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In this exchange, I suggest that regional capability provides a lens to link two popular theories in regional studies, namely evolutionary economic geography (EEG) and global production networks (GPNs). This implies moving beyond ordinary to dynamic organisational capability that turns global value chain, geopolitical and security risks into opportunities for regional diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing dialogue that explores how the global production network and evolutionary economic geography (EEG) literatures can make promising crossovers. This paper aims to contribute to this debate by outlining a theoretical-analytical approach to regional studies on global value chains (GVCs). Building on the EEG literature on relatedness, economic complexity and regional diversification, this approach aims to develop a better understanding of the ability of regions to develop new and upgrade existing GVCs, and why regions may experience the loss or downgrading of existing GVCs. We present the features of this relatedness/complexity approach to GVCs and discuss potential fields of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds common grounds for a future research agenda in the regional studies of evolutionary economic geography and global production networks. I put forward two 'troubling themes' of (geo)politics and heightened risks as the most disruptive forces in today's increasingly fragmented global economy and argue for their significance in regional studies throughout the post-pandemic 2020s. Massive global change through the reconfiguration of and strategic (de/re)coupling with global production networks will engender new path formation in regional transformation. In this analytical move from the global 'back again' to the regional, there are common questions on epistemology (causal explanations) and substantive issues (network/regional resilience, institutions/the state, inequalities/uneven development and new forms of regional policies) for both communities of researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal 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.)

The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic insight into the socio-economic aspects of the last two economic crises in Slovenia: the Economic crisis between 2009 and 2013, and the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. A three-stage territorial model was developed as a theoretical tool for this study. The data for the analyses came from various statistical sources and from the available literature. The socio-economic aspects of both economic crises were analysed in 11 categories and at three territorial levels: macro (national), meso (regional) and micro (locational). Both economic crises differ fundamentally in many aspects. Compared to the Economic crisis, the COVID-19 crisis was much shorter and less severe, and had relatively little impact on the socio-economic structure of Slovenia and its regions. Both economic crises had some common features: reduction of interregional disparities and different development paths of regions during the crisis, as well as strong economic growth in the first year of recovery. The proposed model can be extended by additional territorial levels and by adding additional social and political-geographical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze the role of pollution for industry location and residence choice. We present a new economic geography (NEG) model in which manufacturing generates local pollution (that does not accumulate) and uses two types of labour input: unskilled workers that cannot migrate and work where they live; and high-skilled entrepreneurs that choose where to produce and where to live. Taking on board costless commuting or, in alternative, distance working, entrepreneurs can live in a different location from production. Both types of households enjoy utility from consuming all commodities (locally and imported variants) and suffer from local pollution. The resulting model is of the footloose entrepreneur variant, but involves two dynamic equations: the standard one governing the residential choice of entrepreneurs, and another one governing where production is located. The current paper analyses the discrete time dynamic process defined by a two-dimensional piecewise smooth map. Depending on parameters this map can have possibly coexisting attractors of various types (fixed points, cycles, closed curves as well as chaotic attractors). We analytically obtain stability conditions for the fixed points. Using numerical methods we describe also some global dynamic properties of the considered map. Finally, we propose an economic interpretation of the results concerning local stability analysis and global dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous increase in global mariculture production and aquaculture areas, the environmental pollution caused by the mariculture industry is becoming increasingly serious. Faced with environmental issues, countries worldwide have formulated environmental regulations to scientifically intervene in marine environmental pollution issues and promote the green development of the mariculture industry. However, we must determine if strict environmental regulations can effectively promote the green development of the mariculture industry. This article uses the inter-provincial panel data of China's coastal areas from 2003 to 2019 as a sample. We use the entropy-technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution method to measure the intensity of environmental regulation in China's coastal areas and the level of green development of the mariculture industry. On this basis, an economic geography nested matrix was selected to construct a spatial panel econometric model to empirically explore the impact of environmental regulations on the green development of the mariculture industry. This approach also allows us to examine the heterogeneity of the impact of different types of environmental regulations on the green development of the mariculture industry. The research results indicate that environmental regulations have a "U-shaped" impact on the green development of the local mariculture industry, while they have an inverted "U-shaped" impact on the green development of the nearby mariculture industry. Furthermore, heterogeneity exists in the impact of different types of environmental regulations on the green development of the mariculture industry. Based on the research results, this article proposes policy recommendations from the perspectives of flexibly adjusting the intensity of environmental regulations, accelerating the development of voluntary-based environmental regulations, and regulating competition among local governments, which can provide decision-making references for the government to adjust environmental regulation policies and improve the level of green development in the mariculture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional green energy technological innovation is an important means to alleviate economic–environmental contradictions. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanisms of green finance, financial technology, and regional green energy technological innovation. In this study, we constructed dual machine learning models, spatial econometric models, and panel threshold effect models to investigate the effects of green finance and financial technology on regional green energy technological innovation, using panel data from 266 cities nationwide from 2009 to 2021. The research findings are as follows: (1) Both green finance and financial technology significantly promote regional green energy technological innovation. (2) Based on a spatial weight matrix embedded in economic geography, both green finance and financial technology generate positive spatial spillover effects on regional green energy technological innovation. (3) The interaction between green finance and financial technology significantly contributes to regional green energy technological innovation. Financial technology can strengthen the positive local and neighboring effects of green finance on regional green energy technological innovation. (4) Based on the threshold effect of financial technology, green finance cannot significantly promote regional green energy technological innovation when financial technology is in an underdeveloped stage. With the advancement of financial technology, green finance continues to have a positive impact on regional green energy technological innovation. Based on this analysis and our conclusions, we propose practical policy recommendations that can provide a more sustainable approach to green energy technology innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first document is a book review of "The Funeral of Mr. Wang" by Andrew B. Kipnis. The book explores the funeral rituals and cultures in urban China and their connection to modernization, urbanization, and marketization. It examines the complex processes involved in organizing a funeral, including navigating political, economic, and social factors. The book also discusses the spatial relations and place-making underlying death rituals, the trend towards smaller funerals, and the social meanings of money in the funerary economy. The reviewer, while not an anthropologist, finds the book to be a valuable account of urban transformation in China, but raises concerns about the author's analysis of state-society relations. The second document is a book review of "Rivers of Iron: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia" by David Lampton, Selina Ho, and Cheng Chwee Kuik. The book examines China's investments in Southeast Asia, specifically focusing on Chinese infrastructure development, particularly railroads, in seven Southeast Asian nations. The authors analyze the political power dynamics involved in these investments and argue that Chinese railroads offer Southeast Asian nations access to the global economy and opportunities for urbanization and development. The book highlights the multilateral nature of power in this context and emphasizes the economic benefits and potential leverage that these infrastructure projects provide for Southeast Asian nations. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the book "Spatial conflicts and divisions in post-socialist cities" edited by Valentin Mihaylov. The book focuses on the conflicts that arise in urban areas during the transition from socialism to capitalism in Central and Eastern Europe. It examines cases of military, ethnopolitical, social, and economic conflicts in cities in East-Central Europe, including Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, and the former Yugoslavia. The book provides valuable insights into the impact of these conflicts on urban space and the challenges faced in the post-socialist urban field. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the book "Rivers of Iron: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia" by David Lampton, Selina Ho, and Cheng Chwee Kuik. The book examines China's investments in Southeast Asia, specifically focusing on Chinese infrastructure development and its political implications. The authors argue that Chinese railroads in Southeast Asia offer opportunities for economic development and connectivity, but also pose challenges in terms of political power, economic insecurity, and public perception. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical, domestic, and regional contexts of China's rail development abroad, as well as the diverse responses from Southeast Asian nations. It also explores the potential impact of rail interconnectivity on the competitive landscape of the region and the role of other actors in balancing China's influence. Overall, the book offers valuable insights into the complexities of Chinese power and infrastructure development in Southeast Asia. [Extracted from the article]

Business incubators (BIs) in China have predominantly exhibited a government-led characteristic, recently broadening their spatial and temporal scope and extending reach to the county level. Regarding the inadequacies of county-level analysis scale, this study leverages Points of Interest (POI) big data to overcome them. To comprehend the governmental rationale in the construction of BIs, we examine the evolution dynamics of BIs in conjunction with policies. An economic geography framework is developed, conceptualizing BIs as quasi-public goods and productive services, and incorporating considerations of county-level fiscal operations and industrial structures. Focusing on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region as a case study, our findings reveal that over 98% of County Administrative Units (CAUs) have built BIs. Using kernel density estimation and Moran's I, the spatial patterns of CAUs are identified. The CAUs are further classified into three categories of economic levels using the k-means algorithm, uncovering differentiated relationships between industry, finance, and their respective BI. Additionally, we analyze the density relationship between BIs and other facilities at a micro-level, showcasing various site selection rationales. The discussions highlight that while BIs tend to align with wealthier areas and advanced industries, affluent CAUs offer location advantages on BIs, whereas less wealthy CAUs prioritize quantity for political achievements. This paper concludes with recommendations about aligning BIs based on conditions and outlooks on future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how internal trade costs affect the Chinese economy. Combining regional and industry data with a multiregional multisector general equilibrium model, we quantify the magnitude of total trade costs and institutional trade costs, and the impact of their changes on aggregate, regional, and sectoral total factor productivity, gross domestic product, and welfare. Using unique data, we estimate the sectoral trade elasticity of internal trade in 16 tradable sectors. We use our calibrated model to perform a variety of counterfactual exercises. We find that the welfare gains are negative for a 5% reduction in total trade costs and for the elimination of institutional trade costs, which can be attributed to inherent inefficiencies in the economy. However, as total trade costs decrease further, the positive welfare effect significantly exceeds the impact of inefficiency. The regional and sectoral effects of changes in trade costs show that the spatial structure of the economy, input‐output linkages, and local factors together determine the heterogeneity of sectoral and regional consequences. Finally, we infer the relative changes in China's internal trade costs from 2012 to 2017, and calculate their economic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sectoral total factor productivity and multipliers are negatively correlated. • Overall effect of the IO structure is dampened relative to the multiplier effect. • Sectors with high productivity generate fewer jobs than other sectors do. • The economic activity that the high-incomers increase the consumption does not spread. • Promoting the industry alone is not enough and a spillover perspective is required. This study demonstrates how differences in the prefectural input–output (IO) multiplier and sectoral total factor productivity (TFP) translate into aggregate income differences across prefectures within a country. Furthermore, this study investigates the job creation generated from the IO multiplier and TFP relationship and considers expenditure in the high-income group. Our results show that aggregate multipliers substantially amplify average sectoral TFP by propagating through the IO network. However, as log TFP levels and multipliers are negatively correlated, sectors with high multipliers have below-average productivity levels, which reduces income per worker because key inputs to downstream sectors are expensive. The overall effect of the IO structure is dampened relative to the aggregate multiplier effect. For example, the commerce sector has large multipliers in many prefectures and is thus amplified through the IO network, but their TFPs are lower and do not significantly contribute to the increase in income. The TFPs of the information and communication equipment sector in certain prefectures are higher than those in Tokyo, but the benefits are not amplified well within the prefecture because their multipliers are low. Furthermore, sectors with high productivity generate fewer jobs than other sectors do. The sectors with a large influence on job creation in other sectors are not amplified well through the IO network because of the small multiplier. From the expenditure viewpoint, the high-income group increases their education consumption exponentially, but the multiplier is low and not widespread within the prefecture. The construction sector has a significant influence on job creation in other sectors. However, their economic activities do not spread widely within a prefecture, and the high-income group does not increase housing consumption in proportion to their income. Residents in prefectures with high multipliers tend to spend more money outside their residential prefectures, such as online shopping. Thus, expenditure outside residential prefectures reduces the effect of the multiplier that amplifies the average sectoral TFP and the difference in income across prefectures. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing an explicit understanding of these relationships. Our findings make people realize that promoting the industry alone is not enough to increase income and generate highly productive jobs. A spillover perspective is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the future is an increasingly important topic for regional economic development, our knowledge of the future as a research subject has been limited. Following futures studies, we develop a perspective on a specific version of regional futures research based on critical realism. We believe that discussing regional futures could be a promising "boundary object" for scholars taking different approaches. Moreover, we argue that economic geographers' ability to engage with the future in meaningful ways is as important as their ability to engage with the past and present if the discipline is to retain its relevance in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to some economic geographers, modern economic geography has been increasingly fragmented over the last twenty years, concerning both its themes and its paradigms. However, so far, no bibliometric analysis has been carried out to quantitatively measure the degree of fragmentation in economic geography concerning paradigms. In this paper, we therefore aim to analyze the state of the art in economic geography concerning paradigms and perspectives based on a combination of a bibliometric and qualitative analysis. We conclude that fragmented pluralism is less of a problem than stated in scholars' qualitative judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the records the Manvers and Portland estates in Nottinghamshire and north-east Derbyshire to consider the provision and management of licensed premises between the 1860s and 1930s. Using archival materials of land agents and solicitors, it examines the changing place of public houses in a range of local communities affected by agricultural decline and industrial change in the region. These include: small agricultural villages on the Manvers estate, where pubs were let with farmland; and, on the Portland estate, urbanising settlements and new colliery villages constructed in rural locations. The pub is presented as a place to see how agents balanced older social relations and responsibilities with the broader economic and social geographies remaking the region. The sale of estate pubs offers important insights into the process by which regional breweries assembled their own pub holdings, the legacy of which shaped the geography of drink well into the twentieth century. • Land agents were important figures in public house management and ownership, in a range of settlements. • New mining activities provided revenue streams to estates. • The sale of pubs belonging to landed estates is linked to the expansion of regional brewery pub estates. • Estate records are of broad value to historical geographers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies suggest that right-wing populist parties (RWPPs) appeal to people in communities that have fallen behind in material terms. However, it remains open which benchmark communities apply as they become politically discontented. We argue that the structure of territorial inequalities influences the benchmarks used by people in regions falling behind. Panel data regressions using subnational election results in EU states from 1990 to 2018 reveal a sharp contrast between the economic geographies of right-wing populism in core and peripheral EU member states. We find a strong association between falling behind the richest region of the country and RWPP support within core EU countries, while in peripheral EU states falling behind the EU core is associated with regional support for RWPPs. This suggests that RWPP voters in peripheral countries cue on how they are faring relative to the EU core, while RWPP supporters in core countries cue on how they are faring relative to dynamic regions of their own country. Our analysis also shows that increased manufacturing employment reinforces the effect of falling behind the richest region in core EU member states, while we find no strong evidence that regional economic stagnation is important to the electoral performance of RWPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industries, firms, and capital are geographically concentrated in the core regions of the countries which leads to regional disparities. Türkiye, as a developing country, suffers from high regional disparities, especially regarding east-west duality. In this context, this study analyzes the spatial concentration of the top firms in the regions of Türkiye (81 NUTS 3) in the 1999-2019 period, using the İstanbul Chamber of Industry’s top 500 and second 500 companies’ datasets. As one of the few studies conducted in this field, this study reveals important results. The differences regarding the spatial concentration of capital accumulation are decreasing in Türkiye; however, the level of capital accumulation disparities is quite uneven and high. The number of top firms is decreasing in the core regions of Türkiye, namely İstanbul (535 to 321), Ankara (73 to 58), and İzmir (104 to 76). Considering the decline in Turkey's largest companies, it is clear that these losses indicate a large loss of industrial assets. On the other hand, the number of firms among the top 1000 firms is increasing in the regions called Anatolian Tigers, namely Gaziantep (17 to 61), Kayseri (16 to 28), Sakarya (4 to 14) and Konya (10 to 22). The analyses show that the east-west duality has not changed but is restructured with the emergence of the New Industrial Spaces of Türkiye. It can be said that the areas where capital is concentrated have changed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discontent is an important feature of 'left-behind places', often reflected by a high percentage of voting for populist parties. Drawing on insights from psychology, we extend previous analyses by focusing on collective embitterment as the central underlying emotional state in a region. Arguing that such negative emotions do not arise 'out of the blue', we develop a four-phase model of regional embitterment that accounts for the emotional characterisation of and the level of embitterment among the population, as well as the role of policy interventions. Based on a case study in East Thuringia, we conclude that emotions should be given more attention in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell 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.)

The outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic had a prolonged impact on urban economic activities. Cities with better economic resilience are more capable of resisting the shock brought by the epidemic and realizing post-epidemic economic recovery. In such an uncertain environment, both governance capability and local industrial varieties have significant impacts on economic resilience. On the basis of previous works from evolutionary economic geography and institutional studies, this study uses nighttime light intensity as a proxy for economic resilience at prefecture-level. Our findings indicate that, at least in the short term, the effect of governance capacity on economic resilience is moderated by local industry varieties. Hence, the local government may enhance economic resilience via innovation, economic development and urban governance channels, but it should follow the risk transmission mechanism of the regional industrial network. In addition, taking into account the institutional basis of China's central-local relation, local governance capacity was compressed in the prevention and control of epidemic, mitigating its function on the long-term economic recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space has always been essential within the economy, yet its importance in economics has been downplayed in several ways. This editorial introduces the seven papers comprising this issue of Spatial Economic Analysis (SEA) and shows that while the classics of economics acknowledged the importance of the location of economic activities, for many years the study of space was left to heterodox economics scholars and geographers. This is despite the established tradition of learned societies, such as Regional Science International and the Regional Studies Association, which are placed at the intersection of these fields. Space finally became mainstream in economics again due, on the one hand, to the introduction of the new economic geography some 30 years ago and, on the other, to the fact that several different economic sub-disciplines have come to understand and consider space as essential for the processes they study. This was facilitated by methodological advancements, such as in spatial econometrics. The seven papers in this issue henceforth illustrate some of the situations and approaches which make space relevant to contemporary economic questions. Essential are, in particular, the interactions between different locations and the interactions between individuals and geographical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a conceptual framework proposal for integrating urban freight initiatives (UFIs), or city logistics initiatives, into urban planning and urban management (UPUM) land use and infrastructure systems. As a novel approach, this framework integrates three components: Firstly, a conceptual basis on three economic geography theory principles—location, agglomeration, and urbanisation. Secondly, spatial analysis and subsequent clustering integrate companies' spatial positions, their proximity to other companies, their freight intensity, and the characteristics of the zonal road infrastructure; these clusters are defined as freight traffic zones (FTZs). Thirdly, a functional yet strategic UFI clustering or grouping is proposed to work in an optimised and integrated manner with the FTZs' opportunities for efficiency and reduced externalities. It is expected that the integrated result of these three components can serve to optimise freight initiatives and road infrastructure from a city governance perspective, reduce freight externalities, and function as a stakeholder cooperation tool from government-led, policy-driven perspectives. This research also identifies and characterises various variables influencing the emergence and existence (planned or organic) of FTZs and shows how these could be incorporated into high-level UPUM processes. Although it is deemed that the principles and methodological approach followed here could be common to urban areas, an example for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley (MAAV), in Colombia, is presented as an initial case study. Conclusively, this paper introduces a pioneering methodology for integrating UFIs into city or metropolitan governance, offering guidance for policymakers to promote sustainable freight systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents that municipalities in central Mexico closer in the past to an agricultural estate (hacienda) are associated with higher literacy and lower poverty throughout the twentieth century than municipalities similar in other respects but farther from a hacienda. The results are robust to various specifications, neighbour matching analyses, and a placebo-type test. The complementarities between late-colonial haciendas in central Mexico and mining and trade appear to have set municipalities close to a hacienda on a distinct development path. The evidence points to local-scale economies in hacienda locations that coordinated new investments away from agriculture and towards the new industrial and commercial sectors. The twentieth-century land reform and the railroad play a small role in explaining hacienda legacy. Our findings highlight the role of landed estates as centres linking rural economic activity to the main colonial economic activities, mining and trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how geography matters for the location of industries in East Asia, employing regression analyses on a novel and comprehensive regional GDP dataset. This study examines how geography affects industrial location patterns, particularly the role of infrastructure, such as ports and airports. This paper analyzes the current economic geography of East Asia using the novel dataset. The regression analyses utilize location quotients as the dependent variable and incorporate explanatory variables, such as domestic/foreign market access, per capita income, population density, and distance-based dummies for ports and airports. The findings reveal that the determinants of industrial location differ significantly across industries. The relative importance of domestic versus foreign market access and proximity to ports and airports varies across sectors. The results imply that countries/regions cannot easily host industries of their choice, as different industries require distinct locational characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 20 years, the stock market indicates that value creation has become heavily concentrated in a few headquarter cities. At the same time, firms in value-creating cities have experienced declines in their profitability, because of large increases in wages and rents. Our findings thus highlight the difference between flow-based (e.g., operating profits) and stock-based (e.g., securities prices) indicators of local productivity. Conventional proxies for a city's appeal to high value-added workers, such as education rates and weather, are positively related to stock market valuations, but negatively related to near-term operating performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzed the variations in the economic sectors of the municipalities of Mato Grosso State in Brazil, between 2005 and 2020, investigating their levels and rates of growth. Using estimates of the Economic Growth Level Indicators (INC) and Economic Growth Rate Indicators (IRC), based on Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita by sector and resident population, a reduction in the dynamism of the agricultural sector was identified in comparison with other segments. On the other hand, services made significant progress, being the segment with the highest proportion of municipalities classified as developing in expansion. Industry, on the other hand, showed resilience, being predominant in many developing municipalities and presenting the lowest proportion of depressed municipalities. This heterogeneity highlights the need for public policies that promote balanced and sustainable development throughout the Mato Grosso State. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and caused wide market disorders. Its disastrous impact on the world economy exposed the vulnerability of globalized production systems and led to discussions on the responses to such a crisis. These responses, including a new global spatial organization of supply chains, challenged our conceptual understanding, assumptions, and application of location theory in the spatial organization of economic activities. Through reviewing the literature, we outlined the pandemic's profound economic disruption and identified firms' applicable responsive strategies through Industry 4.0 solutions and management adaptions. Then based on the responses of technological upgrading we speculated possible changes in regional industrial location, such as suburbanization of small manufacturers and service providers, growth of industrial agglomerations in the logistic hubs and corridors and increase of high-tech manufacturers and innovation networks in urban centers. Finally, we pointed out the challenges to industrial location studies and suggested updating methodology and topics - using network analysis, behavioral theory, and agglomeration theory - for location studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Research Handbook on the Belt and Road Initiative, edited by Joseph Chinyong Liow, Hong Liu, and Gong Xue, provides a comprehensive examination of China's multitrillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The collection features 37 chapters written by 45 contributors with diverse disciplinary backgrounds, covering countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The book explores the intersection of BRI infrastructure projects with local political economies and global power dynamics, highlighting the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with the initiative. It also examines the unique characteristics of the BRI, such as its integration of Chinese and Western development paradigms. The collection offers valuable empirical evidence and frameworks for analysis, making it a useful resource for researchers, policymakers, and professionals interested in the BRI. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a book review of "Advanced Introduction to Marxism and Human Geography" by Kevin R. Cox. The book provides an overview of Marx's "Capital" and explores its relevance to human geography. It is divided into two parts, with the first introducing key concepts from Marx's work and the second discussing the application of Marx's ideas to geography. The book is aimed at graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and researchers familiarizing themselves with the field. While the book has strengths in its clear explanations and connections to present-day examples, it also has drawbacks, such as the lack of detailed references and the author's occasional subjective statements. Overall, the book can serve as a helpful introduction and commentary on the topic for geography students. [Extracted from the article]

The Evolutionary Economic Geography (EEG) framework contributes to the study of tourism destination evolution by focusing on the various circumstances and events through which tourism destinations develop over long periods of time. Our research objective is to investigate how players in tourism destinations shape development pathways when they face stagnant or lock‐in situations. Applying the concepts of path dependence and path creation, we explain how path shaping mechanisms such as bricolage (the process of combining available resources to create innovative outcomes) and breakthrough (a process where actors attempt to generate dramatic outcomes to deviate from existing pathways) occur using two destinations in the two regencies of the Toraja region of Sulawesi, Indonesia, as a case study. Understanding cultural tourism destination pathways requires frameworks capable of interrogating ethno‐political structures and histories and assessing how they influence developmental pathways that generate regional transformations. Our investigation indicates: strong path dependence in tourism, due to cultural, political, and economic conditions, inhibits breakthrough development; that the strength of path dependence at a regional level strongly influences the path shaping processes at the firm level; and that a breakthrough developmental process in tourism does not exclude bricolage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses debates on the role of agency in shaping the economic future of regions. Scholarship on agency departs from the earlier focus of evolutionary economic geography, which highlighted the role of pre-existing structural conditions. This paper challenges the notion that agency is only found in intentional action and is limited to key actors within a region. It questions exclusive focus on the impact of entrepreneurial leaders, place leaders and government, and identifies agency in the accumulated micro-decisions of multiple decision-makers, using the example of workers affected by the closure of Australia's passenger vehicle industry. In so doing, it underscores the twin roles of collective vision and meaningful implementation in the successful transformation of regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that the UK's endemic regional–national productivity problems cannot be addressed by the UK's current institutional and governance set-up. This paper argues that the establishment of an appropriate institution, body or forum is essential in order to fill the current governance vacuum. The appropriate nature, form and logic of such a body can be gleaned by observing various international comparator bodies which undertake different aspects of the types of roles and tasks that a UK body must necessarily undertake. The options for a UK body comprising elements of these comparator institutions are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Transdisciplinaria de Estudios Sociales y Tecnológicos (RTEST) is the property of Editorial Exced 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.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the tourism economy, causing a severe global shock and effects on tourism mobility unevenly geographically distributed across regions. This paper detects changes in the global tourism flows network (GTN) in the period 2018-2020 due to COVID-19 and explains the GTN dynamics from a network science perspective. The analysis reveals the effect of underlying economic geography, as the pandemic introduced a new social distancing friction that induced centrifugal forces to the tourism network. The network’s topological pattern was described by small-world network characteristics before the pandemic outbreak, while during the pandemic there was a statistically significant reshape into more lattice-like characteristics accompanied by peripheral markets expansion of local hierarchy. The findings also demonstrate a reduction in the number of tourism flows and spatial connectivity, a simplification of the macroeconomic travel behavior, and a resilient performance of the main tourism hubs shaping and a distinctive core-periphery network structure. Overall, this paper contributes to a better understanding of the response of tourism mobility to the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial introduces the nexus between family firms, hidden champions, and regional development from an economic geography perspective. Family firms constitute the backbones of most local and regional economies, and some of them are even so-called hidden champions, which are global leaders in their market niches. At the same time, both entities are spatial sources of heterogeneity able to empower regions with difficult-to-imitate competitive and locational advantages that originate from the stickiness of their economic actors. It is mainly an empirical task to prove if this regional distinctiveness results from the structures and embeddings that family firms and hidden champions stand for (e.g., regional persistence and local rooting), and from the practices how these entities are owned, governed, managed (e.g., long-term business relations with [local] suppliers, customers, labour force, international excellence). By outlining three infant research directions on family firms and hidden champions from an economic geography perspective, this editorial frames the field, introduces and locates the contributions in this special issue therein, and calls for a spatially informed view on this rising cross-disciplinary field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family firms play a vital role in the global business landscape, significantly impacting their home countries GDP. These firms diverge from non-family counterparts in their internationalization strategies, yet they stand to gain substantial benefits from international expansion. Beyond economic considerations, family resources and values introduce non-economic factors that challenge traditional economic theories. This study leverages an institutional approach to illuminate the multifaceted influences shaping family firms' internationalization, encompassing positive and adverse dynamics. The integration of institutional theory marks a recent shift in understanding family firm internationalization, encompassing institutional and economic geography perspectives. To foster discourse and guide future research, this paper systematically reviews peer-reviewed articles covering over a decade, from 2010 to 2023. It identifies formal and informal institutional elements, alongside economic geography factors, that either facilitate or impede family firms' internationalization. This review underscores existing knowledge gaps at the nexus of institutional theory, economic geography, internationalization, and family business studies. Notably, the systematic literature review uncovered a limited corpus of only 41 articles, indicating the need for more research exploring the synergy between economic geography and institutional factors in the context of diverse internationalization strategies. Furthermore, the review highlights the underexplored terrain within social institutions and economic geography, revealing a notable gap in the extant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is spatially a diverse state in terms of location of its economic activities and regional disparities in various dimensions of development have been a vital concern in its history. The article aims to analyze the distribution of household welfare index across 97 districts of Pakistan through exploratory spatial data analysis for periods 2004-05 and 2014-15. For this purpose, an augmented Household Welfare index is constructed for measuring Household Welfare across districts. The index consists of consist of five indicators. Final index is obtained by aggregating these indicators through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Findings of the study indicate positive global autocorrelation and thus indicating that a district with a high (low) is linked spatially with bordering districts which also have high (low) Household Welfare level. The results also display the HH quadrant in scatterplots of Household Welfare Index includes mostly districts of Punjab and KP, while LL illustrates a cluster of most districts from Interior Sindh and Baluchistan for both 2004-05 and 2014-15 periods. Overall, the findings demonstrate the twofold structure of Pakistan’s economic geography, as explained by most of the previous studies. Since geography of Household Welfare matters, it is recommended to reduce across districts inequalities by developing the social and economic institutions and infrastructure in the Baluchistan and interior Sindh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Korea's Innovation City policy aims to balance the geography of economic activity across the country by relocating public institutions to local cities. The economic impact of relocating public institutions to local cities has been assessed by examining job creation, public spending, the quality of public services or demands for housing and employment in donor cities. However, as economies have become increasingly knowledge-based, the attractiveness of urban areas to young workers has become a metric to measure an area's economic development potential. There is a paucity of research on the economic impact of relocating public institutions that analyses the attractiveness of the destination cities for young people. Thus, this paper examines the migration of young people to evaluate the economic impact of relocating public institutions on the balanced geography of economic activity across the country. The examination was conducted by analysing the effects of (1) agglomeration area location type and (2) general place quality on young people's migration. Quasi-experimental research and panel regression (2010–2019) were conducted on 12 agglomeration areas. The findings revealed that relocating public institutions was more likely to attract young migrants than the control group, whereas outskirt agglomeration areas attracted and retained young people more than inner city agglomeration areas. Relocating public institutions is a strategic means of attracting young people to local cities to balance the geography of economic activity. Here, the effect of relocating public institutions on young people's migration varies depending on the location of agglomeration areas and the place quality of destination cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite representing a very accurate method for assessing spatial distribution, Marcon and Puech's M has been insufficiently exploited so far, most likely because its computation relies on pairing every point of interest (i.e., firms, plants) with every other point within the area under analysis. Such a figure rapidly grows to unmanageable levels when said area is larger than a neighborhood or when every industry is taken into account. Consequently, practical applications of M have been exclusively experimental and circumscribed to very limited areas or to a handful of industries. This seems much regrettable since M provides many advantages compared to conventional measures of spatial distribution and also to alternative distance measures. In this article, we assess the reliability of using small administrative units instead of exact postal addresses for the localization of plants, in order to reduce M's computational burden. Working with a dataset that provides the location, the specific industry and the number of employees for every single plant/establishment in Italy for both manufacturing and services, we can also draw a preliminary but certainly interesting picture of Sardinia's economic geography and its development through the Great Recession toughest years between 2007 and 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The job‐housing relationship is a well‐documented topic in urban and economic geography literature, but the disparities in job‐housing relationships across workers' sociodemographic statuses have yet to be fully explored. This study utilizes a Baidu trajectory dataset and spatial analysis tools to examine job‐housing relationships in Zhuhai, China, taking into account disparities in workers' socioeconomic status and job types. Origin–destination analysis indicates that job‐housing relationships for commercial and public service sectors are balanced in the urban core, whereas, for the secondary sector, the relationship is more balanced in the suburban area compared to the central urban area. Network analysis further reveals the presence of self‐contained communities for the secondary sector in peripheral areas. We find that high‐income workers in the secondary sector experience longer commuting distances, in contrast to their counterparts in the commercial and public service sectors. These insights underscore the significance of considering workers' skills in urban and economic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on spatial evolution has taken a high interest in structure-agency dynamics, but how long-term discourse interacts with these dynamics in shaping new paths still lacks a systematic understanding. To advance such an understanding, this article draws on the agency, structure, institutions and discourse (ASID) framework and refocuses it on spatial evolution. By doing so, the article aims at elucidating the discursive aspects of evolutionary spatial processes and highlights in particular the role of abstract macro-level discourses and concrete imaginaries as long-term discursive foundations of spatial evolution. In this way, discourse acts as a carrier of long-term historical roots and associations. By considering the historical rootedness of the discursive foundations of paths, the framework contributes to giving history a stronger role in evolutionary economic geography. We apply this analytical framework to wine tourism in Israel's Negev and focus particularly on the historically rooted imaginaries that underpin the development of this path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]