Space and development at the crossroads: Insights from cliometrics

Claude Diebolt () and Michael Haupert ()
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Claude Diebolt: BETA/CNRS, Universiy of Strasbourg
Michael Haupert: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, La Crosse, WI, United States

Region et Developpement, 2025, vol. 62, 31-65

Abstract: This article celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of Région et Développement by revisiting the dialogue it has nurtured between development economics and spatial economics. We situate our contribution within this tradition by engaging with selected chapters from the Handbook of Cliometrics, highlighting how long-run historical perspectives can illuminate contemporary spatial and territorial dynamics. Building on the contribution of Diebolt and Hippe in Région et Développement, we extend their cliometric approach to examine the persistence of disparities, the role of institutions, and the impact of policy interventions. Our analysis emphasizes that territorial development must be understood within long-term economic trajectories shaped by demographic forces, shocks, and innovations. We argue that historically grounded perspectives are essential for designing effective policies aimed at reducing regional inequalities. By weaving together insights from cliometrics and regional development, our study illustrates the value of connecting historical causality with spatial analysis. In doing so, we reaffirm the journal’s mission of combining analytical rigor with societal relevance.

Keywords: Regional development; Cliometrics; Territorial disparities; Institutions and public policy; Long-term historical dynamics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N10 N90 O18 R11 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tou:journl:v:62:y:2025:p:31-65

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