Cities and Regions in Crisis ― The Political Economy of Sub-national Economic Development

Offering a geographical political economy analysis, this book explores the mechanisms, institutions, and spaces of subnational economic development. Martin Jones innovatively examines how policy-makers frame problems and offer intervention solutions in different cities and regions.Drawing on different approaches to state intervention, neoliberalism, crisis and contradiction theories, and notions of depoliticisation, this book explains policy failure and how it is impacted by flux surrounding economic development. With constant changes to legislation, institutional initiatives, and ministerial responsibility, local and regional economic development is shown to be at a critical crossroads.Theoretically innovative and empirically focused, this timely book is a must-read for researchers and policy-makers of urban geography, regional development, political economy and public policy.

Martin Jones, Professor of Human Geography and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Staffordshire University, UK