F.W.M. Boekema

Missing links between urban economic growth theory and real estate development processes: Economic growth and building investments in the city of ‘s‐Hertogenbosch

Summary Recent contributions to the literature on urban economic theory focus mainly on the relations between changes in the organization of firms and the spatial restructuring of urban regions. In this respect, it is argued that changes in the production system result in new locational preferences of firms and consequently in changes in the spatial pattern of cities. In this paper we stress the relevance of both shifts in the organization of firms and markets with respect to urban spatial restructuring processes, but at the same time we notice an important shortcoming in this theoretical tradition: processes that are being held responsible for the provision of the built environment ‐ the way in which the urban spatial structure is actually changed ‐ are generally neglected. The interconnectedness of these different processes is demonstrated empirically in a case study of developments that took place in the region Noordoost‐Brabant. It is concluded that institutional urban economic theory is only partiall...

Competitiveness in Regional Clusters. The Case of Océ's ‘Knowledge Industry Clustering’ Project

This work is a contribution to the growing body of literature on learning, innovation, networks, knowledge and space. The main argument of this literature is that today’s economy can best be characterised as a knowledgebased economy. The argument goes that knowledge and learning are the key to innovation and competitiveness. Furthermore, firms depend on collaboration in networks to access knowledge beyond their control. These networks are argued to have an important spatial dimension. An oft-heard criticism of this body of literature is that it may present some very interesting theoretical views, but that the empirical support for these views is generally poor. This work answers that criticism by presenting a case study of inter-firm collaboration on innovation in a regional manufacturing network. However, due to its focus on the empirical side, the theoretical part of this study is not very elaborate. Instead, this work assumes that most readers will be familiar with what can be referred to as the mainstream literature (see below) and only touches on this literature briefly. In view of the theme of this chapter, the above approach seems justifiable. Moreover, Jan Lambooy himself has published extensively in this particular field, i.e., Lambooy (2000), Lambooy and Boekema (1998), and Lambooy et al. (2002). This work focuses on the presentation of a case study in order to let the empirical information speak for itself. The empirical information will then be interpreted in the light of the mainstream literature in order both to support and criticise this literature.

Governance of Europe's City Regions: Planning, Policy and Politics. By Tassilo Herrschel and Peter Newman

Right from the beginning, the authors of this book set the scene: this book is more or less a structured overview of current debates on regions and cities. It examines the trends in regional development, on the one hand, and the responses of European scale regional and urban policy, on the other. This book introduces a broad collection of interdisciplinary literature and clarifies debates about regionalism as well as questions and claims about a “New Regionalism.” It provides an understanding of trends of various spatial scales and explores a range of different European experiences that consider prospects for the effective governance of cities and regions. The authors argue that the city-region scale continues to be contested, that no single governance model will fit all experiences. At the same time, they also assert that there is a need for a careful appreciation within city-regions of the interactions of local institutions, their constitutional context, and their economic prospects. In the introductory chapter, the authors explain the relevance of this book. They set out to explore the evidence of New Regionalism across the European Union, so that different institutional, cultural, and political circumstances can be taken into account in their impact on regionalization processes. In the second chapter, the authors emphasize theoretical issues with dimensions, such as territory, institutions, and networks. This chapter suggests a twofold division of the main theoretical arguments: theoretical (economic), on the one hand, and governmental-institutional, on the other. It proves that theoretical debates are moving from space to the wider concept of scale. One could also say that the more one-dimensional territorial debate has been broadened to include the scale of institutional operations. Chapter 3 focuses on European Regions and Regional Policy by exploring two main themes: spatial economic dynamism, particularly the changing role of city-regions, and the nature of policy responses by the European Union. In fact, regions have gained a much greater presence and recognition through the Committee of the Regions, giving regions and cities a consulting role in commission projects. In Chapter 4, the governance of monoand polycentric city-regions in Europe is described. The many examples of regionalization in Western Europe illustrate the importance of formal differences, but also point to the need to look beyond them when assessing the status of regions within the governmental hierarchies. Some striking examples are presented, such as the Randstad in the Netherlands and the Ruhr area in Germany. The chapter proves that the formation of such city-regions can be stimulated by particular events, such as the Olympic Games in Barcelona. Centralized and decentralized regionalism in England and Germany are investigated in more detail in Chapter 5. In Germany, regions seem to be an inherent statutory and cultural-historic part of state consciousness, while in England, all forms of governance are ultimately controlled by the central state. Chapter 6 deals with monocentric city regions in unitary and federal states, with experiences from both England and Germany. The next chapter, subtitled “Between Competitive Localism and Marriages of Convenience,” deals with polycentric city-regions. Both chapters explore, in detail, regionalization processes by comparing city regions with different internal structures, as well as external arrangements and provisions. London and Berlin are presented as good examples of #1055—ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY—VOL. 79 NO. 4—79406-Boekema-BR