Poverty remains a relevant problem in Brazil, potentially hindering the economic development of its regions. Applying the poverty convergence approach developed by Ravallion (2012), we analyze the complex interactions between poverty and economic growth in Brazilian municipalities. Using a dataset from 1991 to 2010, our results reveal a pattern of absolute income convergence across Brazilian municipalities, implying that regions with lower initial income levels tend to experience higher subsequent per capita income growth (the advantage of backwardness effect). In addition, we find that per capita income growth reduces the incidence of poverty (the advantage of the growth effect). Therefore, poverty should converge across Brazilian municipalities. However, the initial incidence of poverty hampered poverty convergence by reducing the impact of backwardness and the growth effect. Furthermore, spatial spillovers matter, as income growth in neighboring municipalities contributes to local poverty reduction; however, high poverty levels in surrounding areas weaken this beneficial effect. Our results underscore the importance of public policies in addressing and reducing poverty incidence as a strategy to promote economic growth in Brazilian regions.
This paper investigates the intricate relationship between EU integration, regional growth, and discontent, with a specific focus on Greece. While EU integration is often associated with growth through market expansion and resource optimization, its uneven impacts across regions can produce adverse outcomes. In Greece, persistent regional disparities, trade deficits, and the long-term effects of a severe economic crisis have been accompanied by a visible rise in discontent. This discontent, increasingly expressed through anti-EU sentiment, appears strongly linked to low and uneven returns from integration, especially in regions more vulnerable to trade shocks. By utilizing newly available regional trade data, we analyze how different types of trade integration influence regional growth patterns, contributing to either convergence or divergence. The conclusions underscore that discontent in Greece is not a peripheral issue but a central consequence of integration processes that fail to deliver balanced benefits. As such, the interdependence between integration, discontent, and cohesion policy emerges as a critical dimension for the EU’s democratic and economic stability.
Regional economies are increasingly exposed to volatility and prolonged shocks, yet the role of intersectoral linkages and their spatial interdependencies in shaping adjustment remains underexplored. This study analyses the evolution and spatial structure of inter-industrial dependencies across Greek NUTS-2 regions during 2008–2018, a period of deep recession and uneven recovery. Using regional input-output models, the analysis estimates sectoral output multipliers to identify key drivers of economy-wide effects and to trace their evolution over time. Spatial diagnostics detect clustering patterns in multiplier dynamics, while correlation and spatial correlation analyses explore the relationship between structural change and regional gross value added performance. Results indicate that the crisis was associated with a modest weakening of overall inter-industrial linkages, alongside a reconfiguration of production structures. The industry sector emerged as the dominant source of multiplier effects, while construction and finance experienced a substantial decline in network importance. Information and communication maintained relatively steady multiplier strength, suggesting their growing role within regional production systems. Spatial analysis indicates persistent industrial polarization and sector-specific clustering, pointing to path-dependent and geographically uneven adjustment processes. Correlation analysis shows weak associations between multiplier growth and own-region economic performance, but positive relationships with neighbouring regions’ growth, underscoring the importance of spatial spillovers. By integrating production-network and spatial perspectives, the proposed analytical framework offers a diagnostic tool for assessing regional economic restructuring and supports the design of place-based resilience policies that explicitly account for intersectoral linkages and cross-regional spillover mechanisms.
Contemporary literature underscores the demographic and economic stagnation of non-urban areas, driven by ongoing urbanization and the associated outflow of human capital. Although counterurban migration has long been proposed as a potential remedy, empirical evidence on its long-term consequences remains limited, particularly with respect to individuals who remain in these areas over time. This study examines post-migration staying among individuals who moved from metropolitan to non-metropolitan regions in Sweden between 2006 and 2010, analysing the determinants of staying duration over a ten-year follow-up period using administrative register data. Employing survival models, the analysis reveals substantial variation in staying duration across regional contexts and migrant sub-groups. Longer residential stability is more strongly associated with proximity to metropolitan labour markets, family-related characteristics, and prior regional ties, while more remote and structurally weaker regions exhibit higher exit risks. The findings indicate that counterurban migration frequently takes the form of selective settlement in commuting-accessible areas rather than deep rural retention. Overall, the results highlight patterns of regional fit and selective retention across migrant sub-groups and destination types, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of counterurban migration and its role in regional population redistribution.
The role of universities in regional development has gained increasing importance in research, particularly regarding their economic and societal contributions. However, there is no consistent understanding on how context factors influence engagement and how these factors are perceived by university stakeholders and their respective collaboration network. Utilizing the theoretical foundations derived from the literature, the study employs a case study analysis of two Austrian universities located in industrial regions, Linz (JKU) and Graz (KFU) with vibrant regional innovation systems. Our research is based on a combined flexible pattern matching analysis (FPMA) and the Gioia methodology. The Gioia method identifies patterns directly from the empirical data which is relevant for understanding stakeholders’ perceptions and FPMA involves the iterative matching between theoretical patterns derived from literature and empirically observed patterns. Influenced by various context factors—spatial-relational, organizational, and institutional—the findings reveal, that academic engagement is perceived in two different spheres, the organizational sphere of the university and the regional sphere which allows a differentiated reflection on the existing engagement theory. While university engagement often focuses on knowledge transfer and scientific impact, regional engagement involves broader collaborations with regional stakeholders and is frequently policy driven. Besides organizational influencing factors, such as the founding history, leadership and motivated university actors, the findings reveal that the type of engagement is strongly driven by regional networks as well as proximity. Institutional and social proximity coin the university’s definition and understanding of academic engagement as well as its implementation in the form of university and/or regional engagement.
This paper explores the asymmetric nature of spatial interactions in environmental taxation. The analysis focuses on the intermediate level of government in Spain—namely, the regions—and is based on an extended dynamic spatial Durbin model. While the initial results confirm the existence of spatial dependence—where regions tend to imitate their neighbours’ revenue-based measure of environmental tax stringency—the extended model, which interacts the spatial lag of the dependent variable with an index capturing the characteristics of neighbouring regions, reveals that this imitation is far from uniform. Specifically, regions tend to emulate the environmental tax behaviour of the neighbouring regions when these are prosperous but choose to behave differently when the neighbouring economies are poorly developed, with sluggish or stagnant markets. In this scenario, they opt for tax competition to attract firms. Moreover, tax interaction is minimal when neighbouring regions have very low environmental tax revenues or have a minority government. These findings challenge uniform approaches to environmental tax coordination and highlight the need for strategies that account for regional heterogeneity.
Income Composition Inequality (ICI) has emerged as a relevant framework for linking functional and personal income distribution, yet empirical evidence remains limited and focused exclusively on national-level analyses. This paper addresses this gap by offering the first comprehensive regional study of ICI in Spain over the period 2007–2021, a context characterised by pronounced territorial heterogeneity. Using microdata from the Income and Living Conditions Survey and a set of indicators capturing primary and secondary ICI, the article provides three main contributions. First, it demonstrates that ICI varies across regions and that neither its levels nor its patterns of change follow conventional geographical divides documented in the broader inequality literature. This reveals that regional disparities in income composition represent an independent dimension of territorial inequality that cannot be inferred from standard measures of income distribution. Second, the study shows that the concentration of individual income sources (particularly wages by education level, financial income and real estate income) plays a central role in explaining regional divergence, highlighting structural factors such as ageing, specialisation in tourism or exposure to gentrification. Third, the paper documents heterogeneous redistributive capacities across regions and identifies cases where high ICI persists even after transfers, underscoring the need for region-specific approaches to fiscal policy, housing policy and human-capital accumulation. Together, these contributions advance the understanding of ICI by revealing its relevance in contexts with strong regional heterogeneity and by establishing a methodological and empirical foundation for extending regional analyses of income composition to other countries.
Income inequality is a global issue, and China’s unique dual social structure places rural residents at a lower social status than urban residents. In this context, examining the income disparity between urban and rural areas in China is particularly important. Using provincial panel data from 2003 to 2022 and a fixed effects model, the findings indicate that urbanization generally reduces urban-rural income inequality, but there is no strong evidence of a U-shaped relationship as suggested by the Kuznets hypothesis. Among the transmission mechanisms, the results show that urbanization promotes foreign trade, which serves as a key mechanism for reducing inequality, whereas labor mobility does not play a significant role due to the restrictions of household registration (hukou) system. The role of the social security system is limited and complex: although urbanization lowers overall social security levels, it inadvertently narrows disparities due to urban-centered resource allocation. The regional analysis reveals that urbanization has the most pronounced inequality-reducing effect in the western provinces, while its impact is statistically insignificant in the northeastern region, where economic stagnation and reliance on heavy industries limit its effectiveness. These findings underscore the necessity of hukou reform to enhance labor mobility and ensure equitable access to public services for rural migrants. They also underscore the need for regionally tailored policies, such as promoting urbanization in the west, enhancing trade openness, and improving rural social security.
This study examines infrastructure-induced land transformation across Bangalore–Mysore Urban Corridor (BMUC), a rapidly evolving region between two major urban centres in southern India. Employing an integrated geospatial approach supplemented by qualitative insights from local communities, the study captures the multifaceted spatial and social dimensions of change. Findings reveal that Bangalore–Mysore Expressway (NH275) functions as a spatial catalyst, driving accelerated urban expansion and a marked decline in agricultural land and natural vegetation. The intensity of land use and land cover change exhibits a strong spatial gradient, strongly correlated with expressway proximity—underscoring the transformative influence of transport infrastructure on adjacent landscapes. Predictive modelling projects a continuous intensification of these trends through the late 2030s, particularly along Bangalore fringe. Concurrently, socioeconomic analysis uncovers emerging spatial inequities, characterized by divergent development trajectories and a deepening urban–rural divide. By synthesizing spatial modelling with grounded community narratives, this study advances a novel framework for interpreting infrastructure-led land dynamics in the Global South. It critiques dominant top-down planning paradigms, illustrating not only the persistent marginalization of local communities in accessibility outcomes but also their agency in moderating land change trajectories. The findings offer actionable insights for regional policymakers, emphasizing the strategic importance of participatory governance as a cornerstone of inclusive and spatially just development.
An increasing number of stakeholders demand that higher education institutions contribute to sustainability transitions in places where they operate. Concurrently, policymakers encourage universities to differentiate themselves from each other. On the one hand, universities’ sustainability contributions through third mission must complement those of other institutions in the same region to prevent resource fragmentation. On the other hand, they must also distinguish themselves to ensure that their sustainability efforts do not overlap excessively and become too similar. This article reports on the findings from a study of three higher education institutions in Vestland, Norway, exploring how external pressures and internal organizational dynamics influence their third mission positioning in relation to local sustainability transitions. The findings suggest that multiple coercive isomorphic pressures have played a key role in making these otherwise distinct institutions moderately similar over time. This convergence has, in turn, laid the foundation for closer coordination and collaboration in addressing regional sustainability challenges. Furthermore, we identify specific institutional carriers—symbolic systems, relational systems and routines—that have been instrumental in fostering complementary differentiation in third mission activities of the three universities. The article concludes with proposition of complementary differentiation as a conceptual lens to explore universities’ positioning in regional sustainability transitions, followed by policy recommendations and avenues for future research.
Indonesia is currently facing rapid urban development due to its government’s policies. Gentrification, which is present in the country accompanying the rapid urbanization, may bring about development and increase of life quality in a region. However, previous studies using data from urban and rural areas from other countries have shown the negative effects of gentrification, particularly on crime. Most of those studies have explored the effect of gentrification on crime through sociological mechanisms, even so the economic theories argued that the effect may be in a reverse direction. Therefore, reverse causality is a potential estimation problem to address. The present study aims to examine the effect of gentrification on crime while dealing with reverse causality problem and spatial interdependence of crime variables. Using Indonesian districts and cities level data from the 2019 National Household Survey, the study employs generalized spatial two-stages least square (GS2SLS) estimation. The results found that the inflow of gentrifiers positively affects property crime rate, which is observed more strongly on peripheral districts compared to cities, and negatively affects violent crime rate on cities. This difference in results is attributed to the nature of the type of crimes analysed in this study.
Poverty is a complex and persistent phenomenon, the eradication of which is crucial for all economies, regardless of their development level. Its multidimensional nature necessitates a comprehensive understanding of demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional determinants to devise effective poverty alleviation strategies and promote sustainable development. Within this context, this paper aims, first, to measure the deprivation levels of the NUTS2 regions of the EU during 2002–2020 through the lens of people’s perceptions. This approach captures individual perspectives across multiple fields of deprivation—income, living conditions, health, education, and safety—offering a more nuanced view of poverty persistence. Second, it explores the determinants of deprivation, which are shaped not only by individual characteristics but also by the socio-economic, institutional and geographic environment that define regional development capacity. By shedding light on these complex and interconnected factors, this analysis aims to deepen understanding of poverty’s persistence and prevalence, offering valuable insights for policymaking.
This study revisits the hypothesis that the Cistercian monastic order has had a persistent and still measurable influence on contemporary European work values, specifically the claim that there are “pre-Reformation roots” to a strong (‘Protestant’) work ethic. Theoretically, this claim faces historical objections regarding the function of work within Cistercian monastic thought and the resulting ambiguous doctrinal stance, especially concerning the work ethic of the lay population. Drawing on data from the European Values Study (EVS 2008) and an expanded dataset of medieval monastic communities, the analysis tests the relationship between the historical regional presence of Cistercians and modern work-related values of respondents. The study improves upon previous research, inter alia, by considering a broader range of measures of work ethic and by incorporating data on three other religious orders. The results cast doubt on the existence of a persistent Cistercian effect on European work ethic. Most indicators of a strong work ethic show no or theoretically unexpected associations with past Cistercian presence. Likewise, placebo outcomes and associations between other orders and work-ethic indicators suggest that the research design may be vulnerable to spurious results, which may explain the few positive findings in this as well as in previous studies.
Investigating the dynamics of regional development is central to the broader literature on the geography of innovation. While the role of innovation in economic modernisation, industrial growth, and the restructuring of regions has long dominated the scientific discourse, increasing attention has recently been directed towards major societal challenges and the need for transformative change. However, integrative perspectives on how regions cope with the dual challenge posed by structural and transformative change remain scarce. Against this background, the contributions in this special issue provide new insights into how regional development, particularly in lagging and old industrial regions, unfolds, shaped by region-specific actor constellations, agency, and institutional settings. This editorial synthesises the articles and outlines future research directions.
This article offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the financial dynamics underlying the EU’s Interreg A (cross-border) programmes during the 2014–2020 period. Drawing on microdata from 54 programmes and over 4000 projects, the study explores how participation dynamics and budget execution are shaped by participant profiles and programme management. The principal findings indicate that public organisations predominate both participation and budget allocation, with smaller territories being overrepresented and more affluent areas receiving relatively lower budgets, which is in keeping with cohesion policy goals. The effectiveness of budget execution is positively linked to technical assistance, overall programme size, and institutional quality. Moreover, higher execution rates are associated with programmes that involve lower-population or demographically diverse partnerships, alongside stronger institutional quality and increased investment in technical assistance. These findings complement earlier research focusing on geographic and substantive dimensions, and they provide further conclusions to be considered jointly from academic and policy perspectives.
Tourism constitutes a key driver of regional economic development, integrating diverse industries and fostering socio-economic growth. Acknowledging the strategic importance of public intervention in enhancing tourism development and competitiveness, this paper employs a disaggregated, dynamic panel analysis across two major EU tourism economies to isolate the effects of thematically classified public investments, according to the objectives of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014–2020 programming period, on tourism performance. This study provides evidence on the short-term associations between finalized ERDF investments and regional tourism development, as measured by the Gross Value Added (GVA). The findings reveal that investments in connectivity infrastructure have a significant and positive influence on regional tourism outcomes. In contrast, other ERDF-funded initiatives did not exhibit immediate measurable effects, likely due to their broader or longer-term objectives. The results provide a nuanced understanding of the relationship between specific types of public investment and tourism dynamics, offering actionable insights for policymakers seeking to optimize resource allocation and promote sustainable regional development.
The present study explores students’ decisions to either relocate or commute to their place of study depending on the availability of student tickets. By leveraging regional variations in the coverage of these subsidized public transport tickets, we explore whether their availability decreases students’ likelihood of moving. We investigate how the importance of subsidized tickets changes with commuting time and how their relevance varies based on students’ financial resources, social backgrounds, and risk attitudes. To do so, we use the MESARAS 2013 (Mobility, Expectations, Self-Assessment, and Risk Attitude of Students) survey, which queries university entrants in the field of economics at seven German universities. We link locational identifiers from the survey with the Google Distance Matrix API to assess commuting times and regional administrative data. Our logistic regression models suggest that the availability of student tickets may decrease the likelihood of moving. The association appears to be less pronounced as commuting time increases and seems to depend on parental academic status as well as students’ budget. Thus, our study offers three contributions: First, we provide policy-relevant evidence on the importance of affordable public transportation. Second, we address (social) inequalities in the moving versus commuting decision. Third, we demonstrate how accurate spatial modeling of commuting times and integration of survey data with external data sources benefits socio-spatial analysis.
The Balearic Islands, like other tourism-dependent economies, face growing pressure on their real estate market due to rising visitor numbers and a growing resident and non-resident population. Given this context, this paper examines how the increase in real estate prices affects the prices of other goods and services in the Balearic economy by employing an input-output price model for the period from 2015 to 2023. With this methodology, it is possible to analyse how changes in housing prices propagate through the economy, affecting the prices of other goods and services and ultimately influencing overall inflation as measured by the gross domestic product implicit deflator (GDPD). The results indicate that the inflation generated in the rest of the economy due to rising real estate prices reached 3.5
The central theme of this research is built around the research question of how regions develop sectors employing knowledge bases and institutions that diverge from existing regional specialization and institutional arrangements. The motivation stems from the observation that newer industrial activities—relying on a combinatorial knowledge base distinct from the locally rooted dominant arrangements—support innovation through varying institutional mechanisms that defy the conventional dichotomy of endogenous versus exogenous institutional structures. We focus on how firms adopt various mechanisms to access critical knowledge and address the “mismatch” with regional institutions. We apply a qualitative research methodology to examine the phenomenon of industrial “branching” using the case of Bangalore-based new media industry. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to nineteen sample firms, capturing responses on firm innovativeness, including the application of knowledge bases, the significance of regional institutions, and the entrepreneurial experiences of the founders. A four-dimensional schema grounded on the literature review is used to interpret firms’ choices of knowledge transfer mechanisms and to summarize the survey findings. We found that regional factors heavily influence firms’ choices of knowledge transfer mechanisms, specifically, the degree of cognitive proximity with regional specialization and the perceived significance of regional institutions in shaping firm innovativeness. The results support our understanding of the intricate nature of firms rooted in local routines while simultaneously relying on agency-driven extra-regional channels that contribute to the spatiality of innovativeness.
