Regional Science - Public Policy Impact

Public Policy Impact

Part of the movement was, and continues to be, associated with the political and economic realities of the role of the local community. On any occasion where public policy is directed at the sub-national level, such as a city or group of counties, the methods of regional science can prove useful. Traditionally, regional science has provided policymakers with guidance on the following issues:

• Determinants of industrial location (both within the nation and region)
• Regional economic impact of the arrival or departure of a firm
• Determinants of internal migration patterns and land-use change
• Regional specialization and exchange
• Environmental impacts of social and economic change
• Geographic association of economic and social conditions

By targeting federal resources to specific geographic areas the Kennedy administration realized that political favors could be bought. This is also evident in Europe and other places where local economic areas do not coincide with political boundaries. In the more current era of devolution knowledge about "local solutions to local problems" has driven much of the interest in regional science. Thus, there has been much political impetus to the growth of the discipline.