Overcoming left-behindedness. Moving beyond the efficiency versus equity debate in territorial development

Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Federico Bartalucci, Nancy Lozano-Gracia and María Dávalos

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Territorial development theory and practice have witnessed significant change in recent times. This change has increasingly put the spatial dimension at the centre of development policies. Where agglomeration-focused policies derived from urbanization and agglomeration economics were once prominent, their empirical limitations have become increasingly apparent. Greater territorial polarization and pervasive left-behindedness has underscored the need for a more inclusive territorial development approach prompting increased interest in understanding and addressing regional disparities to ensure more equitable economic growth. This article synthesizes the growing interest in territorial development, which has driven to the adoption of what are increasingly place-based and place-sensitive approaches to development. The article also emphasises the need for complementarity between efficiency-driven and equity-focused interventions, while highlighting emerging topics in regional economics research, including the role of institutions, agency, and external megatrends such as the green transition. We conclude by advocating a place-sensitive approach that tailors policies to regional challenges, promoting economic potential, diversification, and inclusivity across all regions.

Keywords: economic development; growth; efficiency; equity territories; regions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O18 Q56 R11 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 11 pages
Date: 2024-12-31
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published in Regional Science Policy & Practice, 31, December, 2024, 16(12). ISSN: 1757-7802

Downloads: (external link)
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/125629/ Open access version. (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Overcoming left-behindedness. Moving beyond the efficiency versus equity debate in territorial development (2024)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ehl:lserod:125629

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library LSE Library Portugal Street London, WC2A 2HD, U.K.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by LSERO Manager ().