Regional Specialization and Technical Leapfrogging

This paper investigates circumstances where a region loses its technological leadership after some major technological breakthrough. Input-output linkages between firms in a Cournot upstream industry and a perfectly competitive downstream industry create forces for agglomeration in particular locations, driving up prices of immobile factors. A new technology that is incompatible with the old will not benefit from these linkages and so is more likely to be established in locations with little existing industry due to lower factor prices. Furthermore, in some circumstances the old and new technologies may coexist.     

The Role of Economic Sectors in the Formation of Regional Production Complexes

A variety of approaches used in Soviet economic geography to define and measure the productive specialization of an economic region are reviewed. In the author's view, a regional activity qualifies as regional specialization if it helps shape the basic character of the regional economy. It is not sufficient for a regional activity merely to represent a major portion of a particular national sector of the economy. For example, the asbestos industry in the Urals represents the major portion of Soviet asbestos output, but asbestos does not shape the basic character of the Urals economy and is therefore not a principal specialization sector. Regional specialization derives from relationships among the various sectors of the regional economy, not from the significance of any particular commodity. A classification of economic sectors is proposed as an aid in analyzing the functioning of a regional economy: (1) the principal specialization sectors; (2) basic raw-material sectors; (3) associated sectors using the wastes and by-products of the principal sectors; (4) complementary specialization sectors, such as asbestos in the Urals; (5) auxiliary sectors, such as metallurgical fluxes for the iron and steel industry; (6) service sectors, including utilities, transportation, construction, trade; (7) local sectors, working for local consumption.     

欧洲区域聚落形态研究

2009年4期我们译介了"区域聚落形态考古"一文,里面对欧洲的聚落考古也有涉及。这篇文章详细介绍了欧洲聚落考古的成功经验,可以为我们提供更加详尽的国际视野。需要重申的是,"聚落"(settlement)并非仅指我们所习用的"村落"或"聚居村落"概念,而是指过去不同时空中人类所有活动点位组成的网络系统。与中国的学术传统相似,欧洲有较为悠久的依赖文献和艺术的古典考古学和以编年为目的的文化历史考古学研究史。到目前为止,欧洲大多数国家仍将考古学看作是重建历史的手段。欧洲的聚落考古与北美的聚落考古略有不同,北美侧重用环境考古的文化生态学方法(过程论)来研究人地关系,而欧洲则偏好文化观念和象征考古的后过程方法来研究人地关系,这便有了"景观考古学"的独特路径。由于欧洲比北美有更长的古人类演化史和更显赫的文明史,所以聚落考古成为研究考古学三大战略性课题——人类起源、农业起源和文明国家起源的极佳手段,而且成果显赫。从本文的介绍中,我们可以了解当今的聚落考古是如何来观察和了解这些重大历史转折,追溯社会复杂化具体轨迹的。读了这两篇介绍国际聚落考古现状的文章,我们可以得出这样的认识,聚落考古已成为当代考古学一个全方位、综合性的探索领域,它可以将考古学各流派、不同领域、不同课题及学科交叉手段纳入其中,以便从微观和宏观的多维视角,重建过去人类社会和文化变迁的具体轨迹,并对促使人类社会转变的原因提出可信的解释。就此而言,欧美聚落考古的目标是完全相同的,而且也与中国考古学重构国史的期待不谋而合。     

Regional environmental planning: Progress and possibilities in Western Europe

The challenge of environmental thinking is putting extreme stresses on the imagination and techniques of planners, at least in those European countries where ecological issues are being taken seriously. Generally, city or regional planners, and academics as well, are only at the beginning of a necessarily rapid learning curve. It is argued here that a spatial planning approach to guiding environmental change could usefully complement other sectoral or financial instruments, particularly if focused at regional levels. Important dimensions of different approaches are analyzed, including the political economic model, the degree of development and wealth (north‐south variation) and the institutional framework in each country. The progress made so far is examined in case studies of the Netherlands, England and Catalonia. It is suggested that some aspects of the Dutch approach could form a useful basis, if suitably adapted, for regional planning elsewhere. But, above all, much more fundamental thinking on the goals and means of desirable regional transitions will be necessary.     

Craft Specialization and Adze Production on Hawai'i Island

Abstract

Archaeological models of economic organization in complex societies frequently hinge on indications of craft specialization. Interpretations of such specialization in the Hawaiian islands often involve large-scale production of basalt adzes at Mauna Kea, the largest known quarry in the Pacific region. The recent discovery of expedient non-specialized production of adzes at Pohakuloa outside the main quarry of Mauna Kea, illustrates another dimension of Hawaiian economic systems. The identification of both small-scale and large-scale adze production has important implications for archaeological studies of craft specialization. The Hawaiian example illustrates that some aspects of production, such as context scale, and intensity, may vary within a single technological tradition. This study also suggests that previous interpretations of craft production that have emphasized differences across time — or across different categories — must also address variation among individual groups of contemporary materials.     

The Dynamics of Regional Disparities in Central and Eastern Europe during Transition

This paper examines the evolution of territorial imbalances in per capita income in the Central and Eastern Europe regions between 1990 and 2001. In order to overcome the limitations of conventional convergence analysis, we have combined a non-parametric approach that allows us to study the dynamics of the entire cross-section distribution, with a series of theoretical results and measures taken from the literature on personal income distribution. The results obtained show an overall reduction in regional inequality over the study period. This process has been compatible with the simultaneous presence of between-country convergence and within-country divergence. Likewise, we have observed a reduction in the development gap between the sample regions and Western Europe. In any event, the polarization of the distribution under consideration has decreased, while the registered level of intra-distribution mobility is relatively low. Furthermore, the analysis highlights the important role played in explaining the distribution dynamics by factors such as the national component, spatial location, productive structure, agglomeration economies and the percentage of gross domestic product devoted to investment.     

手工业生产专业化的考古学研究

手工业生产专业化的程度和形式被认为是衡量社会复杂化程度或文明化进程的重要指标.本文首先对西方有关手工业生产专业化的考古学研究作了简单回顾,提出近二十年来相关研究表现出三个特点:一是研究视野的扩展:二是日益重视运用多种手段从考古资料中榨取相关信息;三是解释理论日益多样化.文章对国内的相关研究也进行了回顾,提出应加强对早期...     

Knowledge Production in European Regions: The Impact of Regional Strategies and Regionalization on Innovation

In the last 15 years, the regional scale was used to implement innovation strategies in European Union. Departing from the discussion of the relevance of innovation policy at the regional level, the article benefits from the knowledge production function framework to estimate patterns considering 175 European regions. It is intended to understand whether regional innovation strategies developed and applied between 1994 and 2001 were successful at an aggregated level in contributing for knowledge creation measured in terms of patents and high technology patents. The results underline the relevance of private R&D expenditure and medium and high technology employment to increase patent numbers. The models suggest also that administrative regionalization may be important to regional innovation and that the creation and implementation of a regional strategy have a positive contribution for high tech innovation.     

Inter-Country Trade Patterns in Europe and the Asia-Pacific: Regional Structure and Extra-Regional Trends

This paper examines the regional structure and extraregional trends of Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The formation of the European Community and the latter's potential enlargement to Eastern Europe contrasts with the Asia-Pacific which has resisted economic and political integration and pursued economic linkages with countries outside of the region. The difference in regionalization tendencies have resulted in more geographically defined subregions in Europe, and greater territorial fragmentation in the Asia-Pacific. Even though European countries exhibit tighter interlinkages with one another, the evidence indicates that their extra-regional links compare favorably with the Asia-Pacific for much of the period from 1965 to 1994.     

The Design of Historical Gardens Cultural,Magical, Medical and Scientific Gardens in Europe

Abstract

This review examines some little-known aspects of historical garden design, expecially those with meanings and complex allusions to ideas beyond the mere notion of an agreeable garden with plants to give pleasure. The author discusses some early gardens of classical times, including Roman funerary gardens, and describes mediaeval gardens in which certain allusions to the goddess Isis survived, especially when connected with the Marian cultus. Topiary is described in the contexts of several garden types, including the extraordinary battle-gardens, which are covered in some detail. The review reveals some unexpected aspects of the Enlightenment and traces the survival of certain ideas in garden design into recent times. Labyrinths, pilgrimages, healing springs, and enclosed gardens are shown to be much more than they appear on the surface.     

The Role of Location and Regional Networks for Biotechnology Firms in Israel

This article presents results of a study of the Israeli biotechnology sector. The findings of the study show that despite the small geographical size of the country, the Israeli biotechnology industry tends to a great extent to cluster around leading research institutes. Based on a survey of 109 high-tech projects, the study suggests that the relatively weak business background of the entrepreneurs, the fact that most of them have worked at research institutes and that most new biotechnology firms were originated from ideas that came out of universities or research institutes, can provide possible explanations for this geographical concentration. The research emphasizes the relative importance biotechnology entrepreneurs ascribe to networking, both in very early stages as well as in advanced stages of the firm development process. It is argued that although the focus of the network changes over time, both geographically and in content, its links to local research partners are maintained. It is suggested that earmarked regional support policies are crucial to the development of networks required by new biotechnology firms.     

The Role of Networking in the New Political Economy of Regional Development

During the last 25 years there have been some fundamental changes to the international political economy. The decline of Fordism, globalization and technical innovations have altered the ways in which firms operate and interact with each other and other economic agents. Corporate strategy and organization and public policy have all been affected. Of particular relevance has been the development of a new form of governance viz. networking. Although often seen as a new phenomenon, it has in fact a long history going all the way back to Marshall. What is new however, are attempts by development agencies to capture the advantages presented by these externalities as a deliberate objective of regional development policy. This paper examines the case of Wales in some detail and concludes that although such a policy does work with the grain of modern political economy, it is only really scratching the surface of the problem and in fact contains an inherent contradiction in terms of market behaviour.     

明代华南的粮食生产及其地域特征

明代华南的农作物种类多,分布广,各有特点。在明代华南的粮食作物中,稻类作物占有很大的比重,主要分布在平原、盆地及河谷地带。其中广州、肇庆、潮州、福州、建宁、梧州等府所产稻谷较多,桂北、琼西的某些县份也盛产水稻。麦类作物的地位仅次于稻作。明代中期气候转寒以后,小麦的种植有增加的趋势。虽然种植面积不是很大,但分布相当广泛。麦作主要分布在山区、丘陵等处的旱地,有时与稻作轮作复种。粟类作物、豆类作物和代粮作物的分布也较广泛,只是种植面积较小而已。外来作物在明代后期得到迅速推广,并对当时的农业地理产生了重要影响。     

The Scientific Trajectory of the French School of Proximity: Interaction- and Institution-based Approaches to Regional Innovation Systems

The multi-faceted concept of proximity is often used nowadays in many theoretical and empirical analyses. It mainly originates in some French regional scientists' attempt, in the early 1990s, to develop new conceptual and methodological avenues with a view to the study of the industrial and spatial dynamics. The wide diffusion of the resulting research findings is explained by the fact that these scholars realized early on that it was in their interest to collectively structure their works through the setting-up of a research group. The present paper sets out to outline the scientific and institutional trajectories of the French group “Proximity Dynamics”, while underlining the progressive broadening of its scientific and institutional dimensions, as well as the main theoretical research fields these trajectories have permitted to investigate.     

The Role of Regional Policies in Promoting Networking and Innovative Activity: Evidence from Small Finnish High-tech Firms

The success of high-technology firms is strongly dependent on their innovation capacity and network relationships. There is a growing recognition that few firms are able to innovate in isolation. Cooperation can provide access to a complementary knowledge base and resources, and speed up the innovation process of firms. Regional developers are criticized for their inadequate ability to integrate themselves into the regional networks and innovation processes of firms and their ability to determine firms' needs for innovation and networking. The research topic of this study concentrates on the possibilities of regional developers of influencing the operational environment of high-tech firms through the development of networks and innovation activity of firms. Of particular interest are the micro-level policies and concrete actions by regional developers for meeting the needs of firms. The data used are based on interviews addressed to high-tech firms located in Jyväskylä Science Park in Finland.