Evolution in Economic Geography

Institutions, Political Economy, and Adaptation

Bibliographic Data

ID4043335
AuthorsDouglas Mackinnon (0000-0003-2901-5081, University of Glasgow), Danny Mackinnon, Andrew Cumbers (0000-0002-9876-5241, University of Glasgow), Andy Pike (0000-0001-7651-2983, Institute of Development Studies), K Birch (0000-0003-2881-4623, University of Strathclyde), Robert Mcmaster (0000-0001-7114-9871, University of Glasgow)
Year2009
Volume85
Issue2
Pages129-150
Publication date2009-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEconomic Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-0095 • E-ISSN: 1944-8287
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1944-8287.2009.01017.x
OpenAlexW1883459023
LanguageEN
Citations received223
References cited106

Economic geography has, over the past decade or so, drawn upon ideas from evolutionary economics in trying to understand processes of regional growth and change. Recently, some researchers have sought to delimit and develop an "evolutionary economic geography" (EEG), aiming to create a more systematic theoretical framework for research. This article provides a sympathetic critique and elaboration of this emergent EEG but takes issue with some aspects of its characterization in recent programmatic statements. While acknowledging that EEG is an evolving and pluralist project, we are concerned that the reliance on certain theoretical frameworks that are imported from evolutionary economics and complexity science threatens to isolate it from other approaches in economic geography, limiting the opportunities for cross-fertilization. In response, the article seeks to develop a social and pluralist conception of institutions and social agency in EEG, drawing upon the writings of leading institutional economists, and to link evolutionary concepts to political economy approaches, arguing that the evolution of the economic landscape must be related to processes of capital accumulation and uneven development. As such, we favor the use of evolutionary and institutional concepts within a geographical political economy approach, rather than the construction of some kind of theoretically separate EEG-evolution in economic geography, not an evolutionary economic geography

Adaptation (eye) · Agency (philosophy) · Economic geography · Economic system · Economics · Evolutionary Economics · Neoclassical economics · Political science · Politics · Social science · Sociocultural evolution · Sociology · Economic theories and models · Regional Economics and Spatial Analysis · Regional resilience and development

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