ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces economic models that have sought to explain how regions grow and the evolution of these models over time. It identifies some of the key variables critical to development. The chapter reviews the substantial body of work produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the determinants of regional growth, including analysis of how impacts vary by location. It shows that the measures needed to promote growth vary by location, current growth rates and pathways, and industrial structure. The chapter considers competitiveness and how it relates to the growth of cities, regions and communities. It argues that while competitiveness at the city or regional scale is sometimes a contested concept, it is an identifiable phenomenon. The chapter examines research into the determinants of development at the city, regional and city scale – and what that research means for those planning local action.
