This area of concentration is concerned with the interrelated problems of territorial or area development in both highly industrialized and developing countries. Industrialization, urbanization, patterns of regional economic growth and decline, rural and resource-based development, and the problems of marginalized populations are major focal points.

Overview

We live in a global economy where flows of goods, capital, labor, and information are increasing. At the same time, what regions do, how they do it, and their experiences of growth and decline continue to be quite different. The area of regional and international development is concerned with the interrelated problems of territorial or area development in both highly industrialized and developing countries. Of particular concern are the nature and consequences of geographically uneven development. Perspectives on area development employed by faculty include political economy, locational analysis and regional economics and analysis of institutions. Industrialization, urbanization, patterns of' regional economic growth and decline, rural and resource based development, and the problems of marginalized populations are major focal points. In many countries, regions are considered to be important territorial scales of economic development and must have policies designed specifically to encourage and shape development at the regional level. These range from resource based development policies to those concentrating on technology based industrialization: and from highly structured industrial planning and location policies to those focusing on more diffused institution building at the regional scale.

Faculty research and teaching focus on five major areas:

• processes of economic activity location and regional development
• urbanization in comparative and international perspective
• global and regional economic integration
• international environmental problems and processes
• planning and policy development for metropolitan regions with particular emphasis on Southern California, industrial policy issues, and links to local development initiatives.

Students specializing in Regional and International Development can choose one of two streams of study:

• Advanced Industrial Economics, especially in North America and Western Europe, emphasizes economic activity location, new production technologies, industrial analysis, urban political economy, and regional economic integration.
• Newly Developing Economies especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia addresses questions of rural development and peasantries, ecological and social sustainability and urbanization processes.
In both streams, approaches to study are interdisciplinary and comparative.

Graduates of this area are active in metropolitan and state development agencies, private consulting firms. and the nonprofit sector.

Course Requirements

Students must take a minimum of five courses, two required and three electives.

Required courses (both required)

M230 Introduction to Regional Planning (PP M241)
M236A Theories of Regional Economic Development (PP M240)

Elective Courses (three required)

Advanced Industrial Economies

Geog 157 Models of Regional Growth and Change
PP 242 Regional Development, Urbanization and Industrial Policy C233 Political Economy of Urbanization
232 Disaster Management and Response
236B Globalization
*236C Advanced Workshop in Regions in the World Economy
237A Sectoral Analysis
*237B Urban and Regional Economic Development Applications
CM237C The Southern California Regional Economy (CM137)
239 Special Topics in RID
Geog 248 Location and Space Economy

Newly Developing Economies

232 Disaster Management and Response
234A Development Theory
M234B Conservation in Inhabited Landscapes
*M234C Resource-Based Development (GEOG M229)
235A Urbanization in the Developing World I
235B Urbanization and the Developing World II
*C266 Global Environment and Development: Problems and Issues (CM166, Geog. 128)
239 Special Topics in RID

*courses not offered 10-11

Sample RID Curriculum