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Stating the Production of Scales: Centrally Orchestrated Regionalism, Regionally Orchestrated Centralism

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  • JOHN HARRISON

Abstract

Under the banner of the new regionalism, the past decade has witnessed a revival of academic and political interest in the region as a strategic site for economic activity and scale for socially integrating civil society. What remains unclear, however, are the ‘actual mechanisms’ that connect this new politics of economic development with transitions in the regulation and governance of contemporary capitalism and its territorial form. This article seeks further connection by distinguishing between the processes of centrally orchestrated regionalism and regionally orchestrated centralism in the production of regions. While sympathetic to the general tenor of the new regionalism, this article presents an account of England's unique new regionalist policy experiment to pose searching questions relating to the future direction of the new regionalism. Arguing that the new regionalism remains a fruitful avenue for unravelling the processes involved in the production of spatial scale(s), the article concludes that uncovering the politically charged processes involved in the production of subnational space remains an urgent task for urban and regional scholars. Résumé Ces dix dernières années ont vu renaître, sous la bannière du nouveau régionalisme, un intérêt intellectuel et politique pour la région en tant que lieu stratégique pour l'activitééconomique et échelon viable pour une société civile intégrée socialement. Les “mécanismes concrets” qui relient ce nouvel espace politique de développement économique à des formes transitoires de régulation et de gouvernance du capitalisme contemporain et à sa forme territoriale restent toutefois mal définis. Il s'agit ici de chercher un autre lien en distinguant, dans la production des régions, les processus de régionalisme orchestré au plan central et de centralisme orchestré au plan régional. Bien qu'en accord avec la teneur générale du nouveau régionalisme, cet article rend compte de l'expérience anglaise unique de politique régionaliste afin de formuler des questions de recherche sur l'orientation future du nouveau régionalisme. En soutenant que ce dernier reste une voie productive pour dénouer les processus entrant dans la production d'un ou plusieurs échelons spatiaux, ce travail conclut que dévoiler les processus, délicats au plan politique, qui sont impliqués dans la production d'un espace infranational doit demeurer une priorité absolue pour les acteurs de la recherche urbaine et régionale.

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  • John Harrison, 2008. "Stating the Production of Scales: Centrally Orchestrated Regionalism, Regionally Orchestrated Centralism," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 922-941, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ijurrs:v:32:y:2008:i:4:p:922-941
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2427.2008.00815.x
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    3. John Shutt & Joyce Liddle, 2020. "Comparing the development of Local Industrial Strategies across the Northern Powerhouse: Key emerging issues," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(4), pages 297-315, June.
    4. David Clelland, 2020. "Beyond the city region? Uneven governance and the evolution of regional economic development in Scotland," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(1), pages 7-26, February.
    5. Dave Valler & Juliet Carpenter, 2010. "New Labour's Spaces of Competitiveness," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 25(5-6), pages 438-456, August.
    6. Francesca Froy & Andrew Jones, 2020. "Special Edition on place-based industrial strategies," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 35(4), pages 271-276, June.
    7. Krisztina Varró, 2012. "Reconsidering the English Question as a Matter of Democratic Politics and Spatial Justice," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 30(1), pages 29-45, February.
    8. Ya-Feng Zhang, 2022. "Cultural and Creative Industries and Copyright at the Regional Level: The Cases of Shenzhen and Hangzhou in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-17, April.

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