Call for Conference Papers
Rethinking the Regional Development Opportunities and Challenges
Regional Science Policy & Practice – RSPP is the official policy and practitioner orientated journal of the Regional Science Association International. The journal seeks to publish high-impact research with a policy and practical relevance. It welcomes submissions from varied academic disciplines and practitioners, including planning, public policy, sociology, geography, economics, environmental science, and related fields.
Regional development has been a key focus area in the post-independence era of African countries. Various scholars have focused on regional socio-economic development policies (Rambanapasi & Darkoh, 1998; Rakodi, 1990; Harrison & Turok, 2017), regional development strategies, and regional disparities that persist in African countries, especially focusing on infrastructure provision and politics of difference (Todes & Turok, 2018; Raftopoulos, 2019). Regions are complex spaces that are inherently fluid and make it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach to their development. With the increasing attention and focus on sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity espoused in the sustainable development goals, it becomes critical to interrogate how regions are constrained and the opportunities they provide in enhancing these aspirations. Several issues have been inherent in regions that affect successful regional development in recent years. Among these have been issues of climate change that significantly affect the socio-ecological status of regions, thus bringing new complexities into these spaces and calling for new approaches and methodologies for understanding these problems. Key questions also emerge mainly on the issue of food access and security in regional development (Arnalte-Mur et al., 2020). This is a key issue considering the persisting food insecurities bedeviling most regions in Southern Africa.
Yet, regional development planning tools, methods, data, and policies have not been fully developed and comprehended. For example, regional planning in some African countries has remained mainly on paper with little practical application (Landau, 2011). Challenges behind this abound. Apart from the lack of development funds, complexities of operating regionally (Odero, 2001), and unavailability of replicable regional development tools and methodologies, the acute shortage of regional data has affected regional development practice (PlanAfric, 2000; Potts, 2018; Gambe et al., 2022).
Regional development has been a key focus area in the post-independence era of African countries. Various scholars have focused on regional socio-economic development policies (Rambanapasi & Darkoh, 1998; Rakodi, 1990; Harrison & Turok, 2017), regional development strategies, and regional disparities that persist in African countries, especially focusing on infrastructure provision and politics of difference (Todes & Turok, 2018; Raftopoulos, 2019). Regions are complex spaces that are inherently fluid and make it difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach to their development. With the increasing attention and focus on sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity espoused in the sustainable development goals, it becomes critical to interrogate how regions are constrained and the opportunities they provide in enhancing these aspirations. Several issues have been inherent in regions that affect successful regional development in recent years. Among these have been issues of climate change that significantly affect the socio-ecological status of regions, thus bringing new complexities into these spaces and calling for new approaches and methodologies for understanding these problems. Key questions also emerge mainly on the issue of food access and security in regional development (Arnalte-Mur et al., 2020). This is a key issue considering the persisting food insecurities bedeviling most regions in Southern Africa.
Yet, regional development planning tools, methods, data, and policies have not been fully developed and comprehended. For example, regional planning in some African countries has remained mainly on paper with little practical application (Landau, 2011). Challenges behind this abound. Apart from the lack of development funds, complexities of operating regionally (Odero, 2001), and unavailability of replicable regional development tools and methodologies, the acute shortage of regional data has affected regional development practice (PlanAfric, 2000; Potts, 2018; Gambe et al., 2022).