Espace et territoire.. Les bifurcations de la science régionale

Three phases may be distinguished in the reflection concerning space and territory. 1- From the beginning of the nineteenth century to the interwar period, this field was explored by three disciplines, spatial economic theory, international trade theory and economic geography (first style). There were no relations between them. 2- From 1930 to 1970, the discovery of unequal development led all social sciences to develop an interest in spatial organization. The foundation of regional science, the exploration of macroeconomic mechanisms and a new curiosity for scale and external economies made closer economics, economic geography (second style) and planning. 3- Since 1970, the failure of the policies developed in the 50s and 60s was conducive to a deep change of perspective : people now stress the development from below, the role of clusters and the economy of knowledge. There is a consensus on an essential point: it is necessary to explore the territorial structures developed by human beings.