The case for place-based policy: economic divergence, governance integrity and climate change mitigation

This paper examines the contemporary case for, and nature of, place-based policies. Its aim is therefore to recast these discussions in the context of the current diverse Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)-wide spatial patterns of economic growth and to discuss the contemporary rationale for place-based policies across OECD countries on the basis of the experience of the last two decades. The paper surveys the shifting spatial patterns of economic growth across OECD regions and countries, and discusses the differing approaches and responses to these issues that have emerged in the United States and European Union.