Empowering the periphery: regional planning perspective to left-behind places

Left-behind places, characterized by population decline, economic stagnation, and social decay, present complex challenges that demand regional and place-based plan- ning solutions. Distinguishing the importance of peripheral areas in this perspective is highly crucial, despite their absence from decision-makers’ political agendas as in the case of ne- glecting them due to physical or mental barriers prolongs these disparities. This exploration underlines the regional planning perspective aimed at empowering the periphery, focusing on possible strategies to revive left-behind areas and foster local development. Providing insights from urban planning and regional development, this work discusses the dynamics of decline in the regions and unfolds key principles and approaches for regional level intervention. By emphasizing place-based strategies, this exploration offers input for policymakers, planners, and practitioners seeking to address the spatial disparities and promote different perspec- tives on left-behind places. There are several strategies to employ local resources, and start transformative change, consequently expected to result in advancing the agenda of regional development. Planners must prioritize social infrastructure changes to address diverse needs and promote the well-being of communities within left-behind places, ensuring inclusive local development.