Trends in the economic evolution of urban development poles

Abstract

Cities are facing constant and more increasingly changes and challenges. In the light of these changes and challenges, this paper tries to configure the idea of how communities, especially those in urban areas face their problems and initiatives to use existing opportunities to access sustainable and balanced development. An integrated approach to urban development and the concept of cities as centers of power in disseminating positive effects in neighboring territories, led the European Union to structure a policy framework, an institutional and legal framework in order to support this type of events. Doing a little review of the EU and national action and support framework for urban development, this paper aims to highlight the effect of this support on urban development in terms of economic dimension. Approach starts from the assumption that urban areas are able to efficiently use the leverage created by the European Union and accessible nationally through established internal policies, in support of urban development. Proposed research hypothesis applies in a case study upon the urban development poles from Romania’s North-West Region, by linking information from the analysis of the local economic environment with the level of structural funds absorption rate for these poles in the 2007-2013 financial programming.

Keywords

• economic growth
• business environment
• region
• funding instruments
• absorption rate