 | De-coding New Regionalism: Shifting Socio-political Contexts in Central Europe and Latin America Subjects: Area Studies; Built Environment; Geography; Politics & International Relations; Central Asian Russian & Eastern European Studies; Latin American & Hispanic Studies; International Political Economy; Planning; Human Geography; Public Administration & Management; City and Urban Planning; Economic Geography; Political Geography; Regional Geography - Human Geography; Public Policy; Bringing together comparative case studies from Central Europe and South America, this book focuses on 'new' regions - regions created as political projects of modernization and 're-scaling'. Through this approach it de-codes 'New Regionalism' in terms of its contributions to institutional change, while acknowledging its contested nature and contradictions. It questions whether these regions are merely a strategy of neo-liberal adjustment to changing political and economic conditions, or whether they are indicative of true reform, greater citizen participation and empowerment. It assesses whether these regions are really representing something new or whether they are a reconfiguration of traditional power relationships. It provides a timely critical analysis of 'region-building' and the extent to which national processes of decentralization and sub-national processes of regionalism can enhance the effectiveness and responsiveness of governance. Dr James W. Scott is a lecturer at the Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning, Germany. |
