El surgimiento de la escala regional y local en el debate sobre desarrollo: reconstitución histórica y balance teórico

Abstract

In the article, it is addressed the problem of how regional and local scales have been considered within development strategies. We show, from theoretical literature review, that there is an implicit or explicit reference to local areas in the development debate, and that reference to local communities has acquired a greater reflexive importance. We concluded that, historically, the theoretical and practical approach to subnational spaces has had different characteristics and meanings and, at least, we could identify five modes of referring to the local: in the first place, as an aspect in the integration of the logic of making national spaces more compact and dominable; then, as a complementary scale to others, particularly the national one; subsequently, as a relevant element to face problems, challenges or own possibilities; in the fourth place, as an own look of the development that rises in front of other parts that are the axis outside the local spaces, and, finally, as a proposal radically critical to current development.

Keywords

• development
• national development
• regional development
• local development
• public policies