This
textbook is an introduction to some of the most important economic,
social and political challenges that the EU currently faces. It
covers the issues of competitiveness, cohesion, ageing, migration,
employment and social polarization, enlargement, and the emergence
of regionalism and nationalism. These structural challenges will in
the medium-run determine the place of the EU in the world. Written
by a single author, it has greater cohesion than many of the
multi-contributor volumes available.
Readership:
Introductory
textbook aimed at students of European geography, politics, and
economics.
All
the presentation related to the Chapters of the book and a sample
chapter can be downloaded from the Oxford
University Press companion
website to the book!
In a period of deep economic, social,
and political transformation, regional disparities seem to be
particularly resistant to change. The emergence of a global economy,
the shift in production methods, and the greater mobility of
capital, labour, and raw materials have not brought about a radical
reshuffling of the prevailing regional disparities. There is a
greater concentration of economic activity in core areas and very
few peripheral regions are taking advantage of the process of global
restructuring. In this book I look for the reasons behind this
persistence in the social, political, and institutional arrangements
of a large set of European regions. In doing this, I try to relate
two scientific approaches concerned with regional economic
performance, which share little in common: the literature on
socio-economic restructuring and structural change, on the one hand,
and neoclassical and endogenous growth theories, on the other.
This
paper challenges the ability of the conventional literature
initiated by Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1991, 1992) to detect actual
convergence or divergence trends across countries or regions and
suggests an alternative dynamic framework of analysis, which allows
for a better understanding of the forces in operation. With the use
of a SURE model and time-series data for eight European Union (EU)
member-states, we test directly for the validity of two competing
hypotheses: the neoclassical (NC) convergence hypothesis originating
in the work of Solow (1956) and the cumulative causation hypothesis
stemming from Myrdal’s theories (1957). We also account for
changes in the external environment, such as the role of European
integration on the level of regional disparities. Our findings
indicate that both short-term divergence and long-term convergence
processes coexist. Regional disparities are reported to follow a
pro-cyclical pattern, as dynamic and developed regions grow faster
in periods of expansion and slower in periods of recession. At the
same time, significant spread effects are also in operation, partly
offsetting the cumulative impact of growth on space. Similar results
are obtained from the estimation of an intra-EU model of disparities
at the national level, indicating that the forces in operation are
independent of the level of aggregation. Our findings challenge the
view of economic growth as the main driver for a reduction of
regional disparities and contribute to the growing scientific
evidence that points towards the need to rethink of current EU-wide
regional development policies (download
paper).
Recent political and academic discourse about devolution has tended to
stress the economic advantages of the transfer of power from
national to subnational institutions. This ‘economic dividend’
arises through devolved administrations’ ability to tailor
policies to local needs, generate innovation in service provision
through inter-territorial competition, and stimulate participation
and accountability by reducing the distance between those in power
and their electorates. This paper, however, outlines two related
caveats. Firstly, there are many forces that accompany devolution
and work in an opposite direction. Devolved governmental systems may
carry negative implications in terms of national economic efficiency
and equity as well as through the imposition of significant
institutional burdens. Secondly, the economic gains, as well as the
downsides, that devolution may engender are contingent, to some
extent, upon which governmental tier is dominating, organizing,
propagating, and driving the devolutionary effort (download
paper).
Recent political and academic discourse about devolution has tended to
stress the economic advantages of the transfer of power from
national to subnational institutions. This ‘economic dividend’
arises through devolved administrations’ ability to tailor
policies to local needs, generate innovation in service provision
through inter-territorial competition, and stimulate participation
and accountability by reducing the distance between those in power
and their electorates. This paper, however, outlines two related
caveats. Firstly, there are many forces that accompany devolution
and work in an opposite direction. Devolved governmental systems may
carry negative implications in terms of national economic efficiency
and equity as well as through the imposition of significant
institutional burdens. Secondly, the economic gains, as well as the
downsides, that devolution may engender are contingent, to some
extent, upon which governmental tier is dominating, organizing,
propagating, and driving the devolutionary effort (download
working paper version).
This
paper presents an examination of the possible correlation between
rising income inequalities at the regional level and widespread
devolutionary initiatives worldwide. When the responsibility- and
resource-based facets of decentralisation are taken together, a
marked congruency is evident between the two trends. While various
spatial economic forces promote the emergence of core and peripheral
regions, devolution, by establishing their autonomy, allows these
forces a greater impact. We argue that this is because
decentralisation initiatives carry with them implicit fiscal,
political and administrative costs, which fall more heavily upon
those regions with limited adjustment capacities, resulting in
differential rates at which regions can capitalise upon the
opportunities offered by devolution. The global tendency towards
devolution therefore reflects a subtle, but profound, renunciation
of the traditional equalisation role of national government, in
favour of conditions fostering economic and public competition, and
leading to greater development of initially rich and powerful
regions to the detriment of poorer areas (download
paper).
2004:
From R&D to innovation and economic
growth in the EU. Growth and Change, 35, 4,
434-455 (with Beñat Bilbao-Osorio)
Abstract
Over
the last two decades many European governments have pursued
ambitious research and development (R&D) policies with the aim
of fostering innovation and economic growth in peripheral regions of
Europe. The question is whether these policies are paying off.
Arguments such as the need to reach a minimum threshold of research,
the existence of important distance decay effects in the diffusion
of technological spillovers, the presence of increasing returns to
scale in R&D investments or the unavailability of the necessary
socio-economic conditions in these regions to generate innovation,
seem to cast doubts about the possible returns of these sort of
policies. This paper addresses this question. A two-step analysis is
used in order to first identify the impact of R&D investment of
the private, public, and higher education sectors on innovation
(measured as the number of patent applications per million
population). The influence of innovation and innovation growth on
economic growth is then addressed. The results indicate that R&D
investment, as a whole, and higher education R&D investment in
peripheral regions of the EU, in particular, is positively
associated with innovation. The existence and strength of this
association is, however, contingent upon region-specific
socio-economic characteristics, which affect the capacity of each
region to transform R&D investment into innovation and,
eventually, innovation into economic growth (download
paper).
2004:
The
economic (in)efficiency of devolution. Environment and
Planning A, 36, 11, 1907-1928
(with Adala Bwire)
Abstract
The
recent devolutionary trend across the world has been in part fuelled
by claims of a supposed ‘economic dividend’ associated with the
decentralization of authority and resources. The capacity of
devolved administrations with greater autonomous powers to tailor
policies to local preferences, to generate innovation in the
provision of policies and public services, and to encourage greater
participation and be more accountable is supposed to deliver greater
economic efficiency. There is however little empirical evidence to
substantiate these claims. In this paper we assess the horizontal
link between devolution and regional economic growth in six national
contexts (Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the US).
Regression analyses are used in order to test whether changes in
cross-regional differences in growth patterns within each country
can be attributed to changes in levels of regional autonomy. The
results suggest that, contrary to theexpectations of devolutionists, the
degree of devolution is in most cases irrelevant for economic growth
and, when it matters – as in the cases of Mexico and the US –,
it is linked to lower rather than greater economic efficiency
(download
paper).
2004:
Reassessing
relations between the centre and the states: the challenge for the
Brazilian administration. Regional Studies, 38,
7, 833-844 (with
Nicholas Gill).
Abstract
Centre-state
relations in Brazil have been difficult and have been at the root of
many problems since the passing of the 1988 Constitution, which
sanctioned an over-empowerment of the states to the detriment of the
federal government. As a consequence, the last decade and a half has
featured a continuous power struggle between the centre and the
states and successive attempts by the former to consolidate its
position. The left-wing Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT)
administration, which was sworn into office in early 2003 commanding
huge popularity and with a previous strong record in local
government, is again addressing the issue of forcing more
responsibility for spending onto the states. While this may entail
further devolution, it would bring about an equalisation between
spending opportunity and responsibility, and help to minimise the
agency problems that stem from the centre-state power struggle that
partially underpinned much of the economic turmoil of the 1990s.
This paper, however, contrasts this policy priority with one of the
central pillars of the new administration’s aspirations: the
reduction of poverty and inequalities. While greater fiscal
responsibility at the state level may well lead to greater
macroeconomic stability, it could also set in motion a series of
mechanisms likely to engender greater regional disparities, which
have been relatively stable in Brazil over the last two decades. The
discord between the priority of state debt reduction and that of
inequality reduction is therefore likely to emerge as a central
policy challenge for the new administration(download
paper).
2004:
The territorial returns of public
investment policies in Mexico. World Development, 32,
9, 1545-1562 (with Eduardo
Rodríguez-Oreggia)
Abstract
Public investment
policies are generally guided either by the aim of increasing
long-run productivity and enhancing economic growth within a region
or country, or by that of reducing imbalances and generating greater
equity. In this paper we conduct a series of multiple regression
analyses in order to determine the extent to which the territorial
distribution of public investment policies before and after the
Mexican debt crisis and the opening of the country to trade have
responded primarily to efficiency or redistribution criteria. The
results highlight that the regional allocation of public investment
funds in Mexico since 1970 seems to follow neither redistribution,
nor efficiency criteria. Public investment in Mexico has tended to
be concentrated in a few relatively well-off regions and funds do
not seem to have been allocated according to the highest expected
returns. In view of these results, the most likely explanation is
that pork barrel politics has played a significant role in the
territorial distribution of funds, with states with a closer
political bond to the federal government or with a greater lobbying
capacity reaping the lion’s share of public investment (download
paper).
2004:
Between
development and social policies: the impact of European Structural
Funds in Objective 1 regions. Regional Studies, 38,
1, 97-113 (with Ugo
Fratesi)
Abstract
European
regional support has grown in parallel with European integration.
The funds targeted at achieving greater economic and social cohesion
and reducing disparities within the European Union (EU) have more
than doubled in relative terms since the end of the 1980s, making
development policies the second most important policy area in the EU.
The majority of the development funds have been earmarked for
Objective 1 regions, i.e. regions whose GDP per capita is below the
75% threshold of the EU average. However, the European development
policies have come under increasing criticism based on two facts:
the lack of upward mobility of assisted regions and the absence of
regional convergence. This paper assesses, using cross-sectional and
panel data analyses, the failure so far of European development
policies to fulfil their objective of delivering greater economic
and social cohesion by examining how European Structural Fund
support is allocated among different development axes in Objective 1
regions. We find that, despite the concentration of development
funds on infrastructure and, to a lesser extent, on business
support, the returns to commitments on these axes are not
significant. Support to agriculture has short-term positive effects
on growth, but these wane quickly, and only investment in education
and human capital – which only represents about one eight of the
total commitments – has medium-term positive and significant
returns
(download
working paper version).
2004:
On
English as a vehicle to preserve geographical diversity. Progress
in Human Geography, 28,
1, 1-4
(download
paper).
2003: Rising metropoli: the geography of mergers and
acquisitions in Germany,Urban
Studies,40,
10, 1895-923 (with
Hans-Martin Zademach)
Abstract
High
levels of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have been a
characteristic of the global economy in the 1990s. The overall
effects of M&As on economic welfare and its spatial
implications, however, remain a profoundly neglected topic. Using
three standardized indices representing the relative quantity of
takeovers in each German Regierungsbezirk,
we demonstrate that the recent wave of M&As has resulted in a
major concentration of firms and economic activity in the main
German metropoli. The paper then turns a study
of the flows of M&A transactions. By means of regression
analysis, we identify the main drivers of the geographical
concentration of firms to be indicators of the general level of
agglomeration (i.e. regional GDP and population) and the
concentration of political power in the region. The results also
indicate that investment in R&D, the general level of education,
or unemployment, when considered in combination with agglomeration
indicators, play a negligible role in determining M&A flows.
With respect to the geographical distance between a merging or
acquiring firm and its target, the results are twofold. While, when
considered on its own, distance has a very weak or – depending on
cases – insignificant association with the territorial
distribution of M&A activity, when estimated in conjunction with
agglomeration, proximity appears to play a distinctive role in the
geography of M&As in Germany (download
working paper version).
2003: The link between local production systems and public and university
research in Italy,Environment
and Planning A,35,
8,
1477-92(with Maria Cristina
Refolo)
Abstract
Small
and medium-sized firms (SMEs) are increasingly regarded as engines
of innovative activity, especially in some of the most dynamic local
areas in Western Europe. However, most SMEs lack the adequate
resources to conduct R&D, which is traditionally considered as
the main source of innovation. This apparent contradiction has
induced several researchers to try to answer the question of where
do SMEs get their knowledge inputs from. This literature, which has
tended to use patents as a proxy for public research, has found that
SMEs are particularly sensitive to spillovers from university and
public research. In this paper we readdress this question by using a
bibliometric indicator of public research output, instead of
patents, for 100 Italian provinces during the 1990s. The results
highlight that there is a strong geographical connection between the
territorial concentration of SMEs and public research and that this
connection is sensitive to firm size (download
paper).
Globalisation has been accompanied by
an equally global tendency towards devolution of authority and
resources from nation-states to regions and localities that takes on
various forms, depending upon which actors are driving
decentralisation efforts. The existence of a general trend towards
devolution also has significant implications for efficiency, equity,
and administration. This paper outlines first the general drive
towards devolution and proceeds to examine which countries are
experiencing which forms of decentralisation. A theoretical argument
emphasising the role of governmental legitimacy across various tiers
of government is used to explain the diversity of devolution
initiatives, drawing on examples, which include Brazil and Mexico,
India and China, the US and some European countries. Having
supported our model of decentralisation, the paper then examines the
implications of the widespread downward transfer of powers towards
regions. Some of the less widely discussed pitfalls of
decentralisation are presented and caution in promoting
devolutionary efforts is the prescription of this paper (download
paper).
2002:The
impact of trade liberalization on regional disparities in Mexico,
Growth and Change,33,1, 72-90 (with Javier
Sánchez-Reaza).
Abstract
After
a long period of industrialization based on import substitution (ISI),
Mexico started to open up its economy by accessing the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1986. The export-promotion
strategy was transformed into one of regional integration with the
signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994.
The paper explores the impact of the opening of the economy on
regional disparities in Mexico using σ and β-convergence
analyses. Four different samples have been employed to control for
possible data bias linked to the inclusion of oil-producing and
maquiladora-based states. The results show that whereas the final
stages of the ISI period were dominated by convergence trends, trade
liberalization (GATT) and economic integration (NAFTA) have led to
divergence. In particular, the NAFTA period is related to divergence
regardless of the type of analysis chosen and the sample used (download
paper).
2001:Local
empowerment through economic restructuring in Brazil: the case of
the ABC region. Geoforum,
32, 4, 459-69 (with John
Tomaney and Jeroen Klink).
Abstract
Regional and local capacity building
in Brazil, as in other Latin American countries, has traditionally
been linked with democracy. Whereas periods of dictatorship usually
saw the establishment of a tight grip by the centre over state and
local governments, democracy has been linked to greater autonomy at
the regional and local level. The revival of regional and local
governments in Brazil over the last decade and a half seems to fall
into this latter category. In this paper we will argue that the
advent of democracy is however not the only factor behind the recent
dynamism at the sub-national level, but that economic restructuring
is becoming a major force behind the adoption of more pro-active
attitudes and policies by local and regional governments. We will
illustrate this theory with the example of the Greater ABC region,
in the São Paulo metropolitan area, where economic crisis and
restructuring has led to inter-municipal co-operation and the
creation of a local economic development Council (download
paper).
2001:
European
integration and local capacities for manufacturing adjustment and
change: the case of Spain, Urban
Studies, 38, 7, 1103-20 (with F.E.I. Hamilton).
Abstract
The
southward enlargement of the European Community with the full
accession of Spain and Portugal in 1986 and the creation of the
Single Market 1992 have opened up new opportunities for exports to
the EU and intensified competition with Spanish-made products in the
rest of the EU. This paper hypothesises that local adjustment to
European integration is conditioned by the comparative local
advantages (or disadvantages) in human resources, nodality and
external economies which can shape local capacity for the
achievement of economies of scale in production, technological
modernisation, the development of small and medium enterprise (SMEs)
and business services. The capacities for these four dynamic
processes are articulated through the interaction between the
investment decisions of Spanish and foreign-owned firms and the
local comparative advantages, and hence influence the capacity of
localities to respond to European integration through trade creation
and trade diversion (download
working paper version).
2001:Is
R&D investmentin
lagging areas of Europe worthwhile? Theory and empirical evidence.
Papers in Regional Science,
80, 3, 275-95.
Abstract
Is
R&D investment in lagging areas worthwhile? There is no simple
answer, nor is there universal theoretical agreement on the
question. The Schumpeterian strand of the endogenous growth approach
highlights the advantages of spatially concentrating the research
and development (R&D) effort in a few areas, in order to
maximise external economies and technological spillovers. Innovation
is then expected to spill over from these technologically advanced
areas into neighbouring regions. The neoclassical view, in contrast,
considers that decreasing returns render investment in core areas
increasingly less efficient, and makes investment in peripheries
more effective. The regional policy view holds that public
investment in R&D in lagging regions triggers economic
convergence, because it limits congestion in the centre, helps to
keep talent, and generates spin-offs in lagging areas. This article
surveys these strands and highlights the advantages and
disadvantages of investing in R&D in lagging regions. I then
turn to the evolution of R&D investment across regions in
Western Europe (download
paper).
2001:Killing
economic geography with a ‘cultural turn’ overdose.Antipode, 33,
2, 176-82 (download
paper).
2001:Strategies
of waste: bidding wars in the
Brazilian automobile sector. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 25,
1, 134-54 (with Glauco
Arbix).
Abstract
Since the mid-1990s
Brazil has become one of the main recipients of foreign direct
investment (FDI) in the automobile sector. As already happened in
the late 1950s and early 1960s, world car manufacturers are
investing heavily in the building of new car plants. The reasons
behind the renewed interest of car companies in Brazil have been the
huge and expanding internal market and the relatively stable
macroeconomic panorama of the mid-1990s. However, and in contrast towhat happened in the 1950s and 1960s, most new car plants are
being located outside the São Paulo metropolitan area, the
traditional hub of the Brazilian motor industry. Although some argue
that, among other reasons, this is the result of lower labour costs
elsewhere in Brazil and of improved infrastructure in the country,
this article tries to demonstrate that the recent decentralization
of the Brazilian motor industry is basically linked to perverse
territorial competition among Brazilian states. This sort of
territorial competition – knownin Brazil as the ‘fiscal’ wars – represents a
pure waste of resources, both for the states engaged in them, as
well as for Brazil as a whole (download
paper).
Since the beginning of the 1980s
regional convergence in Spain has come to a halt. Economic activity
is increasingly concentrated in core
and tourist regions. Peripheral regions, in contrast, have
tended to grow below the Spanish average, despite the increase in
funds devoted to regional development policies. The reasons behind
the failure of most peripheral regions to catch up are mostly linked
to structural bottlenecks. However, the implementation of inadequate
development strategies has also contributed to the absence of
regional convergence. In this paper I analyse this hypothesis by
looking at the development strategies implemented in the regions of
Galicia and Navarra. The analysis suggests that partial and
unbalanced territorial policies based mainly on infrastructure have
not been able to curb Galicia’s relative decline, whereas a more
balanced strategy in Navarre has resulted in greater growth (download
paper).
Testing for convergence or divergence
has recently become the kernel of the studies dealing with regional
growth in Western Europe. The contradictory results of these
analyses, however, still do not allow us to determine which is the
dominant trend. This papers shows that our understanding of these
processes depends on factors such as the way growth is measured and
the influence of national growth on regional growth patterns. When
these factors are taken into account, the analysis of the evolution
of regional disparities in Western Europe in the last two decades
uncovers the emergence of growth patterns that are closely related
to the capacity of every space to respond to the challenges
generated by the process of socio-economic restructuring (download
paper).
1999:
Industrial
crisis in the centre of the periphery: stabilisation, economic
restructuring and policy responses in the São Paulo metropolitan
region.Urban Studies, 36, 3, 479-98
(with John
Tomaney).
Abstract
This paper is concerned with the
impact of economic stabilisation and internationalisation on the São
Paulo metropolitan region and, in particular, in the industrial
heartland of the Greater ABC region. The paper begins with a general
discussion of the issue of globalisation and inequality in Brazil.
It then examines the background to economic development in Brazil
with special emphasis on the pattern of economic instability in the
1980s, before discussing the attempts to address this instability in
the form of the Real Plan. The paper shows that the introduction of
the Real Plan has not been socially or territorially neutral. In
particular, the position of the ABC region has been undermined by
the processes unleashed by the Real Plan. The final section looks at
the response of different actors in the region to these developments
(download
paper).
1999: Innovation
prone and innovation averse societies: Economic performance in
Europe.Growth and Change, 30, 1,
75-105.
Abstract
Although it is commonly accepted that
investing in technology and R&D is a basic catalyst for the
genesis of economic activity, there is less consensus on the spatial
significance and returns of the R&D effort for regional and
local economies. It is often argued that innovation resulting from
allocating local resources to R&D is likely to spill over to
other areas, especially in the framework of open national economies.
Hence, the incentive to free-ride increases at the subnational
level. This paper shows, however, that in the Western European
regional context, regions with higher resources devoted to R&D
tend to grow at a greater pace than the remaining spaces.
Nevertheless, the passage from R&D to innovation and growth is
not achieved in a similar way across Europe. Local social conditions
play an important role in the formation of what can be defined as
`innovation prone' and `innovation averse' societies. Innovation
prone regions are those featured by a weak social filter, which
facilitates the transformation of innovation into growth.
Conversely, regions burdened by rigid labour markets, shortage of
skills, outward migration of able individuals, and an ageing of the
workforce are less prone to assimilate innovation and to transform
it into economic activity. They make up the innovation averse
societies in Europe (download
paper).
1998:
Social conditions and economic
performance: the bond between social structure and regional growth
in western Europe.International Journal of
Urban and Regional Research, 22, 3, 443-59.
Abstract
This article tries to assess, by
resorting to the use of cluster analysis techniques, the
relationship between economic growth and social structure at a
regional level in Western Europe. It is argued that the processes of
socio-economic restructuring and structural change have rendered the
traditional factors determining the location of economic activity
more mobile. Hence, since regional disparities tend to persist, the
connection between growth and the underlying social conditions has
become more visible. The empirical results of the analysis show that
there is a robust association between economic growth and the local
social forces, and that this relationship is not only evident in the
so-called `new growth spaces', as pinpointed by most of the
literature on structural change, but in almost any type of region.
Moreover, the results reveal that there is no unique social mix
associated to low or high growth, and that similar levels of
economic growth might be achieved in very different social
environments (download
paper).
1996:
Growth
and institutional change: The influence of the Spanish
regionalisation process on economic performance. Environment
and Planning C: Government and Policy, 14, 1, 71-87.
Abstract
The relationship between institutional
change and economic growth has been attracting great attention in
recent years. However, despite some notable exceptions, researchers
have been wary to approach this topic empirically. This paper
represents an empirical attempt to try to unravel the impact on
economic performance of what has been one of the most significant
processes of institutional change in Western Europe in the past few
decades - the regionalisation process- by taking the case of Spain,
on of the countries where the shift from a highly centralised to a
decentralised structure has been most profound. Results show that,
at least in the early stages, the emergence of the Spanish regional
state has had slightly beneficial effects on the relative growth
performance of regions achieving the greatest level of autonomy when
compared with their growth rates in the high point of Spanish
centralism. Nevertheless, it is still too early to assert whether
this positive influence will be a long-lasting one or can be
attributed mainly to the dynamics of institutional change and, thus,
will wane with time (download
paper).
1994:
Socioeconomic restructuring and regional
change: Rethinking growth in the European Community.Economic
Geography, 70, 4, 325-43.
Abstract
Scientific literature on the spatial
effects of socioeconomic restructuring has tended to highlight three
key components in what has been considered to be the emergence of a
new territorial model: the significance of subnational units
(regions and cities) as the genuine "post-Fordist" unit of
analysis; the growing prominence of service activities in the
configuration of new development areas; and, finally, either the
"randomizing" of the location of growth poles or the
appearance of the social dimension as a new determinant of growth.
Most studies of spatial restructuring have been confined, however,
to the theoretical dimension or to case study analyses. There is a
lack of large empirical cross-sectional studies on the topic. In
this article, I try to discern, using a cross-sectional method, the
extent to which a new growth pattern is developing in the European
Community (EC) and the influence of previously existing conditions
in current territorial changes in wealth levels. I conclude that a
flexible production spatial model is not yet the dominant pattern.
Many characteristics of the mass production system are still evident
in growth trends. Furthermore, this territorial restructuring is by
no means a global and homogeneous process, since it implies
different transformations in core, intermediate, and lagging areas (download
paper).
1994:
Towards
a "Europe of the regions"? Visions and reality from a
critical perspective.Regional Politics and
Policy, 4, 2, 1-27 (with Susana Borrás-Alomar and Thomas
Christiansen).
Abstract
During the past few years, the
post-war discourse of a `Europe of the Regions' has received renewed
attention. The article discusses the original concept in relation to
political and economic developments in the European Community during
the past two decades, concentrating especially on the areas of
regional participation in EC decision-making, inter-regional
cooperation and regional economic development. The authors conclude
that while some advances have been made, the overall picture remains
dominated by the influence of national level (f)actors.
Consequently, the often anticipated drive towards the 'Europe of the
Regions' does not really connect with actual developments (download working paper version).
1994: Integrated
planning and local development in Europe: A territorial model.Acta Geographica Lovaniensia, 34, 553-558 (with
Andrés Precedo and Antonio Doval).
Abstract
This report produced, under the
auspices of the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
authorities of the Council of Europe, by the presidential Department
for Planning and Territorial Development of the Xunta de Galicia,
focuses on the analysis of the problems raised by the presence of
intra-regional disparities in the member states of the Council of
Europe, and the reception that integrated district development
policies similar to the Galician model might receive in the European
frame.
2005:
Economic
polarization through trade: trade liberalization and regional growth
in Mexico.
In R. Kanbur and A.J. Venables (eds.) Spatial Inequality and
Development, 237-259. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (with Javier
Sánchez-Reaza)
(download working paper version).
2001:
Local
production systems and economic performance in Britain, France,
Germany, and Italy. In C. Crouch, P. Le Galès, C.
Trigilia, and H. Voelzkow (eds.). Local Production Systems in Europe. Rise or Demise?,25-45. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
1994:
Madrid,
a global city?.
In
Christian Vandermotten (ed.), Planification et stratégies de développement
dans les capitales européennes, 79-86. Brussels:
P.U.B. (with José Estébanez and Mercedes Molina).
1997: Convergence or divergence?
Regional responses to socio-economic change in Western Europe.
Research Papers in Environmental and Spatial Analysis, London School
of Economics, 44, 34 pp.
Abstract
Testing for convergence or divergence
has become in recent years the kernel of a large proportion of the
studies dealing with regional growth and regional disparities in
Western Europe. The contradictory results of these analyses,
however, still do not allow us to determine whether convergence or
divergence has been the dominant trend. In this article I try to
demonstrate that our understanding of the processes of convergence
and divergence depends greatly on factors such as the way we measure
growth and the influence of national growth on regional growth
patterns. If these factors are taken into account, the analysis of
the evolution of regional disparities in Western Europe in the last
two decades uncovers the emergence of regional growth patterns which
have little or nothing to do with a general converging or diverging
trend. These patterns are closely related to the capacity of every
space to respond to the challenges generated by the process of
socio-economic restructuring, and to a large extent reproduce the
new territorial typology outlined by the scientific literature on
structural change.
1995:
The land information system of Galicia (SITGA):
a GIS aimed at land planning and management. In From
research to application through cooperation. Proceedings of the
Joint European Conference and Exhibition on Geographical Information,
(vol. 2), The Hague (with Manuel Gallego).
Abstract
As a result of the demands generated
by the District Development Plan of Galicia (PDC), the region of
Galicia has set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) directed
towards land planning and management at a local and district levels.
This GIS, known as the Land Information System of Galicia (SITGA),
compiles in one comprehensive set, socioeconomic, physical and
infrastructural data from various sources. When applied to planning,
this system becomes a powerful instrument for the analysis of
development capacities and resource bottlenecks in every space.
1994:
Integrated planning and district
development in member states of the Council of Europe.Documentos
de Estudio del Gabinete de Planificación y Desarrollo Territorial
de la Xunta de Galicia,
48 pp. (with Andrés Precedo and María del Rosario Álvarez).
1995: Reestructuración
socioeconómica y desequilibrios regionales en la Unión Europea.
Madrid: Instituto de Estudios Económicos, 400 pp..
Abstract
En
las dos últimas décadas, los Estados de la Unión Europea, en
particular, y todas las sociedades desarrolladas, en general, han
experimentado un profundo proceso de reestructuración que ha
afectado a todos los ámbitos de la sociedad. En el campo económico,
por un lado, la decadencia del sistema de producción en masa ha
generado métodos de producción más flexibles y adaptados a las
nuevas tendencias en la demanda. Por otro, el acusado desarrollo de
las relaciones entre Estados ha resultado en unos niveles de
integración económica sin precedentes. Los cambios sociales no han
ido a la zaga; a la creciente incorporación de la mujer a la vida
activa, se añaden otros procesos como el mayor envejecimiento de la
población, la aparición de importantes bolsas de desempleo de carácter
estructural, y la incipiente flexibilización del mercado laboral. Y
desde el punto de vista político se han conseguido importantes
avances en procesos de integración regional, entre los que
sobresale la experiencia de la Unión Europea, sobre todo desde
principios de los años 80.
Reestructuración
socioeconómica y cambios en la distribución espacial de la riqueza.
Para
amplios sectores de la economía, la geografía, o la sociología,
los efectos de la reestructuración socioeconómica se estarían
dejando sentir en la actualidad sobre la distribución territorial
de la riqueza. El sistema de organización espacial generado en
torno al modelo de producción en masa se vería amenazado por las
transformaciones económicas, sociales y políticas, dando lugar a
la aparición de nuevos desequilibrios socioeconómicos que sentarían
las bases de un modelo espacial diverso del ligado a la etapa
industrial. La saturación de las antiguas áreas centrales y la
alta movilidad de los factores de producción y de los agentes
sociales en la fase post-industrial habrían atenuado gran parte de
las disfuncionalidades asociadas con las regiones atrasadas, por lo
que asistiríamos a un mayor desarrollo de antiguas áreas periféricas
y de regiones intermedias, a la par que a un aumento de la
convergencia económica. Igualmente, la reestructuración socioeconómica
estaría también en el origen de una difuminación de la
importancia de las fronteras nacionales y del ascenso de los entes
regionales como nuevos focos de actividad. El resultado de todas
estas transformaciones sería una paulatina desaparición de la
antigua dualidad entre el centro y la periferia en las áreas
desarrolladas.
Sin
embargo, la evidencia empírica de la evolución de los
desequilibrios socioeconómicos en las regiones de la Unión Europea
pone en tela de juicio gran parte de las ideas lanzadas por las teorías
sobre el nacimiento de un nuevo modelo territorial. La anunciada
transformación desde un modelo territorial centro/periferia a uno más
abigarrado y complejo está lejos de producirse. Los profundos
cambios sectoriales y sociales ocurridos en los años 70 y 80 no
parecen haber generado más que ajustes puntuales en la distribución
de los desequilibrios, por lo que resulta prácticamente imposible
hablar de la aparición de un nuevo modelo territorial. No hay duda
de que los procesos de reestructuración socioeconómica han
alterado el potencial de desarrollo de numerosas regiones. Ahora
bien, no es menos cierto que en la mayoría de los espacios
comunitarios bien se ha asistido a una cada vez mayor concentración
de la riqueza, bien no se han subsanado las deficiencias que
provocaban el atraso económico.
Así
pues, pese a las transformaciones económicas y sociales de los últimos
años, el modelo territorial pre-existente sigue manteniendo sus
características fundamentales, con una clara división entre
espacios centrales emblemáticos, en ocasiones no coincidentes con
los tradicionales, y espacios marginales, que no ha hecho sino
agrandarse debido, por un lado, a la acentuación de los procesos de
concentración del capital, de la gestión, del poder decisional y
del personal cualificado en determinadas áreas urbanas, y, por otro,
a la decadencia de las bases productivas y al estancamiento social
de muchas regiones periféricas.
El
objetivo de esta obra es precisamente el de analizar el por qué de
este desajuste entre las acusadas transformaciones en los distintos
ámbitos de la sociedad y las escasas modificaciones en la
distribución espacial de la riqueza. Para ello, el estudio se
articula en cuatro capítulos que tratan diferentes aspectos de la
cuestión.
Teorías
de desarrollo, desequilibrios socioeconómicos y espacio
En
el primer capítulo se revisan, a la vista de la evolución empírica
de los desequilibrios espaciales a nivel regional en Europa
Occidental, cuáles son los puntos fuertes y cuáles las debilidades
de las principales de las teorías de desarrollo, como paso previo a
la elaboración de una teoría sobre la génesis y evolución de los
desequilibrios en la fase de reestructuración socioeconómica. Esta
teoría aboga por la necesidad de introducir el espacio en el análisis
de la distribución de la riqueza con el objeto de alcanzar una
mejor comprensión de una fenómeno eminentemente territorial como
es el de los desequilibrios a nivel regional.
Transformación
sectorial y desequilibrios regionales
En
el segundo capítulo se intenta establecer cuáles son las características
básicas del proceso de reestructuración socioeconómica y cómo
los cambios recientes se combinan con las estructuras pre-existentes
en el espacio para generar nuevos desequilibrios o, de manera
inversa, para mantener y agudizar los desequilibrios espaciales
previos.
Los
resultados ponen de manifiesto que la capacidad de cada región para
desarrollarse en un mundo en mutación depende de la manera en que
se combinan los procesos innovativos económicos y sociales con la
estructura socioeconómica heredada. En este sentido las estructuras
sectoriales heredadas y las transformaciones de las mismas -tanto en
lo referente al empleo como al valor añadido- juegan un importante
papel a la hora de determinar las potencialidades de desarrollo de
los espacios europeos, como se demuestra a través de análisis
cuantitativos de tabulación cruzada y regresiones múltiples.
Condiciones
sociales y desequilibrios regionales
El
tercer capítulo estudia la influencia de las condiciones sociales
sobre los desequilibrios regionales en la Unión Europea. Del análisis
de las condiciones heredadas y las transformaciones recientes en el
mercado de trabajo, en los niveles de desempleo y en la estructura
demográfica se extrae que determinados cambios sociales demuestran
tener tanta influencia sobre la evolución de las disparidades
socioeconómicas como los mismos procesos económicos. No obstante,
la influencia de las circunstancias sociales sobre el desarrollo y
la evolución de las desigualdades se deja sentir a más largo plazo
que el influjo de las transformaciones económicas, si bien en
algunos países como Alemania o Gran Bretaña la conexión entre los
procesos de innovación social y las transformaciones en los niveles
de desarrollo se produce de manera más inmediata.
Reestructuración
socioeconómica y política regional
A
la luz de los resultados obtenidos en los apartados anteriores, el
último capítulo examina cómo se ha adaptado la política regional
de la UE a las transformaciones socioeconómicas recientes y cuál
ha sido el papel desempeñado por la misma en la corrección de los
desequilibrios socioeconómicos regionales. En este apartado se
determina que los instrumentos puestos en marcha por la Unión
Europea para corregir los desequilibrios se han mostrado -al menos
hasta la reforma de los Fondos estructurales- incapaces de cercenar
su aumento y, lo que es más importante, de sentar las bases para un
desarrollo posterior de los espacios sobre los que actúan. Es
cierto que la política regional comunitaria se ha visto maniatada
por una serie de circunstancias políticas y presupuestarias que han
condicionado enormemente su eficacia; pero no es menos cierto que,
por su propia naturaleza política y burocrática, ha ido siempre a
remolque de los cambios socioeconómicos. Por consiguiente, las
actuaciones territoriales comunitarias han tendido a ser medidas
sanitarias destinadas a paliar los desequilibrios una vez producidos
y no a impulsar el desarrollo, a la par que a satisfacer los
intereses político-ideológicos de los Estados-miembros. En suma,
la política regional comunitaria, en lugar de convertirse en un
instrumento para el fomento de la cohesión económica y social,
como establecen sus objetivos, ha visto limitada su labor a la de
apagafuegos allí donde las disparidades entre las regiones más
ricas y más pobres alcanzaban dimensiones preocupantes. La política
regional comunitaria, pues, se ha convertido más en una política
de contenido social que una política de fomento del desarrollo económico.
1994: La
Europa de los contrastes. Disparidades socioeconómicas en el
espacio comunitario.
Granada: Proyecto Sur de Ediciones, 129 pp. (with Mercedes
Molina). 2nd edition 1995, 136 pp.
Abstract
Pese
a que, entendida globalmente, la Comunidad Europea (CE) o Unión
Europea (UE), como se denomina tras la entrada en vigor del Tratado
de Maastricht, constituye junto a Estados Unidos, Canadá, Japón,
Australia y Nueva Zelanda el espacio más desarrollado del Mundo y
que en determinados aspectos, como por ejemplo en el volumen del tráfico
comercial la UE, es la primera potencia mundial, los contrastes
internos en términos de riqueza, de desarrollo, en su sentido más
amplio, y de dinamismo socioeconómico son importantes. A nivel de
Estados Miembros, dentro de la UE se distingue un núcleo central
compuesto por los seis miembros fundadores (Alemania, Bélgica,
Francia, Italia, Luxemburgo y los Países Bajos), más Dinamarca y
el Reino Unido, cuyo Producto Interior Bruto (PIB) per cápita
medido en paridades de poder adquisitivo se situaba por encima de la
media comunitaria. Frente a ellos se encontrarían los demás
Estados (España, Grecia, Irlanda y Portugal), con niveles de renta
siempre inferiores al 75 por 100 de la media. A principios de la década
de los 90, el PIB per cápita de Luxemburgo -el país más rico de
la Comunidad- era 2,43 veces superior al de Grecia -el país pobre-.
La dualidad centro-periferia es un hecho contrastado y en los
2.245.169 Km2 que definen el territorio comunitario, se
aprecian fuertes diferencias socioeconómicas que introducen un
elemento perturbador de cara a la consolidación de una integración
efectiva. De hecho, los 347 millones de habitantes de la UE, según
datos de 1992, gozan de unos niveles de renta un tanto dispares,
variable que, sin ser exclusiva para definir un nivel de desarrollo
-concepto mucho más amplio y heterogéneo-, si que ayuda a
diferenciar distintos grados de situación de la economía.
La
dimensión nacional oculta, no obstante, la presencia de
desequilibrios socioeconómicos aun más acusados en el espacio
comunitario, sólo detectables cuando se desciende al nivel
regional. Un Estado como Italia, que se sitúa por encima de la
media comunitaria en términos de PIB per cápita, presenta una
clara dicotomía entre un Norte rico y próspero y un sur
relativamente atrasado y dependiente. Las regiones norteñas de
Lombardía, el Valle de Aosta o la más central de Emilia-Romaña
reflejan los mismos niveles de las regiones más ricas de Alemania,
Francia o el Reino Unido. Por el contrario, las sureñas de
Basilicata, Campania o Sicilia se asemejan mucho más en su
desarrollo económico a las regiones de Portugal, Grecia o del Sur y
Oeste español que al de las regiones italianas situadas al norte de
Roma. Un caso similar al italiano es el del Reino Unido, aunque esta
vez a la inversa: a un Sur rico se opone un Norte deprimido y en
crisis industrial. La ciudad de Londres disfruta del cuarto PIB per
cápita más alto de toda la Comunidad, por detrás de la provincia
holandesa de Groninga, la ciudad alemana de Hamburgo y la región
urbana de París. Además las regiones sureñas de East-Anglia, el
Sudeste y el Sudoeste de Inglaterra tienen niveles de renta muy
superiores al de las regiones del Norte y Noroeste de Inglaterra, el
Yorkshire y el Humberside o el del País de Gales. Desequilibrios
económicos semejantes se observan en el interior de países como
España, Francia o, incluso, la minúscula Bélgica, donde una
Walonia en crisis y aquejada de serios problemas que afectan a su
estructura industrial se opone a un Flandes mucho más próspero y
con una sólida base económica fundada en los servicios y el
comercio. Alemania, Dinamarca, Grecia, los Países Bajos o Portugal
también se ven afectados, aunque en menor medida, por
desequilibrios internos.
En
consecuencia, cuando se desciende a nivel regional los
desequilibrios socioeconómicos en el seno de la UE resultan más
acusados que si se toma como único marco de referencia la dimensión
nacional. Si, como señalamos anteriormente, el PIB per cápita del
país más rico de la UE era 2,43 veces superior al del país más
pobre, esta relación pasa a ser de 4,6 a 1, cuando se comparan la
región con mayor renta per cápita (Groninga en los Países Bajos)
con la de menor renta (las islas del Egeo Septentrional en Grecia).
Según el Cuarto informe Periódico la media de las diez regiones más
débiles de la UE era, a finales de los años 80, de 45, menos de la
mitad de la media de los doce países, equivalente a 100. Este valor
se mantiene constante o con muy ligeras variaciones desde 1980. Por
el contrario, la media de las 10 regiones más fuertes se situaba en
151, con el agravante de que en la década de los años ochenta ha
crecido en seis puntos; las diferencias, lejos de desdibujarse, se
mantienen y, en determinados casos, incluso se acrecientan.
Estos
desequilibrios son el resultado de la desigual acogida y aplicación
en el espacio de los procesos de innovación técnica y económica,
debido fundamentalmente a problemas como la lejanía de los
territorios periféricos respecto de los centros innovadores, o las
carencias infraestructurales, o de capital, o de recursos humanos
cualificados, aspectos que hacían imposible, en numerosas ocasiones
el aprovechamiento de los recursos endógenos o la atracción de la
inversión externa. En este sentido hay que señalar que lo que se
conoce como periferia comunitaria, no lo es respecto a otras áreas
mundiales más subdesarrolladas, las cuales, como por ejemplo los
Nuevos Países Industrializados (NPIS), gozan de ventajas
comparativas y mano de obra mucho más barata. Los procesos económicos
recientes, y en particular el paso de un modelo económico orientado
la producción en masa a un modelo basado en la producción
flexible, inmersos en una economía global a escala mundial, han
transformado algunos de los desequilibrios existentes. Pero también
han servido para perpetuar antiguas disparidades o generar nuevas
entre espacios que han absorbido con mayor facilidad los cambios en
el modelo productivo y aquellos que ya sea por la rigidez de su
estructura económica e industrial, ya por su sistema social, no han
sabido o no han podido aprovechar las nuevas oportunidades.
En
suma, los desequilibrios socioeconómicos son una realidad
importante dentro de la UE, que hay que tener muy presente en el
proceso de integración europea, de cara a garantizar la necesaria
estabilidad económica, social y política indispensable en un
proceso tan complejo como el de la formación de una verdadera Unión
Europea. En esta obra nos proponemos precisamente analizar cual es
la dimensión de los desequilibrios socioeconómicos en la UE, al
igual que los problemas socioeconómicos ligados a la existencia de
tales disparidades y cual puede ser su repercusión sobre el proceso
de Unión Europea.
2004:
Integración económica y desequilibrios
territoriales en la Unión Europea. Eure, 29, 89, 63-80 (with George
Petrakos).
Abstract
Ante
la falta de acuerdo de las teorías económicas sobre los efectos
territoriales de los procesos de integración económica, en este
artículo analiza desde una base empírica el impacto de la
integración económica europea sobre los desequilibrios regionales.
El estudio pone de manifiesto que, a medida que se avanza en el
proceso de integración, se produce una convergencia entre Estados
en los ámbitos de inflación, desempleo y ciclo económico, así
como en PIB per capita. Sin embargo, cuando el análisis se realiza
teniendo en cuenta las distorsiones provocadas por el efecto Estado,
la convergencia desaparece y da paso, en numerosos casos, a
divergencia. Desde este punto de vista, la integración europea está
favoreciendo el dinamismo económico de los espacios centrales,
mientras que numerosas regiones periféricas tienen cada vez mayores
dificultades para competir en un mercado cada vez más integrado (download
paper).
2000:
Instituciones
y desarrollo económico.Ciudad y Territorio. Estudios Territoriales, 32 (122).
Abstract
El
estudio de las instituciones como uno de los factores determinantes
del crecimiento económico a nivel local y regional está atrayendo
cada vez más atención. El incremento reciente de literatura teórica
sobre el tema se ha visto complementado por un gran número de
estudios de caso que vienen a confirmar la importancia de las
instituciones a la hora de determinar la potencialidad de desarrollo
de cada espacio. La idea que se extrae de este tipo de análisis es
que cuanto mayor sea la densidad institucional de un espacio, mayor
será su capacidad de crecimiento. Sin embargo, en este artículo se
pone de manifiesto que, aunque esa relación parece ser
relativamente consistente, existen serios problemas para generar
dicha densidad institucional en un corto periodo de tiempo en
aquellos espacios que carecen de ella.
1997: El
Papel de Factor Estatal en la Percepción de la Convergencia
Regional en la Unión Europea.Información Comercial Española, 762, 9-24.
Abstract
En
los últimos años gran parte de la producción científica sobre la
evolución de las disparidades económicas en Europa se ha centrado
en el estudio de la existencia de procesos de convergencia o
divergencia. Sin embargo, estos enfoques no están exentos de
problemas: la percepción del fenómeno de convergencia depende en
parte de la unidad de medida utilizada y en muchos de los modelos
neoclásicos se detectan fuertes distorsiones provocadas por la
dimensión nacional. En el presente artículo intento demostrar, que
si se toman en consideración estos problemas, del estudio de la
evolución de las disparidades económicas en la Unión Europea en
las últimas dos décadas surge una tipología regional que poco o
nada tiene que ver con una supuesta convergencia o divergencia, y
mucho con la capacidad de cada espacio de responder a los retos
derivados del proceso de reestructuración socioeconómica.
1996: Educación
superior, mercado de trabajo y crecimiento económico en una España
dispar.Estudios
Económicos, 3, 45-79.
1995: Transformaciones
en los sistemas urbanos europeos y españoles durante la etapa
postindustrial.Situación, 27, 3, 129-148.
Abstract
Muchas
de las contribuciones recientes sobre las transformaciones en los
sistemas urbanos europeas han tendido a subrayar que el proceso de
reestructuración socioeconómica está provocando importantes
alteraciones en la organización urbana del Continente. Entre los
rasgos definitoris de estas transformaciones cabe destacar una mayor
concentración de la riqueza en las grandes aglomeraciones urbanas,
un mayor dinamismo de las ciudades intermedias, así como la aparición
de nuevos ejes dinámicos, Sin embargo, existe un cierto desajuste
entre la evolución urbana observada a nivel europeo y la española.
En el caso español, más que una ruptura con las tendencias
preexistentes, las transformaciones recientes en los sistemas
urbanos representan una consolidación de los procesos de cambio
iniciados anteriormente. Estamos asistiendo a la aparición de
sistemas en los que se desarrolla aquellas ciudades más integradas
en la economía mundial y en el que los subsistemas periféricos
pasarían a desempeñar un papel aún más secundario. En definitiva,
sistemas en los que predominan las tendencias hacia la concentración
en los núcleos más dinámicos y hacia la desarticulación de redes.
1993: El
principio de cohesión económica y social y las políticas
sectoriales en la CE. Análisis comparativo de la política agrícola
común y de la política regional.Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, 17,
103-125 (with Mercedes Molina).
Abstract
Las
sucesivas modificaciones de los tratados comunitarios han ido
recogiendo paulatinamente la amenaza que representa la presencia de
fuertes desequilibrios territoriales para la construcción europea.
Se han creado los instrumentos para combatir estas desigualdades.
Sin embargo, la búsqueda de la equidad territorial queda diluida
por los efectos distorsionadores de ciertas políticas sectoriales,
y en especial la política agrícola común, que tienden a
beneficiar a las áreas más desarrolladas en detrimento de las
menos avanzadas.
1989: El
ocio en Huertas: de la bohemia a la modernidad.Alfoz, 61, 83-87 (with Luis Miguel Barral, Pablo
Pumares, and Manuel Redondo).
2000:Mitos
y Realidades sobre la Globalización en los Países en Vías de
Desarrollo.
In Escritos Geográficos. Madrid
1998: Convergencia
y Modelos de Crecimiento Regional en Europa.
In J.R. Cuadrado Roura, T. Mancha Navarro, and R. Garrido Yserte, Convergencia
Regional en España: Hechos, Tendencias y Perspectivas, 71-109.
Madrid: Visor.
1996: El
Desarrollo Local en Europa. In A. Vázquez Barquero and J.A. Vázquez Barquero (eds.), Desarrollo
Económico Local. Vigo: Universidad de Vigo.
1995: El
marco físico de la Unión Europea. In R. Puyol and J. Vinuesa, La Unión Europea, 19-40. Madrid: Síntesis.
1995: Introducción.
In R. Puyol and J. Vinuesa, La Unión Europea, 11-18. Madrid:
Síntesis.
1993: La
política regional comunitaria ante la encrucijada del mercado único.
In S. Roquer (ed.), Aportaciones en homenaje al Profesor Luís
Miguel Albentosa, 505-516. Tarragona: Diputación de Tarragona
(with Mercedes Molina).
1992: Transformaciones
agrarias en la Europa Comunitaria: efectos de la PAC.
In V. Cabero Diéguez, J.M. Llorente Pinto, J.I. Plaza Gutiérrez,
and C. Pol Méndez (eds.), El medio rural español. Cultura,
paisaje y naturaleza, 699-706. Salamanca: Ediciones de la
Universidad de Salamanca (with Mercedes Molina).
1990: Las actividades industriales: fundamento de la dualidad
desarrollo-subdesarrollo. In Rafael Puyol (ed.), Geografía Humana, 235-296. Madrid:
Ediciones Pirámide (with Mercedes Molina).
1993: La région comme
construction intellectuelle. Le
cas espagnol.Cities and Regions, 5, 45-63 (with Mercedes
Molina).
Abstract
Dans
cet article, nous défendons l'idée que la région est un concept
flou et que tout processus de définition d'une région procède
plus d'une construction intellectuelle que de la mise en évidence
d'une entité naturelle. A l'appui de notre propos, nous comparons
les découpages régionaux élaborés au XXème siècle par des
organismes publics ou universitaires. Seules deux régions (la
Galice et les Iles Canaries) sont quasi-unanimement présentes soul
la même forme dans límmense majorité des découpages. Même pour
des ensembles territoriaux souvent considérés comme des régions
historiques (la Catalogne et le Pays Basque), il n'y a pas
d'unanimité.
Chapters in books:
1996: Mutations économiques et
évolution urbaine: du Pays basque à la Galice. In
Pierre Laborde (ed.), L'Ibérie atlantique, 35-50. Paris: Éditions
IAAT-Ed. de l'Aube (with Andrés Precedo).
Abstract
En regard de l'hypertrophie des systèmes
des villes de Navarre et de Cantabrie, nettement macrocéphaliques
et monocentriques, le Pays basque, les Asturies et la Galice
atlantique présentent des configurations urbaines polycentriques,
Quant aux villes de la Galice intérieure, ells apparaissent comme désarticulées.
La complexité de cet agencement du territoire interdit d'aborder
les transformations récentes des systèmes urbains du nord de
l'Espagne d'un point de vue unitaire. Il
s'agit plutôt d'analyser les transformations qui ont eu lieu le
long de deux axes: l'axe cantabrique, dont le centre se situe au
Pays basque et qui concerne la Navarre, la Cantabrie et les Asturies,
et l'axe atlantique galicien, qui s'étend vers le Nord du Portugal,
jusqu'à la ville de Porto.
Other
publications:
1992: À
la recherche d'un syndicat européen. L'attitude des syndicats
britanniques, espagnols et italiens à l'égard de l'intégration
européenne. Documment de Travail de l'Institut d'Etudes Européenes
de l'Université Libre de Bruxelles, D.T. (92) 59, 58 pp. (with
Francesco Meggiolaro and Andrew Tarrant).
1999: Estratégias
do desperdício. A guerra entre estados e municípios por novos
investimentos e as incertezas do desenvolvimento.Novos
Estudos CEBRAP. 54, 72-84.
Abstract
Desde
meados dos anos 90 o Brasil se tornou um dos principais receptores
de investimentos diretos estrangeiros no setor automobilístico.
Como já havia ocorrido nos anos 50 e no início da década de 60,
as grandes montadoras estão investindo intensamente na construção
de novas plantas e modernização das aqui já instaladas. As razões
que explicam esse novo interesse pelo Brasil podem ser encontradas
no rápido crescimento do mercado doméstico de autoveículos e na
relativa estabilização da economia propiciada pelo plano real de
1994 a 1998. Porém, em nítido contraste com os anos 50, a maior
parte das novas fábricas está sendo construída fora da grande São
Paulo e do próprio estado. Os motivos freqüentemente apontados
como responsáveis pelas decisões de alocação dos novos
investimentos destacam o custo menor da força de trabalho e de
infra-estrutura nas regiões distantes de São Paulo, ou acentuam as
pressões do movimento sindical paulista. Diferentemente, este
artigo procura explicar a recente descentralização do setor
automotivo como resultado de uma perversa competição entre estados
e municípios, sob os olhares coniventes do governo federal. Embora
muitos empreendimentos resultantes da atual onda de investimentos
ainda não tenham amadurecido, essa competição territorial,
conhecida mais amplamente como "guerra fiscal", representa
um gigantesco desperdício de recursos públicos, tanto para os
governos diretamente envolvidos quanto para o país como um todo. A
ausência de nitidez nas novas estratégias de industrialização e
a precariedade institucional capaz de desenhar novos caminhos para o
desenvolvimento nacional parece estar na raiz de mais um jogo de
ilusões na história recente do Brasil.
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2002:
1993: 
