There is a high research and political interest in regional disparities now. Regional disparities are at the heart of prominent theories of regional development as well as of the ambitious project of European integration. Moreover, regional policies at various spatial levels are formulated in...

This paper deals with the relationship between regional disparities and financing of regional policy. The Czech Republic and the Convergence goal of cohesion policy were chosen as a case study. Four themes are discussed in this regard. First, the spatial distribution of funds is analyzed with...

This paper deals with the spatial relationship between national and European regional policies. Spatial coherence of these two types of policies in two CEE countries – in the Czech Republic and Slovakia – is discussed. Our findings point at a higher spatial coherence of national and European...

The idea of smart specialisation has gained high prominence in the discourse about EU regional policy. In the coming program period from 2014 to 2020 it is expected to be a major pillar of EU structural funds. The notion of smart specialisation incorporates some basic principles of evolutionary...

The purpose of this guideline is to discuss the objectives and approaches of regional (subnational) development programs in order to provide guidance on issues related to evaluating the impact of these programs. Regional development programs are designed to improve the income-generating capacity...

The purpose of this guideline is to make praticioners aware of simulation approaches for the evaluation of tourism projects. Simulation approaches are particularly useful when experimental or economic approaches for project evaluation are not feasible. For example, it usually is not possible to...

Cluster policy has become a method of choice for policymakers in many countries. Promoting strong localized industries is an appealing perspective for practitioners, as it can be seen as a way to anchor economic activity in regions in an era of globalization. If cluster policy is successful, it...

During the last decade issues such as growth and convergence, core-periphery structures, and regional development have come to the forefront in policy circles. At the same time as political concerns about regional development increased, new theories of economic growth and economic geography were...

This article investigates the incongruity between macroeconomic growth and poverty reduction or income distribution from a regional perspective, and relates it to the urbanization rates and the urban concentration. Using the case of the state of Ceara in Northeast Brazil, we find a persistent...

Three major economic regions exist in China Pearl River Delta (PRD), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Bo Hai Rim (BHR) and have number of important and striking similarities. The success of regional innovation systems in China has its roots in the following three factors. First, the central...