Regional development is the process of identifying, planning, and implementing strategies that lead to economic growth, improved living conditions, and enhanced future prospects in regions defined as subnational territories. It is a multifaceted concept that has been the subject of research by geographers, economists, sociologists, political scientists and historians among others.
It is a highly complex issue that relies on the interaction between noneconomic and economic factors. The latter include natural resources, quality and quantity of labor, productive capacity and efficiency, capital availability and access, the physical infrastructures, the industrial layout, the entrepreneurial culture and attitude, the openness to change and public support systems. Noneconomic factors may also be related to environmental, cultural and social concerns.
Governments play a pivotal role in shaping regional development. They set policies and invest in infrastructure, boosting growth while balancing equity and efficiency. In addition, they utilize soft measures to promote investment and foster untapped economic potentials in regions that need them most.
Nonetheless, the politics of regional development is a contested matter and the power relations in this arena are reflected in how the process is understood and how it evolves. Metaphors, which are often used in the study of regional development, are effective tools for constructing, shaping or reinforcing power relations as they make complicated issues easier to understand (e.g., Bateman, 2022).
Narratives can be effective means of revealing these power relations and biases in the discussion of regional development. By registering the way a story is told, by whom and through which medium, narratives can expose imbalanced or skewed power relations in regional development debates.