Regional Development Policies in OECD Countries

Policy makers need both a handy reference guide to the regional policies of
their own and other countries and a broader analysis of trends in regional
policies, based on sound, comparable information. Regional Policies in OECD
Countries responds to this need. It is the first systematic, comparative
analysis of OECD countries’ regional policies.

The report addresses fundamental regional policy concerns, such as: problem
recognition; the objectives of regional policy; the legal/institutional
framework; the urban/rural framework; budget structures; and the governance
mechanisms linking national and sub-national governments as well as sectors.

It begins with an overview of the regional policy today. This is followed by
country profiles covering the 31 OECD members. The profiles share a common
conceptual framework, allowing countries to see how their experiences measure
up. The report also contains several annexes, which cover some of the
countries that are candidates for accession to the OECD or with which the OECD
has enhanced engagement. The annexes also cover the key topics of cross-border
cooperation and trends in urban-rural linkages, especially efforts to control
urban sprawl.

The report will help countries to better understand regional policies and to
formulate and diffuse horizontal policy recommendations. The analysis suggests
an important role for regional policies in shaping sustainable endogenous
development, in particular well-developed governance mechanisms to better
respond to the different opportunities and demands of regions and to improve
policy efficiency.

This report is a unique source of regional policy information and of special
interest to policy makers, researchers, and others engaging with regional
development.

Related reading

Regions Matter

OECD Regions at a Glance 2009

How Regions Grow: Trends and Analysis