The starting point of the EDORA project was the recognition that, rather than becoming more uniform in character, rural Europe is, in many ways, becoming increasingly diverse, implying new challenges and opportunities. The project’s overarching aim was to examine the process of...

This article employs the decolonial thinking paradigm to dispel the long-held myth that Local Economic Development strategies are universal panacea that can result in the development of all local economies globally. It is opined in this article that the growing literature celebrating the...

This paper examines the implications of a place-based economic strategy in the context of the UK Coalition government’s framework for achieving local growth and the creation of Local Economic Partnerships in England. It draws on the international literature to outline the basic...

The EU accession of the Central and Eastern European countries required adjustment to EU cohesion policy and its framework, based on multi-level governance and territorially targeted financial support for regional development. This involved reforms of territorial administration, the developing...

This article concludes the special issue – (Re)appraising place-based economic development strategies – by weaving together some of the key strands explored, debated and examined by each contribution. The place-based meta-approach is far from an uncontested concept. It may be more...