Spatial and Regional Development in Perspective ― Towards a New Framework

Many changes worldwide have taken place since frameworks and policies for regional and spatial development were introduced during the 'decade of development'. This book addresses the need to critically review various experiences in order to extract lessons about their strengths and weaknesses so as to facilitate more effective approaches. Bridging theory and practice, this book critically examines regional and spatial strategies for development and their outcomes, drawing on a wide range of international examples. It provides a comparative perspective in the Asia Pacific region and includes coverage of Western approaches in the United States, Europe and in Latin America. The book highlights lessons learned from the implementation of spatial and regional approaches to development and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these various approaches in relation to issues such as national settlements, urbanization, rural development, industrialization, land use, rural-urban relations, and transport infrastructure. This book promotes a new framework of spatial and regional development, advocating a dynamic approach to local-national-global integration and a focus on new issues such as governance and inclusion, innovation and knowledge, economic and trade blocks, and regional and decentralized political economy. It argues that spatial and regional approaches would be redefined through enhanced information and communications technologies, participatory governance, developed transport networks, and better supply chain and logistics for production and distribution, with the aim to reduce spatial disparities and inequalities, spatial impediments in development and increase opportunities for economic integration and interdependencies across geographical entities. This comprehensive book is of great value to students, scholars and practitioners in regional and development planning and policy, spatial planning, economic geography, and development economics.

Dr Indra P. Tiwari is Professor of Development and Planning at Pokhara University in Nepal.