Analysing regional development and policy: A structural-realist approach

Frank Moulaert (1) , Abid Mehmood (2)

1 APL/GURU
2 School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape

This paper overviews the models analysing regional development. It evaluates their analytical and policy relevance, and recommends for a structural-realist approach to spatial development analysis. Section 2 overviews Territorial Innovation Models that theorise local and regional development from a New Regionalism point of view, and explains why they fall short of ‘realist' regional development analysis. Section 3 pleas for return to ‘old' institutionalist and structuralist traditions ad-rem to distinguishing the analytical from the strategy and policy perspectives. Section 4 makes methodological recommendations, on contemporary spatial development analysis, with cognisance of structural-institutional, scalar and cultural dimensions of development processes and strategies.

Mots clés: Social Sciences & Humanities

Frank Moulaert, Abid Mehmood. Analysing regional development and policy: A structural-realist approach. Regional Studies, 2010, 44 (01), pp.103-118. ⟨10.1080/00343400802251478⟩. ⟨hal-00565125⟩