Regional Economics, Second Edition

Author: Hao Shouyi, An Hushen (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book argues that a region is not a haphazard aggregation of numerous things and phenomena, but an organic whole composed of a network structure. The essence of a region is its structure. This structure is not pre-existing but gradually forms and evolves over time. The process of this structure is also the process of the formation of a region. Of course, the degree of perfection of this structure varies greatly among different regions. Understanding the structural characteristics of a region is key to constructing regional economy. This book holds that once a region forms, it begins its life history, with economic development as the main thread. All processes within the region are interconnected around this main thread. These processes include both temporal dimensions such as regional economic growth, industrial structure evolution, and interregional division of labor and links, as well as spatial dimensions such as the evolution of regional spatial-territorial structure. This book studies the urban-rural fringe area as an organizational unit of regional space and proposes that a region consists of urban economy, urban-rural economy, fringe area economy, and rural economy based on the traditional dual structure. It emphasizes the inseparable integrity and interconnectedness between cities, urban-rural fringes, and rural areas, thereby forming a regional economics that encompasses the entire regional space.