A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Beyond growth paralysis
For about three decades, public policy discourses in rural and mountain areas have highlighted the challenges and restrictive conditions imposed by global mainstream socio-economic systems. While they argue for the need to diversify economies and refer to qualitative development approaches as place-based options, what is actually happening is that regions are forced to compete with each other and to pursue growth. Despite the economic and spatial barriers and competitiveness gaps that are widely acknowledged in many rural areas, and particularly in remote mountain areas, such ‘thriving’ pathways are hardly possible. On the contrary, most of these areas are dependent on centres and affected by weak productivity prospects, leading to continuous population decline for decades. To address this contradiction, policy-makers should tackle this “growth paralysis” and apply what a number of studies and researchers are advocating: genuinely place-sensitive policies that could provide an escape from the growth paradigm. To this end, spatial planning could play an important role due to its holistic approach and coordinative nature. In this paper we combine territorial analysis with place-specific programme reviews by focusing on two selected mountain areas in Austria. By analysing their demographic and economic performance, the downward spiral of regional development becomes visible. This analysis deepens the empirical review, improves the assessment of future potential causalities between shrinkage and land abandonment, and points to ways to decouple the two concepts prosperity and economic growth.
Beyond growth paralysis
For about three decades, public policy discourses in rural and mountain areas have highlighted the challenges and restrictive conditions imposed by global mainstream socio-economic systems. While they argue for the need to diversify economies and refer to qualitative development approaches as place-based options, what is actually happening is that regions are forced to compete with each other and to pursue growth. Despite the economic and spatial barriers and competitiveness gaps that are widely acknowledged in many rural areas, and particularly in remote mountain areas, such ‘thriving’ pathways are hardly possible. On the contrary, most of these areas are dependent on centres and affected by weak productivity prospects, leading to continuous population decline for decades. To address this contradiction, policy-makers should tackle this “growth paralysis” and apply what a number of studies and researchers are advocating: genuinely place-sensitive policies that could provide an escape from the growth paradigm. To this end, spatial planning could play an important role due to its holistic approach and coordinative nature. In this paper we combine territorial analysis with place-specific programme reviews by focusing on two selected mountain areas in Austria. By analysing their demographic and economic performance, the downward spiral of regional development becomes visible. This analysis deepens the empirical review, improves the assessment of future potential causalities between shrinkage and land abandonment, and points to ways to decouple the two concepts prosperity and economic growth.
Beyond growth paralysis
Reinoso, Alexis Sancho (author) / Dax, Thomas (author)
disP - The Planning Review ; 60 ; 26-39
2024-07-02
14 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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