Regional development is an interdisciplinary, multi-scaled and complex phenomenon. It is understood as a process and as an aspect in the making of societies, in the transformations of production, of social relations, and of world-views and attitudes. It involves the articulation of local economic and cultural interests with global ones, a phenomenon which is often framed by notions of value capture and distribution. It is also a process that is marked by regional inequalities, where some regions benefit from global integration and where others struggle to keep up.
Since the 1980s, the field of human geography has taken noneconomic factors into consideration, and in particular, has developed a strong focus on culture. This has opened up new possibilities for regional development research. At the same time, however, economic approaches have come to dominate the scene, and with them, an insular perspective that focuses on firm-level economic performance without taking into account the wider social context and dynamics of regional development.
Regional development agencies (RDOs) are often the focal point for these efforts, and they are well-positioned to support a wide variety of initiatives. This includes the promotion of economic and climate resilience, to better prepare a region for, or bounce back from, natural disasters and hazards, as well as economic disruptions such as the loss of a large employer, shifts in workforces, or population fluctuations. In this context, the ability of RDOs to mobilize their regions-specific assets in order to bargain with global firms may reveal a clear skewness and imbalance in power relations, even when domination is silent.