inovação, universidades e empresas de base tecnológica são áreas de conhecimento que têm mostrado um papel principal na contribuição do desenvolvimento regional e, especificamente, no estudo das teorias de localização. Esta investigação visa identificar quais os factores que influenciam a localização das empresas de base tecnológica. Para alcançar tal objetivo um estudo empírico foi conduzido com base em 203 questionários a empresas de base tecnológica localizadas na região da Beira Interior (Portugal). Os resultados evidenciaram a possibilidade de identificar factores cruciais que influenciam a localização dessas empresas. Esses fatores são de natureza comportamental, institucional e neoclássica.

New challenge for competitiveness of an agro-food company: to gain global competitive advantage

As globalization continues its rapid pace, business managers must have tools and expertise to discover new ways to obtain gains from trade and new ways to reduce the costs of trade. It is necessary to adopt original approaches, capabilities, and strategies to succeed in world markets. Developing international knowledge is the foremost management challenge in the emerging global market place. The aim of this paper is to introduce the ‘Star Analysis’ as a method for applying this knowledge to obtain international competitive advantage. The results have been developed by the research project MSM 6215648904 ‘The Czech Economy in the Process of Integration and Globalisation, and the Development of Agricultural Sector and the Sector of Services under the New Conditions of the Integrated European Market’ of Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies.

Review on Quantitative Research Methods of Regional Sustainable Development in China

Abstract Since the 1990s, with the in-depth study and understanding of sustainable development, quantitative study of regional sustainable development (RSD) was increasingly hot in China. Based on quantitative study of RSD from Core Periodical in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (1992–2008), statistical analysis on the annual distribution, periodicals distribution and changes of the distribution were made. And from perspectives of social–economic, ecological, systematic and emerging methods, the course, problems and trends of the quantitative study methods on RSD were examined and analyzed to get a clear summary. By the review, the context on the quantitative study of RSD was to be clarified. The study also showed that, primarily, fields involving quantitative study are expanding; second, big progresses and constant development have been made on the systematic method gradually sophisticated, the flourishing ecological method and emerging new methods in the context of cross and integration which has made complex integrated systems a more satisfactory solution; third, the method system has been more multi-angled, and the clues of independent innovation have been observed despite the fact that the introduction of imported method is the main trend. Although many problems exist, multi-scale study, dynamic timeseries study and inter-regional comparative study will be further exploited and increasingly carried out with the progress of spatial information technology, which would boost the development and application of new methods in RSD study.

Placing the Rural in Regional Development

Ward N. and Brown D. L. Placing the rural in regional development, Regional Studies. Urban and regional development studies tend to focus on the urban as driving innovation and growth, with surrounding areas cast in a passive, residual role. As a result, rural and urban development debates are often conducted separately. This paper introduces a special issue on rural development. It sets out current rural development thinking in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, and explores two trends affecting the place of rural areas in regional development – the differentiation of ruralities in the context of global changes and the changing nature of travel and communications – or mobilities. It then introduces the papers in the special issue. Ward N. et Brown D. L. Introduire l'espace rural dans l'aménagement du territoire, Regional Studies. Les études de l'aménagement du territoire ont tendance à focaliser l'espace urbain comme moteur de l'innovation et de la croissance, tandis que les zones environnantes jouent un rôle plutôt passif et résiduel. Par la suite, les débats sur l'aménagement rural et le développement urbain sont souvent organisés séparément. Cet article cherche à introduire un numéro spécial sur l'aménagement rural. On présente ici la tendance actuelle de l'opinion sur l'aménagement rural dans les pays membres de l'Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economique (OCDE), et examine deux tendances qui influencent le rôle des zones rurales dans l'aménagement du terrotioire – à savoir, la différenciation des zones rurales dans le cadre des changements mondiaux et le développement du transport et des communications – ou des déplacements. Ensuite on présente les articles dans le numéro spécial. Aménagement rural Aménagement du territoire Changement rural Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Economique (OCDE) Ward N. und Brown D. L. Die Betonung des Ländlichen in der Regionalentwicklung, Regional Studies. Im Mittelpunkt der Studien über Stadt- und Regionalentwicklung steht in der Regel die Stadt als Faktor zur Förderung von Innovation und Wachstum, während der Umgebung eine passive Nebenrolle zugewiesen wird. Aus diesem Grund werden die Debatten über die Entwicklung städtischer und ländlicher Gebiete oft voneinander getrennt geführt. In diesem Beitrag wird eine Sonderausgabe über die Entwicklung ländlicher Gebiete vorgestellt. Wir untersuchen die gegenwärtigen Denkweisen bei der ländlichen Entwicklung in den Staaten der Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD) und zeigen zwei Trends auf, die sich auf den Platz der ländlichen Gebiete in der Regionalentwicklung auswirken: die Differenzierung ländlicher Gebiete im Kontext globaler Veränderungen und der Wandel im Bereich der Reisen und Kommunikation – bzw. der Mobilität. Anschließend werden die Beiträge für diese Sonderausgabe vorgestellt. Ländliche Entwicklung Regionalentwicklung Veränderungen in ländlichen Gebieten Organisation für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (OECD) Ward N. y Brown D. L. Ubicación del aspecto rural en el desarrollo regional, Regional Studies. Los estudios sobre el desarrollo urbano y regional tienden a prestar atención al aspecto urbano como el motor de la innovación y el crecimiento, mientras que las regiones circundantes son relegados a un papel pasivo y residual. En consecuencia, los debates sobre el desarrollo urbano y rural muchas veces se llevan a cabo por separado. En este artículo introducimos una edición especial sobre el desarrollo rural. Definimos el pensamiento actual sobre el desarrollo rural en los países de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico (OCDE), y analizamos las dos tendencias que afectan a la posición de las zonas rurales en el desarrollo regional: la diferenciación entre los aspectos rurales en el contexto de cambios globales y la naturaleza cambiante de los viajes y las comunicaciones – o movilidades. Finalmente, se presentan los trabajos en el número especial. Desarrollo rural Desarrollo regional Cambio rural Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico (OCDE)

Power and influence tactics in the promotion of regional development: An empirical analysis of the work of Finnish regional development officers

Increased complexity and rapid pace of change demand more from people responsible for regional development at various levels of activity. This paper has its roots in a belief that the more complex situations are, the more regional development is dependent on the leadership and network management capacity of key individuals. Studying more deeply the roles that various individuals, and the coalitions formed by them, have in institutionalisation, deinstitutionalisation and reinstitutionalisation processes might provide us with additional analytical leverage in regional development studies. This paper focuses on diffuse networks of dispersed powers from a Finnish regional development officer’s point of view. Regional development officers are those people whose job it is to boost the economic development of their respective regions in Finland. The research questions discussed here are: (a) What kind of power is exercised by Finnish regional development officers; and (b) how do regional development officers aim to gain influence for their efforts to promote regional development? The empirical research is based on data gathered (a) through 41 interviews with Finnish actors responsible for the promotion of economic development in city governments, technology centres, regional development agencies, and ministries and other national bodies, and (b) through internet survey of development officers at local, regional and national levels (531 respondents, response rate 51.8%). The survey was designed to solicit information about power and influence tactics in the context of regional development. The empirical analysis shows, for example, how interpretive power and network power are more important for regional development officers than institutional and resource power, and how indirect influence tactics surpass direct tactics.

Endogenous versus Exogenous Development: A Comparative Study of Biotechnology Industry Cluster Policies in South Korea and Singapore

With this study we aim to develop a theoretical understanding and to assess policy implications of cluster development in the context of a knowledge-driven, globalizing Asian economy. We will examine both the strengths and the limitations of recent biotechnology cluster policies in South Korea and Singapore. We argue that the two states share similar experiences in terms of the state's proactive role as a cluster creator, but that they have promoted biotechnology industry clusters in contrasting ways due to different national politics and political institutions. South Korea places more emphasis on endogenous capabilities, while Singapore highlights the importance of exogenous capabilities in biotechnology cluster development. By analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of these contrasting cluster policies, we evaluate the long-standing debate between endogenism and exogenism in the study of regional development. Instead of these dualistic approaches, we employ a global production network analytical lens for understanding the dynamic interactions between localized growth factors (endogenous) and globalizing external factors (exogenous) in the context of Asian biotechnology cluster development. We adopt a multipart strategy that includes archives, surveys, in-depth interviews, and secondary source data collection in order to enhance the validity and reliability of the data.

Robustness in Regional Development Studies. The Case of Lithuania

The definition of robustness in econometrics, the error term in a linear equation, was not only broadened, but, in addition, moved to the meaning of common language: from a cardinal to a qualitative one: the most robust one, more robust than…, as robust as……, robust, weak robust, less robust than…, not robust, etc. Both interpretations are tested by an application on the Robustness in Regional Development, namely of the Lithuanian Regions. The computation of Regional Income, being an exponent of the welfare economy, is not sufficient for the measurement of the well‐being of the regional population. The well‐being economy goes farther. In the well‐being economy, each individual would have to feel good concerning material wealth, health, education, all kind of security and concerning the environment. In other words, multiple objectives have to be fulfilled. Moreover, these different multiple objectives are expressed in different units. Weights are most of the time used to equalize these different units. However, introduction of weights means also introduction of subjectivity. In order to avoid this dilemma, the internal mechanical solution of a ratio system, producing dimensionless numbers, is preferred. In addition, this outcome creates the opportunity to use also a non‐subjective reference point theory. The choice of the objectives is also non‐subjective if all stakeholders are involved, or if all possible objectives are represented. This theory, which is called MOORA (Multi‐Objective Optimization by Ratio Analysis), is applied to the different regions of Lithuania. A redistribution of income has to take place from the well‐being Lithuanian regions to the poorer regions, but under limiting conditions and for well defined and eventually controlled projects. First Publish Online: 09 Jun 2011

Archaeology and world-systems analysis

Many archaeologists have criticized world-systems analysis (WSA) for being overly economistic, ignoring individual actors and importing modern analyses to ancient settings where they are inappropriate. Those criticisms are directed largely at Immanuel Wallerstein's original formulation that was explicitly developed to explain contemporary global inequalities within and among states. In that sense there is validity to these charges. We argue, however, that most of these critiques of WSA have been misplaced. They seem to be rooted in lack of attention to modifications and extensions of WSA over the last three decades intended to address these issues, and often demonstrate a lack of familiarity with a host of WSA studies since 1974. We further argue this newer comparative WSA is a work in progress, which can be useful to archaeologists in the study of regional interactions and long-term development, and to which archaeologists are the most qualified to contribute in order to further the modification and development of WSA.

The impact of land use change on quality evolution of soil genetic layers on the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay

Land use change plays an important part in the studies of global environmental change and regional sustainable development. The change of soil quality can particularly reflect the impacts of human socio-economic activities on environment. Taking the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay as a study case, we analyzed the effects of land use changes on organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), total salinity (TS), pH value in soil genetic layers, and assessed soil quality change related to different land use types from 1982 to 2003. The results show that: (1) The general change tendency of soil quality in the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay declined obviously in A layer and slightly rise in B (or P) layer and C (or W) layer. The contents of TP decreased generally in all soil genetic layers, but the variety difference of other soil quality indices was relatively great. (2) The change of soil quality in the areas where land use changed is far more remarkable than that with land use unchanged. The value of quality variety is A layer >B (or P) layer >C (or W) layer. (3) The changes of soil tillage, cultivation, fertilization, irrigation and drainage activities related to land use may make some soil-forming processes disappeared and bring in other new processes which will affect the soil quality and soil genetic layers directly.

Leadership in Promotion of Regional Development - An Empirical Analysis of Power and Influence Tactics in the Finnish Regional Development Activity

It is always easier to find out the elements of success and/or failure in retrospect than to find new development paths for the future and new modes of action in the middle of uncertain and open-ended situations. True leadership is becoming more and more important and hence there seems to be a need to direct attention also towards studying power and competences needed in promotion of economic development of regions. When aiming to bring human agency back to regional development studies, one way to do it is to ask how people engaged in promotion of regional development actually influence complex processes and networks, how they influence other actors and what kind of power they have. It might also provide us with additional analytical leverage if we understood better the consequences of the choices made and the actions taken by powerful individuals and core coalitions formed by them. The research questions discussed here are: a) what kind of sources of power are used by regional development officers; and b) how regional development officers aim to influence the course of events? The empirical research is based on data gathered a)through 41 interviews of Finnish actors responsible for the promotion of economic development in city governments, technology centres, regional development agencies, and ministries and other national bodies,and b) through internet survey of development officers at local, regional and national levels (531 respondents, response rate 51.8 % ). The survey was designed to solicit information about power, influence tactics and competences in the context of regional development. In addition various bottlenecks in the daily workwere probed. The empirical analysis shows, for example, how interpretive power and network power are more important for regional development officers than institutional and resource power, and how indirect influence tactics surpass the direct ones.