Third world regional development : a reappraisal

There is great controversy about the nature and effectiveness of regional development. Most existing regional strategies have failed to provide anticipated benefits, while the structural adjustment policies forced on many Third World countries by the IMF and World Bank are profoundly influencing state policy. Since the late 1970s, many countries have experimented with forms of decentralization and co-ordinated local level planning, sometimes in ways which have genuinely benefited the local population.

As the contributors to Third World Regional Development: A Reappraisal show, many such efforts are now threatened by the resurgence of centrally directed growth-orientated strategies and by recent crises, which have prompted the formulation of concerted regional development initiatives. This book surveys the current state of the debate on the whole issue of regional policy, and is illustrated with case studies, several of them comparative, from throughout the Third World.