ABSTRACT
Despite constant dispute and vital discourse on the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of regional development as well as a permanent quarrel over the most effective measures and strategies there is nevertheless a certain degree of tacit agreement on some of the major ingredients of successful regional development. Indeed, some models, concepts and notions are widely accepted – at least for some time – in circles of both academics and practitioners and unremittingly evoked in countless how-to handbooks, policy papers and political programmes. Some models have even become role models and iconic examples of ‘good practice’ informing practitioners about the most appropriate and successful ways of carrying out regional development. Some have been directly transformed into policy prescriptions and built into political agendas. And once they are taken up by powerful political actors and built into official political programmes they acquire the status of undoubted social facts and common knowledge.
