Regional Development and the Challenges of Asynchronous Change

Regional development in developing countries is marked by asynchronous change, leading to unequal and dependent growth across regions. This study investigates the complexities of this development, challenging theories that attribute disparities to market mechanisms, natural resource endowments, or technological innovations. Instead, it posits that regional inequalities are mainly motivated by the actions of dominant social classes, who concentrate economic, political, and demographic potential in urban centers at the expense of peripheral areas. Through a case study of Tunisia, we analyze the socio-economic and demographic shift towards the coast, where manufacturing industries prevail. The findings reveal that the concentration of firms in cities, benefiting from economies of scale and agglomeration, polarizes development, transforming urban regions into hubs of attraction and peripheral areas into zones of underdevelopment. This polarization engenders significant socio-economic and political consequences, including inflation and threats to political institutions, underscoring the role of power structures in shaping regional development. The asynchronous regional development in Tunisia results from a complex interplay of social, economic, and political forces, rather than a single dominant factor.