Industry and Commerce in Regional Planning

Sustainable transitions of industry and commerce in regional planning and policy – setting the stage for an innovative development policy 

The project originates in several processes and research projects within the Mistra Urban Futures consortium. It aims to further develop the MUF project “Business oriented Sustainable Urban Development” and to support the policy process of GR and BRG regarding the economic structure and the place(s) of industry and commerce in the region. The project will outline a new transdisciplinary field by combining theories and experiences from regional planning and policy, transition studies and economic geography.

The main focus of the project is to present a research based literature review. The report will describe a possible future research and knowledge field concerning the following questions:

- How can the theoretical frameworks from transition studies provide a broader understanding of the sustainability dimension of planning for industry and commerce?

- How does the regional and local business structure relate to environmental, social and economic sustainability with regards to different scales? How may the regional structure support different business sectors? What are the needs and preferences of industry and commerce with regards to geography and urban planning? How may the advantage of place be exploited to enhance the competitiveness of West Sweden (or any region)?

- What are the governance tools and methods available for the local authorities to support a sustainable transition of industry and commerce in a regional perspective? Is it possible to translate this into an evidence-informed guideline for regional development policy?