Whether for regional economic growth, job creation, or to address environmental concerns, many regions have adopted strategies aimed at developing their strengths and opportunities. They do so through an analysis of the potential and limitations of a region’s resources, enabling them to identify opportunities for economic development that can be incorporated into a comprehensive planning strategy. These strategies often focus on improving the quality of indirect productive inputs (e.g., transport and communication infrastructures) in order to improve the competitive position of a region, as well as fostering the development of a regional export orientation by building new capacities.
Nevertheless, the complexity of these challenges and the diversity of approaches to regional development suggest that it is impossible to determine which regional development strategy is the best for every situation. This is particularly true given that citizens in multiple democratic contexts want their governments to support economic growth in their regions while reducing disparities with richer areas of the country.
It is therefore essential to understand the various processes that shape and sustain a regional development strategy. One method to do this is the study of metaphorical language, a methodology that has gained increasing relevance in human geography and, recently, in EEG and RIS literature. Metaphorical language allows us to identify the different forms of power and related power relations that are embedded in different systems of social analysis, including those associated with regional development. By registering how these stories are told, by whom, how often and through which medium, it becomes possible to uncover the ways in which they construct, shape, reinforce or challenge power relations within a society, such as those related to regional development.