Guest editor

Soomi Lee – Department of Public Administration, University of La Verne (USA); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP) is pleased to announce a special issue focused on the intersection of public finance and regional science. This issue seeks contributions that bridge academic studies and practical applications to understand the role of public finance in regional development and sustainability.

Regional science and public finance are two fields that, while addressing related issues, often operate in silos. While both fields contribute to our understanding of economic systems, their separation limits an integrated perspective of how public finance shapes regional outcomes and, conversely, how regional characteristics influence the design and impact of fiscal policies.

In this special issue, we aim to break down these silos.

We welcome papers from various disciplines, including public policy, economics, urban planning, geography, public administration, and environmental science. Submissions should employ sound and replicable methods that generate robust evidence. We encourage collaborative contributions between researchers and practitioners to provide actionable recommendations.

We will welcome the following themes, among others:

• Tax policy and spatial development
• Fiscal decentralization and inter- and intra-regional fiscal and socioeconomic disparities
• Intergovernmental transfers and regional economic resilience in Climate-impacted regions
• Financing green transitions in regions
• Fiscal policies and migration, such as workforce mobility and rural depopulation.
• Infrastructure finance and the role of public-private partnerships to finance large-scale projects
• Inter- and intra-comparative regional fiscal policies and best practices in developed and developing countries

We look forward to your contributions that will help shape the future of public finance and regional development policy.

Manuscript submission information:

All submissions must be original and may not be under review elsewhere. All manuscripts will be submitted via the Regional Science Policy & Practice online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/rspp/). Authors should indicate in the cover letter that the paper is submitted for consideration for publication in this special issue “Public Finance in Regional Development and Sustainability”, otherwise, your submission will be handled as a regular manuscript.

• Submissions open until July 31, 2025.
• Compile a Special Issue with at least seven accepted papers: May 2026.

Note: 

As an open access journal with no subscription charges, a fee (Article Publishing Charge, APC) is payable by the author or research funder to cover the costs associated with publication. This ensures your article will be immediately and permanently free to access by everyone. The Article Publishing Charge for this journal is EUR 1596, excluding taxes.

The RSPP editorial team are pleased to cover APCs for a selected number of accepted articles that are unable to secure sufficient funding. Authors can indicate whether they wish to be considered for this waiver at the beginning of the submission process or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Author Guidelines:

All submitted papers should address significant issues pertinent to the theme of this issue and fall within the scope of Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP). Criteria for acceptance include originality, contribution and scientific merit. All manuscripts must be written in English with high scientific writing standards. Acceptance for publication will be based on referees’ and editors’ recommendations, following a detailed peer review process.

Keywords:
public finance, tax policy, public spending, tax competition, fiscal disparity, fiscal equity, fiscal health, fiscal sustainability, infrastructure funding, green bonds

Why publish in this Special Issue?

• Special Issue articles are published together on ScienceDirect, making it incredibly easy for other researchers to discover your work.
• Special content articles are downloaded on ScienceDirect twice as often within the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
• Special content articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
• All articles in this special issue will be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts to ensure the quality, originality and novelty of the work published.