Towards the Resilient Region?

TLDR

Local and regional development discussions have shifted from a focus on growth to an emphasis on resilience. The article critiques static equilibrium resilience concepts, proposes a dynamic evolutionary framework, and seeks to bridge resilience theory with practical policy. The authors examine adaptability, adaptive capacity, and new path creation to develop local and regional resilience. Using a renewable energy case study in north‑east England, the authors show that policy intervention can stimulate change and build resilience in peripheral regions.

Abstract

Discussions of local and regional development have recently broadened from a preoccupation with growth to one which captures the notion of resilience. This article makes two main contributions to these debates. First, it critiques static equilibrium-based notions of resilience and instead advances a more dynamic evolutionary approach to explain local and regional resilience. Secondly, it seeks to address the widening gap between resilience thinking and its transfer to practical policy prescription. To do this, we explore the notions of adaptability, adaptive capacity and new path creation in developing local and regional resilience. We then focus upon what this might mean for local and regional strategies, and draw on the case study of the renewable energy sector in north-east England to demonstrate the enduring role of policy intervention in stimulating change and building resilience in peripheral regions.