Regional Studies Association

Regions are a key spatial scale for examining the nature and impacts of political, economic, social and environmental change and innovation. The Regional Studies Association works with its international membership to facilitate the highest standards of theoretical development, empirical analysis and policy debate of issues at this sub-national scale, incorporating both the urban and rural and different conceptions of space such as city-regions and interstitial spaces. We are, for example, interested in issues of economic development and growth, conceptions of territory and its governance and in thorny problems of equity and injustice. The Association’s journals, magazines and books, along with our global-to-local series of conferences and events position us as a key forum in shaping and disseminating advances in regional studies and science. Members come from economics, geography, political science, planning and sociology backgrounds. Most work in academia but many are working in policy and practice, and membership is truly global. Our great strengths include our embrace of multiple methodologies from quantitative to qualitative, the use of thoughtful comparative research, and boundary spanning between academia and policy and practice. These—and our vibrant mix of members, including active participation from student members and early career researchers—help us to create a dynamic and pro-active environment in which to challenge existing thinking and push the boundaries of knowledge and practice.