Regional Development: An Integrated approach? By Frank Gaffkin and Mike Morrissey
From: Local Economy, 2001, Vol 16, No.1. (Published by Pearson Education)
In this, the tension amongst objectives has to be acknowledged. For instance, Shaping Our Future insists that the principle of sustainability demands the more complete exploitation of existing infrastructural capacity and transport networks' This concept of proximity is clearly valid. However, since this in practice means facilitating further development in those parts that have benefited from previous rounds of investment in good roads and housing, it will potentially reinforce existing spatial inequalities particularly between the east and the west of the region. This, in turn, raises the issue of ethnic space in planning, since the relatively under-developed western part of the region is predominantly Catholic, while the more developed Easter part is predominantly Protestant. Thus, to address this spatial inequity with honesty, yet sensitivity to its political implication is essential, if not easy.
CONCLUSION
Undoubtedly, it is difficult for people trained in conventional planning to depart from their standard practice. The tendency is for them to genuinely absorb the theory and concepts of the new planning, while ultimately seeking refuge in a traditional spatial plan. However, there are some steps that can assist in the formation and delivery of a more integrated plan. Amongst these is the need to establish inter-disciplinary, cross-department planning team that, from a formative stage, produce a plan that links the social, economic, environmental and spatial dimensions.
In terms of the content of such an integrated plan, there does seem to be an emerging consensus on achieving sustainable development goals. This has five elements:
? First, there is no future in long-term subsidy. Small, open regions have to be competitive - that means exploiting competitive advantage and finding the right competitive niche. Underdeveloped regions cannot rely on central subsidy to solve their problems. Long-term subsidy creates a `soft budget' culture. This does not deny the necessity for redistribution towards the most needy but suggests that social rights have to be balanced with social responsibility, obligation and entrepreneurship;
? Secondly, a central issue I the quality of human resources. Although the situation is complicated by population movement, a key goal for most regions is to ensure that the quality of their human resources is better than the national average - i.e. looking critically the form and content of existing education/training provision and finding the means to make it better and linked to the development process. If economics are driven by a combination of resources and knowledge, the latter has become dominant. The key to competitiveness lies in knowledge -intensive workers capable of constant innovation;
? Thirdly, that key gains can be made through co-ordinating existing effort and enabling the development of integrated strategies. In that respect, no sector has exclusive responsibility. It is not government to embark on a solo solution to regional problems - statutory agencies, the private sector, local politicians and the entire community have all to assume responsibility for an area's development. Evidence from Europe suggests that regeneration is dependent on getting three things right - hardware (the appropriate physical infrastructure) software (education/training, business formation/attraction and social inclusion) and `heartware' (a culture characterized by energy, enterprise, co-operation and the desire to get things done). All three have to come together at the right time to combine development with sustainability. In turn, this suggests that the role of the public sector should be redefined from provider to enabler, broker and entrepreneur;
? Fourthly, that partnership is the most important mechanism for making things happen. The development agenda needs to pay attention to systems for economic governance. Where different sectors are capable of collaborative economic decision making without subordinating the interests of any one sector, development is facilitated. Partnership involves the relevant sectors, operates on the `meso' scale so as to have greater impact and yet retains a human face in terms of accountability and participation. Partnership has to be more than rhetoric, rather it should be the key institutional mechanism for generating social capital; and
? Fifthly, that social cohesion is an equally important goal. Evidence from
the most successful European regions suggests that inequality is an obstacle
to development. Equality and social inclusion should therefore be the goals
of economic as well as social policy. |
