Regions In Recession And Resurgence

The world economy has undergone rapid evolution in recent decades, along with changes in the importance of industries and their organization, and sharp changes in the fortunes of regions. There are differences of opinion regarding the mainsprings of change and development and the role of goverments in fostering national output. In order to show the relvance of these changes to regional economies, the book focuses on the different schools of economic thought – from the neo-classical, through Keynesian to Marxist/radical ideas and monetarist/supply-side thinking – providing a brief description of their structure in non-spatial terms. The way these theories map into contrasting ideas regarding the mechanisms of regional economic growth is then explained. The book concentrates on developed economies and explicitly seeks to confront theory with fact, fact with theory. Bringing together non-spatial economic thery, regional growth theory and relevant empirical data, this book is intended for students in geography and regional economics but will also be of interest for those studying politics and government.

Actors and institutions in localities and regions across the world are seeking prosperity and well-being amidst tumultuous and disruptive shifts and transitions generated by: an increasingly globalised, knowledge-intensive capitalism; global financial instability, volatility and crisis; concerns about economic, social and ecological sustainability, climate change and resource shortages; new multi-actor and multi-level systems of government and governance and a re-ordering of the international political economy; state austerity and retrenchment; and, new and reformed approaches to intervention, policy and institutions for local and regional development. Local and Regional Development provides an accessible, critical and integrated examination of local and regional development theory, institutions and policy in this changing context. Amidst its rising importance, the book addresses the fundamental issues of ‘what kind of local and regional development and for whom?’, its purposes, principles and values, frameworks of understanding, approaches and interventions, and integrated approaches to local and regional development throughout the world. The approach provides a theoretically informed, critical analysis of contemporary local and regional development in an international and multi-disciplinary context, grounded in concrete empirical analysis from experiences in the global North and South. It concludes by identifying what might constitute holistic, inclusive, progressive and sustainable local and regional development, and reflecting upon its limits and political renewal.

Most of the less-favoured regions in Europe feature large areas of forestland. The FORWARD (Forest Resources for Work Opportunities and Regional Development) project was initiated to generate employment and income based on forest resources. This report presents the findings of the project.

Applying the principles of Optimal Control Theory to the problem of regional allocation of investment can be a useful tool for demonstrating how the trade-off between regional equity and overall efficiency can be overcome. This book poses the following questions: are spatial inequalities harmful for overall efficiency? How is the economist to assist the policy-maker in establishing generally applicable criteria or policies when the aims include equity as well as efficiency? Alexiadis analyses the 'equity versus efficiency' dilemma in the allocation of scarce resources, expressing the argument in mathematical terms; an issue of particular importance in development planning and programming. This is invaluable reading for final year and postgraduate students of regional, development and mathematical economics, as well as researchers, policy makers and all those working in regional development institutions.

The books in this set, originally published between 1968 and 1992 introduce the reader to the many lines of thought in the literature on economic geography and tie these various aspects together within the concept of the economy. As well as providing a comprehensive overview of the Western European economy since the Second World War, and including specific studies and assessments of the Dutch and Italian economies, these volumes examine the economic factors that have shaped cities and patterns of urbanization.

First published in 1999, this volume responds to the recent application of Local Economic Development around the world and examines its impact in South Africa in the wake of the nation’s recent political transition. Etienne Louis Nel observes how the initiative is taking on a dual form of community-led and authority-led initiatives. Nel explores the issue through areas including South Africa’s space economy, a case study of Stuttenheim and local economic development in East London.