ABSTRACT
The major criterion for selection adopted here is that each theory discussed should be capable of shedding some light on long-term interregional development trends in Western European countries. This chapter reviews some of the major current theories of regional development. Selection was based in part upon their importance in the literature but mainly upon their relevance for explanations of interregional development trends in market economies more specifically Western Europe and for providing guidelines for regional policy. The brief discussion of regional development trends in Western market economies provides a backcloth of casual empiricism for the analysis of relevant regional development theories. The chapter refers to "market economies", it is obvious that there are no such entities in the real world. All Western economies are to varying degrees "mixed", characterized by both explicit and implicit spatial intervention.
