Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Forward-looking and innovative, Elgar Research Agendas are an essential resource for PhD students, scholars and anybody who wants to be at the forefront of research. Exploring current debates on the topic, this book maps out an agenda for theory, research and practice about the role and function of small and medium-sized towns in various contexts and at different territorial scales. Chapters highlight new insights and approaches to studying small and medium-sized towns, moving beyond the 'urban bias' to provide nuanced thought on these spaces both in terms of their relation to larger cities, and in terms of implications related to their size. Contributions from top scholars in the field across a number of disciplines cover a broad range of relevant areas of study, including: socio-spatial identities, urbanization, suburbanization, resilience, innovation, entrepreneurship, industrial and tourism development and digitalization. The book concludes with an outline of the road ahead and a call for further theorizing. Urban planning and human geography scholars will find this to be an invigorating read with contributions from scholars across urban planning, economic geography, tourism and public policy providing a holistic understanding of the topic.

Second tier high-tech regions are taking a different path than their well-known counterparts such as Silicon Valley or Route 128 around Boston. They may lack many prerequisites of growth such as a world-class research university or high levels of venture capital funding. Often, however, they can successfully leverage anchor firms and entrepreneurial spinoffs. This book explores the evolution of these regions in the United States. The author critically examines how they evolved as knowledge-based economies, how they leveraged entrepreneurship and innovation, and ultimately how they employed public policy to support economic growth. Filling a gap in the literature, the book speaks to researchers and policy makers across the fields of entrepreneurship, economic geography and economic development planning. Entrepreneurship researchers will find this book interesting because it focuses on the role of new venture creation in regional economic development.

Capital cities that are not the dominant economic centers of their nations - so-called 'secondary capital cities' (SCCs) - tend to be overlooked in the fields of economic geography and political science. Yet, capital cities play an important role in shaping the political, economic, social and cultural identity of a nation. As the seat of power and decision-making, capital cities represent a nation's identity not only through their symbolic architecture but also through their economies and through the ways in which they position themselves in national urban networks. The Political Economy of Capital Cities aims to address this gap by presenting the dynamics that influence policy and economic development in four in-depth case studies examining the SCCs of Bern, Ottawa, The Hague and Washington, D.C. In contrast to traditional accounts of capital cities, this book conceptualizes the modern national capital as an innovation-driven economy influenced by national, local and regional actors. Nationally, overarching trends in the direction of outsourcing and tertiarization of the public-sector influence the fate of capital cities. Regional policymakers in all four of the highlighted cities leverage the presence of national government agencies and stimulate the economy by way of various locational policy strategies. While accounting for their secondary status, this book illustrates how capital-city actors such as firms, national, regional and local governments, policymakers and planning practitioners are keenly aware of the unique status of their city. The conclusion provides practical recommendations for policymakers in SCCs and highlights ways in which they can help to promote economic development.

This book explores cities and the intra-regional relational dynamics often overlooked by urban scholars, and it challenges common representations of urban development successes and failures. Gathering leading international scholars from Europe, Australia and North America, it explores the secondary city concept in urban development theory and practice and advances a research agenda that highlights uneven development concerns. By emphasising the subordinate status of secondary cities relative to their dominant neighbours the book raises new questions about regional development in the Global North. It considers alternative relations and development strategies that innovatively reimagine the subordinate status of secondary cities and showcase their full potential.

Capital cities that are not the dominant economic centers of their nations - so-called 'secondary capital cities' (SCCs) - tend to be overlooked in the fields of economic geography and political science. Yet, capital cities play an important role in shaping the political, economic, social and cultural identity of a nation. As the seat of power and decision-making, capital cities represent a nation's identity not only through their symbolic architecture but also through their economies and through the ways in which they position themselves in national urban networks. The Political Economy of Capital Cities aims to address this gap by presenting the dynamics that influence policy and economic development in four in-depth case studies examining the SCCs of Bern, Ottawa, The Hague and Washington, D.C. In contrast to traditional accounts of capital cities, this book conceptualizes the modern national capital as an innovation-driven economy influenced by national, local and regional actors. Nationally, overarching trends in the direction of outsourcing and tertiarization of the public-sector influence the fate of capital cities. Regional policymakers in all four of the highlighted cities leverage the presence of national government agencies and stimulate the economy by way of various locational policy strategies. While accounting for their secondary status, this book illustrates how capital-city actors such as firms, national, regional and local governments, policymakers and planning practitioners are keenly aware of the unique status of their city. The conclusion provides practical recommendations for policymakers in SCCs and highlights ways in which they can help to promote economic development.

In an age where the globalization process is threatening the uniqueness and vitality of small towns, and where most urban planning discourse is directed at topics such as metropol-regions or mega-regions and world cities, the authors here emphasize the need to critically reflect on the potential of small towns. They illustrate how small towns can meet the challenge of a fast-paced, globalized world, and based on case studies, movements, programs, and strategies, present the local cultures that effectively and sustainably promote traditions and identities. Small towns often play a critical role in regional economies. When small towns focus on their specific characteristics and exploit their opportunities, they can become stable niches within regional, national, and global economies, and thus contribute significantly to shaping their future. The second edition is expanded to cover the intensive development of small towns in China and Korea. In addition, the authors examine the impact of the economic crisis on small towns and the recent development of the Slow City movement.

In einer Zeit, in der der Prozess der Globalisierung die Besonderheiten kleiner StAdte und ihre VitalitAt bedroht, und in der sich die meisten stadtplanerischen Diskussionen um Themen wie Metropolregionen oder Mega-Regionen und WeltstAdte drehen, sehen die Autoren die Notwendigkeit, das Potenzial kleiner Ortschaften kritisch zu reflektieren. Sie veranschaulichen, wie KleinstAdte die Herausforderung einer schnelllebigen und globalisierten Welt annehmen kAnnen, und stellen anhand von Fallbeispielen Bewegungen, Programme und Strategien vor, die Artliche Kulturen, Traditionen, IdentitAten und Nachhaltigkeit effektiv zu fArdern wissen.

KleinstAdte spielen oftmals eine entscheidende Rolle innerhalb regionaler Wirtschaftssysteme. Wenn KleinstAdte sich auf ihre spezifischen Eigenschaften konzentrieren und ihre MAglichkeiten nutzen, kAnnen sie zu stabilen Nischen in regionalen, nationalen und globalen A-konomien werden und wesentlich dazu beitragen, eine nachhaltige Zukunft zu gestalten.