At a time of extraordinary challenges confronting the world, this book analyses some of the profound changes occurring in the development of cities and regions. It discusses the uncertainties associated with the stalling of hyper-globalization and asks whether this creates opportunities for resurgent regional economies driven by local capabilities, resource efficiencies and domestic production. Theory and evidence on socio-economic and environmental transitions underway in many regions are brought together. Implications of the shifting balance of global power towards emerging economies in the East are explored, along with the consequences of urbanization in the global South for politics and democracy. Dilemmas surrounding migration are also discussed, including whether incomers displace local workers and depress wages, or bring benefits in the form of know-how, new technology and investment. More integrative concepts of the region and theories of regional development are analysed, recognising the role of human capital, knowledge, innovation, finance, infrastructure and institutions. This was originally published as a special issue of Regional Studies.

Ivan Turok is Executive Director, Economic Performance and Development Unit, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa; Honorary Professor, Universities of Cape Town and Glasgow

David Bailey is Professor of Industrial Strategy, Economics & Strategy Group, Aston University, UK

Jennifer Clark is Associate Professor of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Jun Du is Professor of Economics, Economics & Strategy Group, Aston Business School, Aston University, UK

Ugo Fratesi is Associate Professor of Regional Economics, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy

Michael Fritsch is Professor of Economics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany

John Harrison is Reader in Human Geography, Department of Geography, Loughborough University, UK

Tom Kemeny is Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Southampton, UK

Dieter Kogler is Lecturer in Economic Geography, University College Dublin, Ireland

Arnoud Lagendijk is Professor of Economic Geography, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Tomasz Mickiewicz is Professor of Economics, Aston University, Birmingham, UK

Ernest Miguelez is Junior Researcher, CNRS, GREThA-University of Bordeaux, France

Stefano Usai is Director, Centre for North South Economic Research (CRENoS), University of Cagliari, Italy

Fiona Wishlade is Director, European Policies Research Centre, University of Strathclyde, Scotland