Knowledge, Networks and Policy ─ Regional Studies in Postwar Britain and Beyond

The impact the Regional Studies Association has had on regional planning and strategy across Europe over the past half century has been considerable while it has also proved to be a blueprint for the successful running and expansion of a learned society.

This book charts the history of the RSA and its growth in influence, covering the Association and its field from inception in 1965 through to the present day.

The RSA is a particularly interesting example of a learned society as it has linked researchers and users of research, interacting extensively with governmental bodies in the UK and Europe. By drawing on interpretations of knowledge generation, exchange and dissemination from the across the social sciences, the conceptual and empirical evaluation has present day currency. As numerous disciplines seek to demonstrate the value of their research, the proposed book’s findings reveal the elements that a learned society needs to be successful as an agent of influence and impact. It provides an exhaustive overview of a society that has begun to make inroads into other territories including Asia and the US.

James Hopkins is based at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK