European Regional Science Association
|
European Regional Science Association
|
|
|
|
|
The abstract for paper number 285:
Johannes Lückenkötter, Institute of Spatial Planning (IRPUD)
Faculty of Spatial Planning
University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany, Stefano Panebianco, Institute of Spatial Planning (IRPUD)
Faculty of Spatial Planning
University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany, Klaus Spiekermann, Spiekermann & Wegener, Urban and Regional Research (S&W), Dortmund, Germany
Soft location factors – determinants of regional economic growth in peripheral regions?
The ability of a region to attract business activities depends on a number of variables. Traditionally, location factors such as technical infrastructure, land prices, accessibility and skilled labour have been considered as determinants of regional economic growth. However, the shift from industrial towards service oriented economies and the increasing ubiquity of “hard” location factors seem to enhance the role of so-called “soft” location factors. Indeed, local business promotion programs and regional policies more and more aim at improving and marketing locational characteristics such as the quality of life, the social capital, the co-operative spirit or the image of a region.
Despite the growing body of literature which attributes high importance to soft location factors, their impacts on regional economic development have so far only rarely been tested empirically. Drawing on the preliminary results of the 5th FP research project “AsPIRE” (Aspatial Peripherality, Innovation and the Rural Economy), this paper addresses the question, whether and to what extent soft location factors affect the development of regional economies, putting special emphasis on peripheral rural regions in Europe.
The paper will be structured in four parts. First, an introduction into recent trends of regional economic development in Europe and a justification of the need for the integration of soft variables into regional economic models will be given. A second section will present the results of a case study research in Germany, investigating the role of soft location factors such as social capital, business networks and governance processes for explaining regional development. The third part discusses different approaches towards quantifying soft development variables. On the basis of a European-wide regional database, interregional differences in hard as well as soft locational characteristics are analysed and cartographically displayed. Finally, the paper presents the outcomes of multi-variate regression analyses which seek to identify and ‘measure’ the impact of specific soft location factors on regional economic development in peripheral regions of Europe.
Unfortunately full paper has not been submitted.