Handbook of Regions and Competitiveness

Contemporary Theories and Perspectives on Economic Development

Edited by Robert Huggins, Professor of Economic Geography and Director, Cities Research Centre, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University, Cardiff and Piers Thompson, Reader in Economics, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK

The aim of this Handbook is to take stock of regional competitiveness and complementary concepts as a means of presenting a state-of-the-art discussion of the contemporary theories, perspectives and empirical explanations that help make sense of the determinants of uneven development across regions. Drawing on an international field of leading scholars, the book is assembled and organized so that readers can first learn about the theoretical underpinnings of regional competitiveness and development theory, before moving on to deeper discussions of key factors and principal elements, the emergence of allied concepts, empirical applications, and the policy context.

‘This book helps us better understand the geography of economic competitiveness. With contributions from an international cast of leading scholars, it shows what works and what doesn’t and what it means for efforts to improve the competitiveness of regions and nations.’
– Richard Florida, University of Toronto, Canada