RESEARCH PAPER
From Region to Territory: Reinterpretation of the Meaning of Space in Economic Development
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Uniwersytet Łódzki, Wydział Ekonomiczno-Socjologiczny, Instytut Gospodarki Przestrzennej,
Katedra Gospodarki Regionalnej i Środowiska
Submission date: 2018-03-02
Acceptance date: 2018-07-11
Publication date: 2018-09-30
GNPJE 2018;295(3):5-22
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
This paper is intended to theoretically examine the premises of the regional development
paradigm. It discusses key conceptual categories and the logical structure of the idea to highlight
comparative differences between the traditional and territorial understanding of space
and its impact on economic development. Further considerations focus on the interpretation
of derivative notions such as territorial capital, territorialisation of economic development,
and development policy. The applied research method consists of a critical analysis
of the literature on the subject, supplemented with an analysis of reports and expert opinions
prepared for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
and the European Commission. Recent decades have witnessed an in-depth reinterpretation
of the meaning of space in economic development processes. The term “territory”
is no longer identified with a static location and a simple accumulation of resources. It is
interpreted as a place that is dynamic in terms of time and space and that has emerged
from interactions and network relationships with its own informal institutions and specific
resources, which facilitate the attainment of improved economic efficiency. It is also
perceived as a dynamic organisational structure that reduces uncertainty and risk and as
a place where resources are generated and accumulated, and within which knowledge,
innovation, and skills are transferred. Place-based development produces a specific system
of relationships and a creative social and economic framework that can be adapted
to changes by creating new resources and development opportunities.