The Dilemma Of Regional Policy

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.

Dilemmas of Regional and Local Development aims to identify, diagnose and evaluate various approaches towards regional and local socio-economic development. Over the course of the book, authors from 12 countries and four continents come together to review experiences and solutions related to regional development in a range of different economic, social and political systems. The first part of the volume focuses on the fundamentals of planning regional and local development, particularly focusing on theoretical solutions and development policy concepts. The second part is more applied, looking at practical instruments and solutions for shaping the local economy, and analysing effective development policy. This book will be of interest to economics, geography, politics, and planning scholars and researchers working on regional sciences and local development.

Until recently development has been perceived as an uncomplicated and unqualified human value. As the true cost of development in the 'third world' has become apparent, and the benefits difficult to discover, some have argued that the notion of development is itself fundamentally misconceived. Joanne Scott brings this debate into an unusual context - development within the highly 'developed' European Community. She explores the problems experienced by the Community in its attempts to 'develop' the 'lagging' regions, and considers the important role of law in shaping its policy. She examines both the meaning of development and the effects of different definitions. Her underlying thesis is that while development should clearly not be equated with economic growth, a broader and more human definition might promote beneficial change and contribute to the protection of environmental and social diversity within the Community. All who concern themselves with development, agriculture, environment and the future of the European Community will find these arguments stimulating and important.

Incorporating an oral history approach, this history of radio covers the impact of the arrival of television, the rise of transistor radios, the popularity of rock n' roll, FM stereo stations, underground radio of the sixties, talk radio, public radio, and how technology will affect its future.

After years of near ‘disrepute’ in official circles, Industrial Policy has made something of a comeback over the last few years and is now very much back on the agenda at national and EU levels, driven by concerns over globalisation, deindustrialisation, unemployment and perceived poor growth in the EU. Simultaneously, the European Commission’s Fourth Report on Economic and Social Cohesion has kicked off the debate over challenges to cohesion, the shape of EU Cohesion policy beyond 2013, and how resources should be managed. This debate will find added momentum with the imminent ‘mid-term’ review being launched by the Commission. Discussions over the success or not of the Lisbon Agenda, on-going debates over cluster policies, and recent developments in policy evaluation have also contributed to a burgeoning academic literature over the last eighteen months. This edited volume is especially pertinent given such developments and pulls together a diverse range of contributions from leading authorities in the field to add to these debates and to illustrate connections between them. This book was published as a special issue of Policy Studies.