The Mexican state of Yucatán, with its strategically important location near the United States, Central America and the Caribbean, is one of the most dynamic regions in the OECD. Yucatán is also a land of contrasts. It is a lagging but growing region, offering a high quality of life and vast...

Few other countries feature the combination of very low population densities and difficult topography that hinders communication, in addition to a variety of contrasting climates. But the “Nordic welfare model” strives, with a good degree of success, to offer equal living conditions to all...

The North Atlantic (NORA) region is a transnational area comprising the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and the coastal counties of Norway. These territories are linked by shared characteristics and challenges, as well as by historical, institutional and cultural links. Improving...

OECD's comprehensive territorial review of Stockholm. It finds Stockholm to be on the the most successful - but not unchallenged - regions. While there is no crisis on the horizon, there are a number of weaknesses that could undermine the region’s competitiveness in the long run. These...

The Greater Helsinki Region emerged from the 1990s as an internationally competitive economy. This review examines the factors contributing to this success and the new development challenges it has created. One critical policy question is the Finnish dependence on the telecom/mobile industry....

The Champagne-Ardenne region in the north-east of France enjoys comparative advantages in a number of sectors, including mechanics, metalworking, packaging and agriculture, and of course Champagne. Although it still ranks fifth among French regions in terms of GDP/capita, Champagne-Ardenne lost...

The review points to the need to redesign regional policy. The ongoing reform of fiscal federalism, supposed to foster subnational autonomy and to reduce disparities more effectively, is an important step towards balanced regional development. The review emphasises the need to extend regional...

Across the OECD, globalisation increasingly tests the ability of regional economies to adapt and exploit their competitive edge, as it also offers new opportunities for regional development. This review of Newcastle in the United Kingdom looks at a medium-sized metropolitan area that is the...

This review of Mexico evaluates emerging territorial development strategies as well as relevant changes in governance, such as new horizontal and vertical co-ordination mechanisms, being introduced in conjunction with improved federal arrangements. The review focuses on three policy objectives...

OECD's comprehensive territorial review of Melbourne, Australia's second largest city, most important container port, and leading cultural and educational centre. It finds that Melbourne is poised for a major phase in its growth, but that it faces a number of challenges.