Ka mua, ka muri (looking backwards into the future)

Investigating government’s solutions to addressing uneven regional development in New Zealand/Aotearoa

Bibliographic Data

ID21692012
AuthorsElham Bahmanteymouri (0000-0003-3457-8970, University of Auckland), Mohsen Mohammadzadeh (0000-0002-5513-3295, University of Auckland, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume28
Issue3-4
Pages281-298
Publication date2023-10-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Planning Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1356-3475 • E-ISSN: 1469-9265
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13563475.2023.2250563
OpenAlexW4386162459
LanguageEN
References cited35

This article examines New Zealand’s historical, geographical, political, and economic-driven regional disparities and evaluates successive government policies aiming to address these inequities. By utilising the Māori proverb ‘ka mua ka muri’ for discourse analysis, we chronologically categorise regional development policies into three periods: pre-neoliberal reform, post-reform until 2017, and recent government investments in regions. Our study highlights recurring policy failures due to factors such as short-term political vision, and an emphasis on competitive over comparative advantages in resource allocation. To rectify past shortcomings, we propose a dual framework grounded in Universalism and Particularism, suggesting a national spatial strategy paired with tailored regional development policies

Aotearoa · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Universalism · Gender Studies · Island Studies and Pacific Affairs · Law · New Zealand Economic and Social Studies · Public Administration · Urban Planning and Governance

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