ABSTRACT
In the sense of centrally directed resource allocation, planning has lost favor in Western capitalist countries. There are exceptions, of course. Fiscal-monetary planning has remained as strong as ever. This chapter undertakes a critique of the classical paradigm of regional planning. It provides evidence of a territorial politics with reference to the historical case of Quebec. The chapter suggests a set of propositions for research into the political economy of territorialism. It discusses some implications of the political economy model for the practice of regional planning. The regional planning paradigm that emerged was based on certain key assumptions which still determine much classical thinking about development. Regional planning has traditionally been seen as a form of direct intervention in market processes by the state. The foregoing history of territorial movements in Quebec Province suggests a series of propositions about such movements that may serve as the starting point for a serious research effort into the political economy of regionalism.
