Introduction -- Disputed Notions and Definitions in Rural and Regional Studies -- From the Early Literature to the Contemporary Approaches to Regional and Territorial Development -- Policies of Regional Development and Planning -- In Search of Rural Development -- Rural Development Policies --...

The book provides a study of sustainable development in rural China. Because of its huge population and vast land area, this is an important issue not only for China but for the whole world. The research presented is both multi aspect and systematical. It can be likened to a tree where the trunk...

1 Introduction -- 2 Changing Trends in Rural Self-Employment in Europe and Turkey -- 3 A New Form of Small Industrial Business in Rural Area: To Exceeding the Local Roots? -- 4 The Modalities of Territorial Embeddedness of French Cooperative Groups -- 5 Strategies for Sustainable Regional...

Economic and financial crises have brought the rise of unemployment, reduction of economic growth and emergence of global imbalances and tensions as countries and regions have suffered the effects of a variety of internal and external shocks. In this context of constant disruption, the...

This book presents an interdisciplinary analysis of EU regional cohesion based on a network and clusters approach. The author explores the question if and how the presence of network structures supports the effectiveness of transformation in EU regions, in particular with a focus on...

This volume highlights the importance of interactive, practice-based learning as a means to promote more thorough innovation dynamics in regional and national economies. Successful experiences in Scandanavia and southern European countries are examined, with insightful policy lessons extracted...

Town and Hinterland Interactions in Rural Areas -- Multifunctionality of Towns: Exploration of the Spatial Behaviour of Households -- Farms in a Modern World: Local Integration and Off-Farm Employment -- Town-Hinterland Relations: A Social Accounting Matrix Approach -- Microsimulation of Rural...

The Big Picture: Global Trends Affecting Agricultural Finance -- Institutional and Process Innovations in Serving Rural Clients -- Dealing With Risks in Agricultural Finance -- Using Modern Technology for High-Quality Services in Rural Areas

This book discusses the latest theoretical advances in regional innovation research, presents empirical cases involving the development of regional innovation systems (RISs), and explores regional innovation policy approaches. Grounded in the extensive literature on RISs, it addresses...

This book investigates the dynamics of the management of sustainability in networks and clusters - an area of increasing importance that is neglected by the many studies addressing sustainability at the single-enterprise level. The focus is in particular on projects involving groups of...