REGIONAL PLANNING TOPICS I II IV Regional science

REGIONAL PLANNING

TOPICS I. • • II. IV. Regional science paradigms The physics The biological Focus of regional planning Regional planning revisited Conclusions

REGIONAL PLANNING PARADIGMS THE PHYSICS • Regional science shape its practice in the mirror image of physics (social physics) • Regional science focused on the discovery of laws of human settlements (similarities & regularities) • The methods and concept used by regional scientist are derived in great part from physics (gravity law, friction, mass, distance, energy, force, etc. ) • Function and flows taking place in human settlements are important concepts used by regional scientists • Focus on explaining human settlements form (central place theory, urban hierarchy, etc. ) • Emphasizes functional differentiation (comparative advantage)

REGIONAL PLANNING PARADIGMS THE BIOLOGICAL • Regions are analogous to living organisms • Explaining adaptation and survival of people are key issues of regional science (social Darwinism) • Instead of assuming behavior (rational) studies behavior (the purpose of the action)

FOCUS OF REGIONAL PLANNING • Decentralization policies (urban primacy vs. rank size rule) • Reduction of regional disparities (growth poles) • Redistribution (regional convergence) • Alonso argues that large cities or concentration have been proven to be inefficient. They continue to attract investment, people, etc.

Regional Planning Revisited According Barnes & Ledebur the field of regional economics has gone through a paradigm shift • Nationalist view (old paradigm) • Common market of local economies (new paradigm) The new paradigm focuses not only on economics but also incorporates politics (political economy of regions)

THE NATIONALIST VIEW • Its roots are based on the political notion of the “nation-state” • The economy is thought to be a “national” economy • The role of macroeconomic policy is to “manage” the national economy (monetary & fiscal policy) to promote growth • Regions often are defined through political jurisdictions (federal, state, local, regional) • There exists a mismatch between political units and economic regions

Common market of local economies • The US economy is a common market of local economies • Local economies are interrelated nationally as well as a globally • Linkages and functional relationships are not constrained by jurisdictional boundaries • The fact that linkages spill across political jurisdictions makes affects the efficiency and effectiveness of economic policy • Multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions converge in a single local economy. It poses the dilemma of the commons. The regional economy is a collective good

INTERDEPENDENT ECONOMIC SYSTEMS REGIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY NATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY Source: Barnes & Ledebur (1998: 80)

A SCHEMATIC VIEW OF REGIONS Source: Barnes & Ledebur (1998: 116)

El PASO DEL NORTE REGION

EURO-REGIONS • The Association of European Border Regions sets the following criteria for the identification of euroregions http: //www. coe. int/T/E/Legal_Affairs/Local_and_regional _Democracy/Transfrontier_cooperation/Euroregions/2 Definition. asp: • An association of local and regional authorities on either side of the national border, sometimes with a parliamentary assembly; • A transfrontier association with a permanent secretariat and a technical and administrative team with own resources; • Of private law nature, based on non-profit-making associations or foundations on either side of the border in accordance with the respective national law in force; • Of public law nature, based on inter-state agreements, dealing among other things, with the participation of territorial authorities.

EURO-REGIONS Aims • The Council of Europe's policy on the promotion of transfrontier co-operation is based on: • confidence-building to increase tolerance, understanding and good-neighbourly relations between populations, especially in border regions where minorities exist (transfrontier co-operation in cultural and linguistic spheres and local and regional media are important factors in this regard) • improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the provision of public services through the sharing of facilities and services across frontiers • dealing with problems that spill over the frontiers: air and water pollution, natural and other disasters, such as floods and fire;

EURO-REGIONS • co-ordination of policies for mutual interest, such as in the field of regional planning, urban and rural development • dealing with specific needs of border populations, such as the question of taxation and social security rights of transfrontier workers, arrangements for facilitating local border traffic • establishing transfrontier co-operation bodies to ensure that transfrontier relations are sustained and improved. • The Council of Europe is working with the Assembly of European Regions (www. are-regions-europe. org), on collecting and disseminating good-practice examples in interterritorial co-operation.

http: //www. are-regions-europe. org/VICARDS/index. html