Harry Coccossis Livres

Regional development is attracting the attention of policy makers and scientists again, as regions, urban centers and rural areas, experience substantial pressures, particularly in Europe, as a consequence of globalization and geopolitical changes which lead to changes in spatial structures and dynamics. This book is based on the contributions of Greek regional science research presented at the 2006 Congress of the European Regional Science Association at Volos, Greece. The contributions selected to be presented in this book address these changes offering a fresh look into regional development. They provide an overview of regional development concerns from Greek regional scientists but the issues discussed pervade Greek particularities and stimulate thinking about regional science, regional development and regional policy in the early twenty-first century.

As European countries work towards a unified European Union, isolated and disadvantaged regions face increasing competitive pressures due to their peripheral locations. To support these areas, regional, national, and supranational bodies are focused on developing transport and communication networks to better integrate them into the broader social and economic development of Europe. This book explores the lagging development in various central and southern European regions affected by isolation. The ongoing challenges in social and economic development in certain EU areas, such as islands, mountains, and border regions, have prompted policymakers to recognize the critical role of transport and (tele)communication linkages. The book emphasizes the significance of these infrastructures in regional policy for peripheral areas, a topic of high priority as the EU relies on Structural Funds and the new Cohesion Fund to invest in transport and communication to assist disadvantaged regions. Additionally, as the Union considers enlargement, these issues may gain broader European relevance.