Professor Ian R Gordon, STC. S505a

For students taking MSc Local Economic Development, MSc Regional and Urban Planning Studies, LSE-Sciences Po Double Degree in Urban Policy, MSc Human Geography and Urban Studies (Research) and MPA Public and Economic Policy/MPA Public Policy and Management/MPA International Development/MPA European Public and Economic Policy/MPA Public and Social Policy. Also available to other suitably qualified graduate students as permitted by the regulations for their degrees.

Analysis of theoretical and institutional issues, empirical evidence, development pre-requisites and economic development policies in the context of actions to stimulate the economic development of local and regional economies.

This section of the course focuses on the social and institutional dimension of local economic development. In particular it is concerned with the implications of changing forms of economic competition and labour market operations over recent decades and the challenge these present for formulation and delivery of effective 'bottom-up' strategies for economic development. The strengths and weaknesses of traditional theories of growth and labour market functioning are analysed, and related to alternative perspectives. The lectures and seminars will focus on the relations between social cohesion and competitiveness; human resources in development organisations and in local economies; clustering, inter-firm partnering and innovation; labour market processes and policies, urban competition, the role of institutions, policy and politics in the genesis of growth. A significant part of this course will be based on case studies.

12 one-hour lectures and 8 hours of seminars/debates (GY408.2).

P C Cheshire & I R Gordon (Eds), Territorial Competition in an Integrating Europe, Avebury, 1995; M.J. Porter, The Competitive Advantage of Nations, 1990; OECD, Competitive Cities in the Global Economy, 2006; A. Pike, A. Rodriguez-Pose & J. Tomaney, Local and Regional Development, 2006; A. Pike, A. Rodriguez-Pose & J. Tomaney, Handbook of Local and Regional Development, 2010; M Storper, Regional Worlds, 1997; N Buck, I Gordon, A Harding & I Turok (Eds), Changing Cities, 2005.

Two-hour unseen examination.