Lessons from learning regions: policymaking in an evolutionary context

This paper serves to clarify conditions that hamper the learning capability of regional (local) actors and to identify how this capability can be improved, given a number of distinct evolutionary constraints. First, we discuss policymaking in an evolutionary context. This is followed by an analysis of circumstances that hamper the design of Iearning policies by governments, including shortages in conceptualisation and empirical research of the learning region paradigm. The focus of the paper then moves to some broad lessons that can be drawn at the strategic level and at the project level for regional (urban) policymakers. Finally, the paper discusses the dilemma of incremental change versus system change - or co-evolution versus co-revolution - to improve the learning capability of regions or cities.