Editor

Ana Viñuela - Universidad de Oviedo, Dpto Economia Aplicada, Oviedo, SPAIN; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Territorial inequalities are barely studied at a local level in Europe in a comprehensive way mainly due to the lack of comparative data or proxies of economic activity. Without local data it is impossible to proof the agglomeration of economic activity (in the cities) and therefore the growing gap between rural and urban areas, between the centre and the periphery of the country or between the core and the fringe of the large metropolitan areas.  This is one of the reason why, when studying the areas that have been left-behind, any research tends to focus on case studies.

In this Special Issue we will try to combine   both qualitative and quantitative research on areas (as opposed to regions) that indeed have been left-behind the paths of economic growth of prosperity. The aim would be trying to answer some of the following questions: What is the meaning of the left-behindness concept? How can we identify the left-behind areas? Where are those areas? What are their characteristics? What quantitative data are available to study left-behindness?  Are there any common past characteristics that might explain their present situation? What can be done at the different levels of governance (European, national and local) to improve their situation? What has been done in different areas of Europe? And what about regional or local stakeholders? Are citizens mobilizing somehow to either protest or react in order to reverse their localities´ situation?  

Keywords

Territorial inequalities at local level, Localities vs regions, economic growth, Left-behind concept, accessibility, depopulation, local- based policies, local discontent, local initiatives.

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 “Left Behind Areas. Past, Present and Future”, otherwise, your submission will be handled as a regular manuscript.

• Submissions open until December 31, 2024.
• Compile a Special Issue with at least seven accepted papers: April 2025.

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.