The countryside has often been marginalised in discussions of economic and societal development, in favour of the urban. This book aims to stimulate a debate and a re-evaluation of how the concepts of the rural, peripheral and marginal are treated in academia and policy. Approaching this theme from geographic, demographic and economic perspectives, Peter de Souza makes a compelling case for giving the periphery a prominent role as an integral part of a holistic and balanced society. The book carefully deconstructs the concept of the urban, and critiques the idea of urban-rural or centre-periphery comparisons, and presents an alternative approach to spark future discussions. Winner of the Regional Studies Association Best Book Award 2020, The Rural and Peripheral in Regional Development will be of interest to those studying and researching in the areas of rural economics, sustainability and development, as well as those involved in rural policymaking.

A place-based examination of development in rural, island, and remote regions of a globalized and centralized world.

Investors are instrumental in the development of new businesses and can be a key component of future success. However, for business ventures outside the general urban environment, communicating with potential sponsors may be difficult. Role of Regional Development Agencies in Entrepreneurial and Rural Development: Emerging Research and Opportunities explores the theoretical and practical aspects of regional economic development and applications within entrepreneurship and provides guidance on how to establish the agencies and implement sustainable development. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as leadership management, organization culture, and socio-economic systems, this book is ideally designed for entrepreneurs, developers, small and medium enterprises, business associations, bankers, financial organizations, researchers, business professionals, academicians, and students.

In a knowledge-based economy, universities are vital institutions. This volume explores the roles that universities can play in peripheral regions, contributing to processes of regional economic development and innovative growth. Including a series of case studies drawn from Portugal, Norway, Finland, the Czech Republic, Estonia and the Dutch-German border region, this will be the first book to offer a comprehensive comparative overview of universities in European economically peripheral regions. These studies seek to explore the tensions that arise in peripheral regions where there may not be obvious matches between university activities and regional strengths. Aimed at academics, policy-makers and practitioners working on regional innovation strategies, this volume brings a much-needed sense of realism and ambition for all those concerned with building successful regional societies at the periphery of the knowledge economy.

Limited land and resources, along with the overexploitation of tourism and multiple other factors, make peripheral and ultra-peripheral territories relevant cases for studying governance and sustainable development. This book presents case studies of European and Mediterranean regions to study regional development and territorial sustainability, strategic planning, and territorial management and governance. Written by experts in the field, the chapters contained herein provide the reader with a deep understanding, from several perspectives, of the dynamics, challenges, and opportunities of tourism in these specific territories.

This book draws on work from across northern Europe and is parallel and complementary to the network itself. By establishing an intellectual and practically orientated framework and platform, and by bringing together contributions defining the state-of-the-art and potential development paths in the field, it is the first volume to offer a systematic and scientific view from the periphery.