Framework conditions and development potentials of (old) industrialised towns and regions in Central Europe

Utilising endogenous, place-based development potentials

authored by

Jörn Harfst

supervised by

Frank Othengrafen

Abstract

This PhD discusses regional development in (old) industrial regions in Central Europe. It especially addresses regions which are predominantly characterised by small- and medium-sized towns. Such entities have not featured prominently in discussions of structural change and regional development over the past thirty to forty years. Interconnected, the work sheds light on the role of utilising endogenous place-based potentials as a way to create alternative development paths for such regions, by also taking into account multi-level governance arrangements and European cohesion funding. The PhD is structured around 5 articles, which all have dealt with different aspects of regional development in Central European and were published between 2011 and 2020. These articles draw on a range of different case studies. To understand the underlying dynamics of regional development in such (old) industrial places, the work utilises a range of important theoretical concepts, including theories of uneven development, ‘new regionalism’, and interconnecting concepts of endogenous, place-based development potentials, as well as multi-level governance arrangements in an European context. In its results, the PhD shows via the case-study regions how (old) industrial regions outside agglomeration areas are affected by processes of structural change and maps the challenges which they face creating new development paths. It highlights the fact that the processes of structural change can be all consuming, combining a range of economic, social and ecological elements. This affects regions, which often suffer already from low administrational and human capacities. Related to this, the work shows that especially local and regional development initiatives (fostered by multi-level governance settings) enable regions to develop new capacities and innovative development solutions. Overall, the results of this PhD raise important questions on how to conceptualise and maintain long-term perspectives of regional development in the focus regions under European cohesion policies.

Organisation(s)

Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences

Type

Doctoral thesis

No. of pages

150

Publication date

2021

Publication status

Published

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.15488/11016 (Access: Open)