• General objectives – General learning outcomes

The main purpose of the course is to analyze and understand the way the economic system of regions operates in order to explain the causes that shape and sustain regional disparities and the uneven distribution of activities in a regional or national economic space. This course describes and analyzes the basic concepts of Regional Science, gives theoretical approaches about the factors that cause regional inequalities, analyzes regional inequalities in Greece. Inb addition, the course describes the key indicators used to quantify the spatial inequalities and use in understanding spatial inequalities. Reference is also made to economic policies that may alleviate inequalities and to regional economic issues, such as the change in product and employment of regions, regional specialization, trade, national and regional multipliers and differences on the productivity of the regions’ economy. Issues related to the labor market, regional trade exchanges, regional workflow and capital flows, productivity distribution and balance of payments are also discussed.

The course seeks to introduce students to the basic concepts of regional economic development, to provide an appropriate theoretical background for understanding and critically assimilating more general regional or spatial problems with economic content, and to assist in the easy transition to the next subject areas related to economics. and regional analysis.

How they specialize in the following categories

Knowledges

Students will become familiar with key concepts and theories of regional economics as evidenced by the successful final examination.

Skills

Students at the end of the course have acquired the ability to apply knowledge to real problems, as evidenced by their exam performance. They can apply modern methods and modern theory for completing tasks and solving problems.

Abilities

Concerning the abilities that students should have acquired in this course, they are as follows:

• Ability to analyze key problems with regional or local characteristics, with regional or local dimension, to search for appropriate data and variables, to create appropriate quantitative indicators of spatial inequalities using international and national bibliographic and statistical sources.
• Ability to approach the problems and meet future “challenges” in the development of the regions by understanding the relevant concepts and benefits of participating in the work.
• Ability to analyze regional problems by using the knowledge acquired in other subjects and solving them through an interdisciplinary approach.
• Capable of constructive criticism and developing similar scientific arguments to solve or highlight regional problems.
• Ability to develop creative and inductive thinking, by analyzing problems with a spatial dimension, associating or linking them to relevant theoretical approaches and the general reflection raised and shaped during the semester in which students participate and who are called upon to propose implemented and sufficiently justified solutions.

The general abilities that students should have acquired in the course are related to the development of creative and inductive thinking, through the analysis of regional space problems, their relevance or association with relevant theoretical approaches and general reflection set and formulated during the semester.

1. Analysis of the concepts of space and development. Regional Science, Definition of the Region and Description of the Criteria for Regionalization, Definition of Regional Development, Description of the “Regional Problem”.
2. Analysis of Basic Concepts of Regional Science, Regional Account Elements, Production Functions.
3. Quantitative Analysis of Regional Disparities and Spatial Relations, Measurement of Simple Dispersion, Measurement of Spatial Concentrations and Differences.
4. The indicators of spatial concentration or activity location, The Lorenz curve, The Gini coefficient.
5. Shift – Share Analysis, The Reilly Law, Spatial interaction models.
6. Regional inequalities in Greece, their evolution over time.
7. Theories of Regional Development, The first theories (1930-60), Theories of the second generation (1960-84).
8. Neo-Marxist Theories, Recent Theories (1984 onwards).
9. Regional multipliers and regional analysis.
10. Interregional labor market and capital mobility, Labor demand and supply curve, Labor market model.
11. Regional labor markets, Interregional labor mobility, Labor and interregional capital mobility.

The evaluation criteria used are linked to the learning outcomes, since the students’ ability to show their knowledge and depth of understanding of the core content of the course is indirectly assessed.

The assessment system and criteria are familiar to the students, and they are considered sufficient to reflect the degree of understanding of the course and in-depth knowledge of its content.

The examination process is assessed indirectly, since students are asked to comment after the exams are over. In addition students can view their writing if they wish and find out what mistakes they have made and to comment on them.

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• 8. Papadaskalopoulos Ath. (2000), Methods of Regional Analysis, Papazisi Publications, Athens.
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• 10. Polyzos S., (2006) "Public investments and Regional Development: The role of Regional Multipliers", International Journal of Sustainable Planning and Development, vol. 1(3), pp. 1-16.
• 11. Polyzos S., Minetos D., Sdrolias L. (2007), "Productivity and spatial diffusion of technology in Greece: An empirical analysis", Journal of International Business and Economy, vol. 8(1), pp. 105-123.
• 12. Polyzos S., Sofios S. (2008), "Regional multipliers, Inequalities and Planning in Greece", South Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, vol 6(1), pp. 75-100.
• 13. Polyzos S. (2009), "The Egnatia Motorway and the changes in the Interregional Trade in Greece: An ex ante assessment", European Spatial Research and Policy, vol. 16(2), pp. 23-47.
• 14. Polyzos S. (2009), "Regional Inequalities and Spatial Economic Interdependence: Learning from the Greek Prefectures", International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, vol. 4(2), pp. 123-142.
• 15. Polyzos S., Pneymatikos T. (2011), “Evaluation of Regional Inequalities by using Shift - Share Analysis”, International Journal of Engineering and Management, vol. 3(2), pp. 77-89.
• 16. Rodríguez‐Pose A., Psycharis Y, Tselios V. (2012), “Public investment and regional growth and convergence: Evidence from Greece”, Papers in Regional Science, 91(3), pp. 543-568.
• 17. Tselios V. (2011), “Is inequality good for innovation?”, International Regional Science Review, 34 (1), pp. 75-101.
• 18. Tselios V. (2011), “Growth and convergence in income per capita and income inequality in the regions of the EU”, Spatial Economic Analysis, 4 (3), pp. 343-370.
• 19. Polyzos S, Tsiotas D. Niavis S. (2015), Analyzing the location decisions of agro-industrial investments in Greece, International Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Information Systems, vol. 6(2), pp 77-100.
• 20. Rodríguez-Pose A., Psycharis Y. and Tselios V. (2016) ‘Liberals, Socialists and pork-barrel in Greece’, Environment and Planning A, 48(8), 1452-1472.
• Scientific journals: Environment and Planning , Environment & Urbanization , European Planning Studies , International Regional Science Review , Journal of Environmental Planning and Management , Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning , Journal of Planning History , Journal of Planning Literature , Journal of Regional Science , Journal of the American Planning Association , Papers in Regional Science , Plan Canada (Journal of the Canadian Institute of Planners) , Planning Practice and Research , Planning Theory and Practice , Planning Theory , Regional Science Policy and Practice , Regional Studies , Topos , Aeichoros