REGIONAL SPECIALIZATION IN THE CONTEXT OF DEINDUSTRIALIZATION: THE CASE OF TÜRKİYE

Aysu UZSAYILIR

Dr., Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Istanbul Technical University
Orcid: 0000-0003-3920-4062

aysukara@itu.edu.tr

Tüzin BAYCAN

Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Istanbul Technical University
Orcid: 0000-0001-6073-1188

tbaycan@itu.edu.tr

Abstract

Deindustrialization is experienced in different forms and more deeply in developing countries where regional inequalities, an important component of deindustrialization, impose more structural and historical conditions than in developed countries. Deindustrialization has a deeper causality and impact especially in countries whose economies are based on agriculture and which begin to deindustrialize with global effect while their industrial development continues. The aim of this study is to investigate the regional nature of deindustrialization within the center-periphery relationship at the global and country level. Assuming that the international center-periphery relationship has similar characteristics on a national scale, in this study the regional character of deindustrialization at the level of sectoral specializations is investigated in Türkiye NUTS 2 regions by performing a long-term Location Quotient (LQ) analysis. The main results of the analysis demonstrate that: (i) while Türkiye is an agricultural society and its industrial development continues, it has entered the deindustrialization process with globalization effect; (ii) the pattern of deindustrialization can be exemplified by the regional cluster centered on Istanbul in the Northwest which shows high industrial specialization; (iii) agricultural production dominates throughout the country; and (iv) there is a tendency for industrial development to stagnate and for a direct transition from agriculture to services.

Keywords: Deindustrialization, Labor Market, Regional Specialization

JEL classification: J01, J08, J21, N90, O11, R12

 pp. 33-42

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PRODUCTIVE SPECIALIZATION AND CLUSTERS IN THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM OF NORTHERN PORTUGAL

Ana Paula DELGADO

Retired Professor, Faculty of Economics (FEP), University of Porto (UP)

a.p.delgado@sapo.pt

Teresa SEQUEIRA

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD); Researcher at the Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD).

tsequeir@utad.pt (Corresponding author)

Abstract

The Região Norte of Portugal is a region where the primary sector has historically played a significant role. It is generally an aging region, with a large area considered as low-density and with a low level of purchasing power, revealing deep asymmetries in terms of economic and social cohesion. This study aims to analyse the profile of the agri-food industry, that is, the food and beverage industries, in the north of Portugal in terms of productive specialization. This work started by collecting a set of variables such as employment, people employed, GVA and value of sales and services provided, depending on the level of disaggregation of the classification of economic activities and the availability of data. Based on this statistical data, location and specialization indicators were calculated, namely the location quotient. Then, using statistical software, clusters were built that enabled us to draw a picture of the agri-food system. This work was relevant to identifying the relative specialization of Norte NUTs III regions, the relative location of activities and the outlining of productive areas. It is expected that it will contribute to the definition of effective policy instruments to be developed in the region by the responsible organisation for regional development, based on the region’s profile and with the aim of an intelligent specialization strategy.

Keywords: productive specialization, clusters, regional development

JEL classification: R12, R58

pp. 11-24

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DETECTING CITY-DIPOLES IN GREECE BASED ON INTERCITY COMMUTING

Dimitrios TSIOTAS

Assistant Professor, Department of Regional and Economic Development, School of Applied Economic and Social Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Amfissa 33100, Greece

tsiotas@aua.gr

Nikolaos AXELIS

Airport Infrastructure Engineer, HAF, – Researcher, Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly, Volos, 38334, Greece

nik.axelis@gmail.com

Serafeim POLYZOS

Professor, Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly, Volos, 38334, Greece

spolyzos@uth.gr

Abstract

According to growth poles theory, the areas lacking critical sizes to develop polycentric structures are restricted to the development of structures of special configuration. In Greece, the development of growth poles is restricted to the emergence of “urban dipoles” and “tripoles”, which are often used in the literature within a not well defined context. Based on a recently introduced method, this paper quantitatively detects functional dipoles in Greece by discriminating zones in the distribution of commuting, the number of daily movements for occupational purposes outside the city of residence. The analysis is implemented at three different levels of geographical scale, the intercity, an adjusted intercity (without the metropolitan regions), and the interregional scale. The analysis detects the functional dipoles per geographical scale and reveals the distance levels where polycentric structures emerge in the setting of commuting in Greece. Overall, this examines the applicability of a new dipoles detection method and paper provides insights into the conceptualization of hierarchy in urban structures, into the context of regional science and regional economics.

Keywords: Growth poles, urban structures, city networks, urban hierarchy, city distribution

JEL classification: R12, R40, R58

pp. 11-30

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