Università Roma Tre

Over the past decades the importance of cities and regions has increased in parallel with
the ‘globalisation’ of the world economy. The expansion of trade, the internationalization
of firms, the galloping process of outsourcing, and the emergence of digital technologies
are not creating a 'flat world’. Numerous forces are coalescing in order to provoke the
emergence of urban 'mountains' where wealth, economic activity, and innovative capacity
agglomerate.
Not all regions have the same capacity to maximize the benefits and opportunities and
minimize the risks linked to globalization. Not all regions will experience successful
recovery and resilience trajectories.
The course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of key conceptual
tools for the analysis of local economic development and policies. Lectures, seminal
focuses and practical classes will drive students in analyzing why and how local
trajectories of development can be so different and how to ensure that they are virtuous.

Conceptualization of regional growth and local development
Neo-classical approach and the regional convergence debate
Local economic development: institutions, innovation, proximities, competitiveness
Regional Policies: motivation, implementation, and impacts
Empirical analysis of regional economics and policies: data and measurement, growthdeterminants
modelling, introduction to policy evaluation approaches

Capello R., Regional Economics, Routledge 2nd Edition, 2016.
European Commission, 8th Cohesion Report, 2022