Search

We analyse how spatial disparities in innovation activities, coupled with migration costs, affect economic geography, market structure, growth and regional inequality. We provide conditions for existence and uniqueness of a spatial equilibrium, and for the endogenous emergence of industry clusters. Spatial variations in knowledge spillovers lead to spatial concentration of more innovative firms. Migration costs, however, limit the concentration of economic activities in the most productive region. Narrowing the gap in knowledge spillovers across regions raises growth, and reduces regional inequality by making firms more sensitive to wage differentials. The associated change in the industry concentration has positive welfare effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using regional data encompassing 155 Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) regions across the EU-28 member states, we estimate the effect of tourist arrivals (total, domestic, and foreign) on regional growth over 2000-2018. Our empirical strategy tackles three data properties that cripple common econometric approaches: cross-section dependence, nonstationarity, and the endogeneity of the regressors. In addition to "pooled" models that assume common parameters across regions, we run "heterogeneous" models where parameters are allowed to differ between regions. Results of the pooled estimations show that domestic and total tourism inflows have positively and significantly contributed to growth, and the positive effect of foreign tourism is statistically discernible in regions that are mainly destinations for foreign tourists. Findings based on region-specific regressions reveal that the average impact on regional growth of tourist inflows is positive and significant, and large regional disparities in terms of the growth impact of domestic/foreign tourism exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using city-level data from China for the period 2003–15, this paper studies how the Internet affects economic disparities between cities through its heterogeneous impact on the economic growth of cities with different penetration rates and population sizes. The results show that the Internet widens the economic disparities between cities with low Internet penetration rates and cities with high Internet penetration rates, and even if the penetration gap between cities is bridged in the future, the Internet will still widen the economic gap between large and small cities due to the reinforcing effect of city size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern and central regions of Argentina moved from being relatively poor in the sixteenth century to being the richest in the country today. Although there is some evidence of this reversal, the process of regional growth in Argentina in the first half of the twentieth century is, in the main, unknown. In this paper, we present an estimation of the GDPs of Argentina's 25 provinces in 1914: this is the first consistent estimation of this variable for any period before the 1950s. Our results confirm that in 1914 the city of Buenos Aires and some districts in Patagonia had the highest per capita GDP, and a comparison with the available data for 1953 shows strong persistence in incomes per capita in this period; sectoral analysis of provincial GDPs suggests that growth in the leading districts was driven by economies of agglomeration in some cases and land abundance in others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has aroused the attention all over the world, because not only can it directly damage the living environment, but it can also impact on the social and economic development, of a region in an obvious and far-reaching way. In this paper, we builded a trans-log production function model incorporating variables, such as rainfall, labor force, technology and temperature to simulate how climate changes impacted on the regional economics. Time series data of the domestic economy of Nanjing, a city in the southeast China, between 1996 and 2017, were used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontier. The results showed that: with the rainfall increased and the temperature declined, the climate impact on the economy and the absolute value of the output elasticity of the frontier diminished. In addtion, the climate change was also positively related to the capital investment. The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. • This paper builds a trans-log production function model. • Time series data are used to verify the production theory of trans-log production frontiers. • Analyzing the effect of climate change on the regional economy. • The larger variation of temperature negatively impacted on the economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desmet, Gumpert, and Ortίn have analyzed regional development using the Ricardian model or the Heckscher–Ohlin theorem. However, aspects such as consideration of combined wages, substitution elasticities, marginal costs, fixed costs, and number of companies were completely ignored. This study investigates the underdevelopment of regions in light of Krugman's core–peripheral model. The extension of the model is intended to analyze the aspects that have so far been ignored and their influence on the benefits of the two regions. The following aspects characterize the model. Two regions with two sectors are considered for the model. The regions are characterized by different technological equipment. The first region is industrial. The second region has an agricultural character. When a new technology is available, both regions can benefit under certain conditions. The financial transfers lead to a convergence of wages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uneven spatial distribution of economic and financial activities in China has long been a concern of both researchers and policy makers. While most previous research focuses on China’s regional disparities measured using provincial data, this article investigates intra-provincial disparities which reflect the dispersion among cities within a given province. Using data on 282 prefecture-level cities in 25 provinces from 2003 to 2012, the relationship between economic disparity and financial disparity is investigated, after which the effects of the intra-provincial disparities on provincial economic growth are examined. It is found that intra-provincial financial disparity and economic disparity are positively correlated. The results also show that intra-provincial economic disparity has no effect on provincial economic growth. The intra-provincial financial disparity, however, has a negative effect on the local economic growth rate. Therefore, developing financial inclusion and narrowing financial disparity are important measures to maintain sustainable and inclusive economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twenty-first century is characterised by major shifts in the global economic paradigms. Europe constantly diminishes its importance in the world slowly drifting towards the secondary roles in determining the progress of human civilisation. The European Union as the main integrational structure on the continent is set to offer Europe a global perspective and consolidate the member countries’ common influence in international relations. Several enlargement waves were undertaken comprising countries of different economic development level. The main mechanism of the European Union in enhancing the economic cohesion among the member states is the Regional policy. The largest portion of financing is allocated towards enhancing the economic potential of least developed EU regions. Considering this fact, the present research is set to analyse the inter-regional development discrepancies in the Eastern European countries i. e. Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria in the context of raising global competition and to identify the key economic growth determinants of the nations. The results underline that there is a strong necessity to empower the prerogatives of the EU to increase its ability to decide the issues related to discrepancies reduction, infrastructure investments and improvement of the regional business opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following Hausmann et al. (2011), we apply a network approach to measure the level of economic complexity and diversification opportunities of Russian regions. Using Russian and international export data, we find that the complexity of Russian regional economies varies substantially: relatively high in western and central regions, lower in southern and northern Russia and lowest in eastern regions. While Russian regions, on average, have poor diversification opportunities, regions can still diversify their exports by participating in international value-added chains or cooperating in developing group strategies. Our results are highly consistent with two well-established rankings of Russian regional R&D development based on numerous regional indicators, and imply that our network-based measure of complexity captures important features such as the level of regional R&D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Few studies of agrarian transition examine what farmers themselves feel about farming. Are they cultivating out of choice or a lack of options? What distinguishes farmers who like farming from those who do not: their personal/household characteristics and endowments? The local ecology and regional economy? Or a mix of these and other factors? Understanding farmer satisfaction is important not only for assessing citizen wellbeing but also for agricultural productivity, since occupational satisfaction can affect a farmer’s incentive to invest and reveal production constraints. Using a unique all-India data-set which asked farmers, ‘Do you like farming?’ this paper provides answers and policy pointers, contributing a little-studied dimension to debates on the smallholder’s future and subjective wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The employment and population growth equilibrium model is extended to allow for differentiated linkages between rural and urban regions and among rural regions. The model is applied to examine the regional disparities within the rural economy of Northern Ireland between 2001 and 2007. To represent the theoretical idea of commuter shed, commuting data are used to construct the spatial weighting matrix. The results reveal positive rural-urban but negative rural-rural linkages, suggesting that rural regions benefit from economic growth in urban regions but compete with each other. The direct and indirect spillover effects are shown using simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimate the technical efficiency of Mexican states using stochastic production frontier models. The empirical section uses panel data over the period 1988-2008. A distinctive feature of the paper is the use of socioeconomic and location data in order to control for the heterogeneity of the states. We find that crime rate negatively affects the efficiency of the states and that its effect is only significant after a certain level. Our results also show that education and productive specialization shift the production frontier upwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative analysis is made of regional public finances activity in Brazil and Mexico, and its impact upon the development of the different regional demarcations in these two countries. "Subnational" governments are very relevant for the welfare of their populations and for that reason the contributions of local development theory are taken as a starting point, as it centers upon the interaction between regional governments, the comparative resources of each territory, and the activities of private enterprise into the process of growth and economic development. For this reason the analysis starts with the hypothesis that the local governments with the largest fiscal autonomy and that can take advantage in an efficient manner of their resources by way of expenditure, improve the welfare of their inhabitants by way of their use of public resources. It also shows by way of a multidimensional analysis to determine correlations, and the elaboration of panel models that the regions (or states) with most economic and social progress are those that have a large degree of fiscal autonomy, carry out a better assignation of public money in priority areas, and take advantage in a more efficient way of their resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to examine the effects of crime on regional economic growth in Mexico. We estimate a growth model using a spatial panel data model and test for the presence and type of spatial interaction, as proposed by Elhorst. Our results suggest that a two-way spatial Durbin model best fits the data, crime exerts a negative total effect on economic growth across Mexican states, particularly homicides and robbery, and significant spillover effects seem to reinforce the negative impact on regional growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solow (1956) has made an essential contribution to the Neo-classical growth approach through the economic convergence hypothesis. It assumes that poorer countries' or regions' per capita incomes tend to grow at faster rates than the richer ones. Convergence could occur either among a group of economies with the same steady states or within regions in which their fundamental dynamics differ, and thus they exhibit multiple steady states. This study aims to investigate convergence with respect to GDP per capita across NUTS 2 regions in Turkey for the time period 2004-2014. In the convergence process, we also inquire into role of government in terms of regional government investments and fixed investment incentives. All the empirical results confirm the validity of the convergence hypothesis at a regional level. Also, in the context of the convergence process, it is possible to conclude that the role of government is likely to be decisive in solving regional economic disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unbalanced spatial distribution of industries has always been linked with regional economic disparities in the literature. So, the information about the spatial concentration of industries is essential for the purposes of regional development policies. Therefore, the present study examines the trend and pattern of concentration of major two-digit industries across the 20 states during 2001-02 to 2011-12. Using location quotients, we find that geographical concentration exhibits a great deal of variation across the states. Specifically, the results show that northern states of India like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh display an upward trend in concentration for majority of the industries. On the other hand, eastern states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha have experienced a declining concentration of these industries. Therefore, these states need to formulate and effectively implement the industrial policies that attract more industries in these states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to examine the intra-state concentration of unorganized manufacturing enterprises in India. Using a unique data-set of 394 districts of 16 states, drawn from Enterprise Survey data of National Sample Survey (NSS) 1994-95 and 2005-06 'thick' rounds, we have ranked the districts based on a composite index of district level development of unorganized manufacturing enterprises and measured the intra-state concentration by employing the Herfindahl index. The findings reveal that the most 'lagging' industrial districts are present not only in backward states but in developed states also. Intra-state concentration is found to be highest in Maharashtra, followed by Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, whereas relatively low in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal. Between 1994-95 and 2005-06, intra-state concentration has declined in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Bihar and Odisha, whereas it has increased in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However, there is evidence for within state β-convergence in all the states, except Himachal Pradesh. Our analysis also shows that intra-state concentration of unorganized manufacturing enterprises is positively associated with the level of economic and industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian & Latin American Economic History is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Regional economic growth in Portugal has mainly been studied from the perspective of convergence with data ending by the early 2000's. The country as a whole has stopped converging to the output levels of the richest European countries by this period and has also become one of the most unequal EU member-states in terms of income distribution in the meantime. It is thus important to analyze the growth performance at the regional level in a more recent period, 1995-2007, emphasizing regional disparities in inequality as explanatory factors. This study examines the relationship between inequality and regional growth in Portugal at NUTS III level exploring the explanatory power of earnings and education inequality measures computed with data from the Quadros de Pessoal database. The results point to a positive relationship between initial inequality and regional growth, stronger for education than for earnings inequality, but with earnings inequality measures revealing a higher explanatory power. Moreover, there is evidence that it is inequality at the top end of the distribution that is relevant to explain regional growth, a result that reinforces the higher propensities to save of the richer and the incentives mechanisms of transmission from inequality to growth. Additionally, the evidence on the existence of convergence among Portuguese NUTS III regions during the period under analysis is mixed. These findings are robust to the introduction of most additional control variables and the consideration of alternative measures of earnings and education inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We examine the organization and location choice of heterogeneous firms in a two-region economy. When some high-productivity firms engage in multiplant production, a reduction in transport costs causes two changes in a small region: the closure of plants by high-productivity multiplant firms and the relocation of low-productivity single-plant firms to the region. In the presence of high-productivity multiplant firms, therefore, a decline in transport costs reinforces the spatial sorting of firms by productivity, enlarging the productivity gap between large and small regions. Conversely, reducing investment costs weakens the spatial sorting effects on regional productivity disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the economic heterogeneity of Ecuador's regions using a descriptive analysis, and also to explain its main causes and implications. In comparison to the European Union, Ecuador exhibits a much higher degree of economic heterogeneity within regions and provinces. We relate this pattern to the dynamics of the economic structure, and we also highlight the progress done by now in enhancing regional convergence in Ecuador. The implications of the regional economic heterogeneity are important for the design of effective governmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era when it is proclaimed that, through globalization, the world has become flat, the unevenness of economic and social development is often overlooked or suppressed. This case study explores the conditions of uneven geographical development in the urban space of central Florida. Focusing primarily on the Reedy Creek Improvement District ( RCID), better known to much of the world as Walt Disney World, and on Celebration, the community developed by the Disney Corporation in the 1990s, the relationship between tourism, the defining economic sector in the region, and uneven geographical development is explored. This study shows that the theory of uneven geographical development applies well to a region that is heavily dependent upon the tourist sector for its economy, and thereby works to control the narrative of that space to continue attracting consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widening economic gap between Japan's major urban centers and its rural regions has been regarded as one of the country's most serious political and social concerns since the early 2000s. This article examines the politics of regional inequality in Japan over the past decade, focusing on the driving force of the growing divide between the urban and rural economies and the strategies of political parties to redress the problem. In this article, I argue that the Koizumi cabinet's fiscal decentralization and neoliberal economic reform contributed to the rapid rise of regional inequality. While the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan attempted to respond to this problem in the post- Koizumi period, the urban-based Democratic Party of Japan strategically made people's growing concern over regional economic disparity a key part of its electoral agenda in order to court the rural vote. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, regional income inequality has followed an inverted U-shaped curve, growing during industrialization and market integration and declining thereafter. By contrast, Sweden's regional inequality dropped from 1860 to 1980 and did not exhibit this U-shaped pattern. Accordingly, today's regional income inequality in Sweden is lower than in other European countries. We note that the prime mover behind the long-run reduction in regional income differentials was structural change, whereas neoclassical and technological forces played a relatively less important role. However, this process of regional income convergence can be divided into three major periods. During the first period (1860-1940), the unrestricted action of market forces, particularly the expansion of markets and high rates of internal and international migration, led to the compression of regional income differentials. During the next period (1940-80), regional convergence was even more intense. In this period, institutional arrangements favoured the reduction of productivity differentials across industries and successive governments aided the reallocation of the workforce from declining to thriving regions and economic sectors. During the last period (1980-2000), when regional incomes diverged, internal migration and structural change slowed. Furthermore, the development of knowledge-intensive service industries favoured economic growth in the main metropolitan areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper intends to document the process of economic convergence of Romanian regions based on the entropy approach. Entropy indexes were calculated based on regional GDP per capita and studied their components (within and between regions). The main findings show a divergence process of the economic performance of regions, confirmed by other statistical measures of regional disparities (standard deviation and coefficient of variation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian & Latin American Economic History is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

State level economy has always been relying on its major metropolitan area's economic success. So, such metropolitan agglomerations have been considered the only agents that can foster the state's economic standing as if other economic places do (or may) not have significant contribution to the regional economy. In contrast, as some major cities enhance their economic well-being and agglomerate in specialized sector, the rest of the region lose their economic grounds or stay constant by widening the economic gap among cities. Therefore, an institutional approach can help to establish new regional arrangements to substitute all economic places to coordinate each other and succeed the economic growth as part of state government by reducing the disparities. In this sense, this study builds upon the inquiry that seeks the impacts of some economic disparities among economic places (counties) on the performances of state level regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One may believe that it is better to transplant European successful models, such as the Polish model, or other regionalization schemes in the other European countries. I believe the French tradition of our law and our national peculiarities would be more suitable to be considered for regionalization strategy based on creating new rules that will govern this new reform. So I endorse a traditional and temperate view considering phasing the necessary reforms in the medium and long period in which communities are prepared for their effective implementation. But in this paper I intend to present some interesting aspects of the regionalization process in the European Union. What is the future architecture of the EU in relation to development gaps, what can be done to find suitable solutions to the global crisis which is badly affecting regional and local communities? These are legitimate questions, and that is why we are looking to find adequate strategies for political, economic, social and administrative matters. Some countries were able to find good solutions that today make it possible to mitigate the adverse effects through administrative reorganization and a real decentralization, through social and political solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regionalisation forms existing in the European States correspond to political and administrative appropriate realities, where, applied models being different from one country to another, depending on the powers granted to regional authorities (by Constitution and legislative federal/national acts), institutions involved, the degree of decentralisation shown. The regional powers area may be, in some countries, broader, more varied, while for others, the regional level has a limited number of tasks so that it cannot outline a scheme for them in Europe, but it can be identified the existence of some common elements relating to the powers of regions. The paper presents the ways of exercising certain duties incumbent upon regional collectivities, considered by the typology of functions (social, economic and general), with exemplification of the areas of intervention in certain European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although both theoretically and methodologically controversial, measuring competitiveness at sub-national level remains an exciting challenge for analysts. The paper starts with the review of the recent theoretical and empirical literature on regional competitiveness in the European Union, followed by empirical analysis of competitiveness of Croatian regions, tackling differences between the hard data and the survey data as well as clustering the Croatian regions based on their main competitive strengths and weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A reprint of the article "The Case for Regional Policies," by Nicholas Kaldor, which originally appeared in a 1970 issue of the "Scottish Journal of Political Economy," is presented. The article discusses unequal regional development in Great Britain. The author draws a correlation between regional growth and export growth and touches upon such topics as industrial location and increasing returns to scale.

The present paper introduces and applies a new model-system, which is suitable for analysing impacts of blue economy-type innovations. Professional literature contribution covers three aspects. First a multi-sectoral calculated general equilibrium (CGE) model was created, which can show the economic effect of the use of recycled waste. Secondly, an empirical methodology was worked out, by which blue economy type new technologies can be concretely shown in regional input-output tables. Since blue innovations are largely based on local inputs, they have primarily local impacts. Furthermore, however, the interregional rippling of local effects may have importance partly because of the indirectly changed trade among regions, and partly because of the induced migration. Therefore we employed a model frame, which is capable of sensing complex spatial processes. The selected model frame is the GMR-Europe model, which has already been elaborated, and frequently used for other purposes. Perhaps the most popular blue economy-type innovation is the one, when edible mushroom is grown on coffee grounds. We make an estimation of effects of this innovation to the Southern Transdanubia region by this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU rural policies have, in the past, used the twin concepts of disparity and diversity in alternative ways but have never really acknowledged the different assumptions that underlie them in terms of rural development and policy implementation. This, it is argued here, is the result of three different processes. The first is that by which scientific knowledge passes through several mediation stages as concepts that are adopted by policymakers leading to the subsequent modification of their original meaning. The second is that by which European Union ( EU) rural policies are hosted in a variety of different policy areas for which they are not the main concern, leading to a degree of ambiguity that may nevertheless serve a political purpose. The third is that experience has shown that even though the concept of diversity might initially appear more suited to addressing the different needs of European rural areas in modern advanced economies, it has nevertheless proved particularly difficult and costly to implement. As a consequence, the simpler concept of disparity, with its one-size-fits-all approach, has maintained its dominance as a policy concept; a dominance that has been considerably reinforced over the last decade. In the first section of the article the concepts of diversity and disparity are analysed and contrasted in their assumptions and policy implications. This is followed by an assessment of how these concepts are employed in EU rural policy. The final section discusses the governance implications of both concepts in rural policy and their link to the wider agenda of EU policies today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the mid-1950s, social scientists in the USA began trying to understand the geography of economic problems using quantitative methods and theoretical models. Subnational regions had the ideal proportions for performing this research, which led to the creation of a new subject area, ‘regional science’. When regional economic imbalances shot up the political agenda in Britain in the 1960s, advocates of regional science saw an opportunity to expand the reach of their subject. This article examines the migration of American regional science to Britain and explores why its ideas and organisational model met with opposition. It argues that the transnational transfer of academic networks is more complex than has been acknowledged and that British regional research and policy was more influenced by American ideas than is commonly recognised. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The current paper puts the emphasis on the spatial pattern of employment, commuting and taxable income with special regard to the changes that occurred following the regime change. The objective is to discover the important relationship between the income level and distance from the centres of employment by the example of two characteristic territories of Hungary -- Northeastern and Northwestern Hungary -- and give a comparison of two more developed and two less developed regions. Decreasing income level tends to appear with the increasing distance from the centres as shown by the results of calculations. More significant disparities were represented within the hinterlands of the less developed territory and moderate inequalities were pointed out within the more developed one. Clear convergence process can be seen in the light of the recent income data in the case of the larger hinterlands of northeastern Hungary as the result of the suburbanization, however the convergence has been general within the western part since the mid 1990's. This relationship seems to be an important part of the Hungarian tendencies and spatial pattern of income disparities. The results of the current analysis fit into the most important experiences of post socialist transition and regional inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquisition of land and reallocation of previously acquired land for Special Economic Zones (SEZ) has stimulated protests that provide a terrain for exploring the changing landscape of contestation in the liberalizing political economy of India. Social movements, organizations, and communities resist the land, development, and sovereignty implications of SEZs. Although there are common concerns, efforts to co-organize protests on a national or regional scale have proved difficult. In place of nationwide narratives critiquing the model, anti-SEZ resistance predominantly reflects localized interpretations. The parochial nature of resistance to date is a product of diverse opinions on preferred outcomes, regional, or local viewings of the state, particular political dynamics, and the range of actors involved in SEZ struggles. I argue that the state is not a monolithic entity, but rather the anti-SEZ struggles view and make demands upon distinct levels of or individuals within the state. In developing this position, I explore the localization of SEZ struggles in Goa, India, examine the dynamics of resistance at the state level, and address political opportunities that emerge in the context of protest. The state's recent electoral change provides a chance to reflect further on the shifting ‘state’ target for political protest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

India is a federal union of 28 states. The states are further subdivided into districts. Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest states in India. This article examines how regional disparities in Andhra Pradesh have developed since its formation in 1956. A large urban centre (Hyderabad) which acts as a hub for economic activities, has attracted factors of production, and has stimulated income and employment opportunities in the surrounding local economy, but its impact on the peripheral districts is limited. There is a need for policy intervention in these peripheral districts in order to reduce regional disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

EU expansion to 27 Member States has generate challenges in terms of its competitiveness and internal cohesion. The already existing disparities between the Member States and among their regions have deepened. These disparities are generated by the structural deficiencies in key factors of competitiveness, i.e. inadequate endowment with physical and human capital (infrastructure and workforce), insufficient capacity for innovation, business support and low level of environmental capital (natural environment and / or urban pollution). The purpose of the paper is to determine whether the cohesion policy reduced or increased the disparities between regions. Therefore in order to achieve this goal of the cohesion policy, the Member States and regions need significant financial help to solve various structural problems and achieve their potential of growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing existing disparities between regions through investing in infrastructure, human resources and diversification of regional economies remains a major goal for the EU Member States. The achievement of this goal would not be possible without the development and implementation of regional policy strategic instruments at national and EU level. This study presents the role, the essential elements, and objectives of instruments such as the Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion, the National Strategic Reference Framework, and the Romanian Operational Programmes for the programming period 2007-2013. Since the success of the cohesion policy is tied to its implementation, we also present the management and control system applicable for the operational programmes. The final part of the study deals with issues concerning the payment rate of Structural Funds in Romania, with a focus on the main challenges of the implementation process. An important task for the Romanian government is to remove the obstacles that brake the effective implementation of the Cohesion policy and the absorption of Structural and Cohesion Funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional economic development is strongly conditioned by the demographic component, the analysis of demographic trends and demographic projections serving to substantiate proper development plans and strategies. This study aims to determine the demographic trend of human settlements in the Tecuci Plain, a space that can get the future status of micro-region, to identify the favorability and/or restriction factors, to draw up useful demographic projections for policy makers at local and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper draws a comparison between the position of the Moravian-Silesian region and three other selected European regions: Province de Liěge, Województwo Śląskie and Northumberland and Tyne and Wear. The comparison was designed in terms of economic, social and territorial aspects of individual regions development. 36 indicators were chosen for comparison of the disparities between the selected NUTS II regions, which were subsequently integrated into nine substantive homogenous units called integrated indicators. The research results become sources for updating the MSK development strategy to make regional management and administration more efficient. Performed comparative analysis of the regions indicated that the polarization of the 'old' and 'new' EU members regions remains. Throughout the analysed period Moravian-Silesian and Województwo Śląskie regions significantly lagged behind the western regions as well as behind the EU27 average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic growth that has occurred in post-communist Romania has polarised society and greatly increased existing inequalities. The aim of this paper is to investigate regional disparities, to underline the role of governmental mechanisms in smoothing out territorial inequalities, and to examine the possible effects of regional economic disparities on the performance of regional administrations in delivering public services, in the light of the new regionalisation debate. The conclusion is that Romanian counties' institutional performance does not completely correlate with regional wealth; but regional disparities and the mechanisms used to smooth out inequalities have to be taken into account in the public debate concerning further decentralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than two decades economic geographers and others have been examining the reasons why some places are more innovative than others. Policy makers have also been actively involved, as they try to develop their countries and regions through innovation and knowledge. In this paper I will address three criticisms that have been made to this literature and suggest avenues of research that could help address them. These criticisms are: the neglect of power asymmetries at the international and intra-regional levels between economic and other relevant agents, and their impact on the evolution of regional economies; the excessive focus on the region and the neglect of the multi-scalar nature of innovation; the emphasis on networks and systems which masks heterogeneity and fragmentation at the local level. Finally I will also discuss some of the more recent guidelines for place-based policy making in this field. Overall my objective is to contribute to the literature on territorial innovation systems by suggesting how these concepts can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses disparities in South Africa's transition to democracy. It mentions that the African National Congress (ANC) sought the help of South African business establishments in order for the transition to succeed and asserts that the coalition agreed to address several salient political issues such as those concerning land ownership, employment equity and black economic empowerment. It states that despite attaining improvements in the country's socioeconomic landscape, poverty and inequality remain high concerning with race.

Current theories on economic growth are stressing the important role of creativity and innovation as a main driver of regional development. Some perspectives, like Richard Florida's 'creative class theory', have elected tolerance and diversity as a core concept in explaining differential development between different places, but his assumptions are challenged by other empirical and theoretical studies. In this article, we raise the possibility that tolerance is a necessary yet not a sufficient ingredient to trigger economic development in regions, and explore the role of subjective well-being (life-satisfaction, happiness, and optimism) as a moderator. Using a nationwide survey of 3,757 respondents from 21 different municipalities, the results show that optimism played the role of moderator, thus evidencing that psychological variables should be taken into account when trying to understand regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]