Module Objectives

“Regional Development” is founded on the necessity of human individuals and human societies for economic and social progress / enhancement / improvement in both absolute and relational terms.

However, as perception of social progress and improvement depends on “the existing optimal prosperity level”, the concept of development is strongly connected to the concept of “the development problem”, which usually means backwardness of certain socio-spatial entities or specific parts of a society in relation to others.In the context of the module a series of relevant fundamental queries are posed and alternative responses are investigated, presented and analyzed.

Representative examples of such queries are:

(a) what does it constitute a regional development problem for a spatially defined society?
(b) how is it possible to measure such a problem?
(c) what is the optimal path and what are the available tools for development, i.e. revocation of or getting over the development problem? Are the ultimate development objectives universal, i.e. identical in all society and civilization cases?

Course Contents

The module includes lectures on the basic terms of the Regional Science, methods of measurement of regional disparities, the history of the theories of regional development (neo-liberal, Keynesian, radical / structural, anti-development, endogenous development approaches, sustainable development, new regionalism etc) and the impact of their application in actual cases of regional development problems (examples from Greece, Europe and the other world).

More specifically the lectures of the course fall under the following thematic categories:

– Queries and dilemmas on development and regional development;

– The concept of region and regionalization and respective regionalization approaches – typologies of regions;

– Definitions and the content of (regional) development indices;

– Regional disparities and methods of measurement / assessment;

– A brief history of the discussion on theories of regional development – theories in favour of development diffusion and theories in favour of development polarization;

– Discussion on regional development theories after industrial restructuring (flexible specialization production, the global-local relationship,  endogenous and development from below etc);

– Review of the discussion on regional development theories (key factors in regional development, interactions among key factors, the doubtful universality of development models etc);

– Environment and development-sustainable development.

Teaching and Assessment

– Theoretical lectures (26 hours).
– Labs / Supervision of work seminars (13 hours).
– Written exams (50%), group work and written paper (50%).

The module is also available through eclass platform (http://eclass.hua.gr/courses/GEO180/).