ABSTRACT

Regional policy is an essential in any government’s toolkit for promoting socioeconomic prosperity. It comes in many forms and can be used to target the development of weak and stronger regions. This textbook provides comprehensive and systematic coverage of regional policy, dealing with core theories and looking at contemporary challenges in practice, addressing regional policy across the world.

Structured in four parts, the book opens with an exploration of regional policy’s characterisation, aims and rationale. The second part is devoted to issues of implementation and the instruments available to policymakers for intervention. The third part addresses regional policy evaluation, as well as statistics and modelling in policymaking. Finally, the book discusses how regional policy is applied in different contexts. Each chapter contains real-life examples of a regional policy topic in action and highlights supplementary topics for advanced readers.

With its broad coverage of the subject, Regional Policy: Theory and Practice will prove a valuable resource for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in regional policy, regional economics, economic geography, planning and public policy.

chapter |10 pages

Introduction to the book

part A|137 pages

Definitions, Justifications and Aims of Regional Policy

chapter Chapter 1|44 pages

Definition and overview of regional policy

chapter Chapter 2|34 pages

The rationale for regional policy

chapter Chapter 3|57 pages

The objectives of regional policy

part B|150 pages

The Implementation of Regional Policy

chapter Chapter 4|44 pages

The regional policy process and its governance

chapter Chapter 5|62 pages

The instruments of regional policy

chapter Chapter 6|42 pages

Innovation and regional policy

part C|43 pages

The Assessment of Regional Policy

chapter Chapter 7|41 pages

The evaluation of regional policy

part D|35 pages

Regional Policy Under Different Circumstances

chapter Chapter 8|26 pages

Regional policy in specific contexts

chapter Chapter 9|7 pages

Conclusions: established trends in regional policy