Investigaciones Regionales - Journal of Regional Research has published the 62^nd Issue, the second volume corresponding to 2025.

Below you will find the summaries of the papers published in this volume, which can be accessed at https://investigacionesregionales.org/en/revista/issue-62/

We invite authors to submit papers at https://investigacionesregionales.org/en/envio-de-articulos/submission-of-papers-and-others-contributions/

Issue 62

European Regional Policy

Francesco Molica, Anabela M. Santos, Andrea Conte

Measuring achievements: Can cohesion policy programmes effectively monitor their performance?

The paper investigates the ability of Cohesion Policy programmes to define accurate policy outputs and to reliably monitor their own performance through accurate indicators. Specifically, the analysis explores the extent to which indicators and output targets set by ERDF programmes for monitoring and evaluation purposes are revised over time, seeking to identify specific patterns related to different areas such as spending categories, typology of regions, etc. Our findings highlight significant challenges faced by programmes in establishing realistic targets, as frequent and substantial changes are introduced to a vast majority of them. However, we also observe that only a small proportion of indicators is modified over time, suggesting relative stability in the overall objectives of programmes. The paper provides useful evidence for the ongoing debate on whether adopting a fully-performance based model, where access to funds is contingent upon achieving results/outputs, would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of Cohesion Policy.

Keywords: Cohesion policy; EU budget; NextGenerationEU; performance budgeting

Articles

Rafael Garduño-Rivera, Neil Reid, Haoying Wang

Mexico's Minimum Wage Data: Trends, Policies, and a Research Agenda

The decline of the real value of the minimum wage amid trade liberalization in Mexico has raised concerns about its policy effectiveness and unintended consequences. The literature has examined the impact of minimum wage adjustments on employment levels, worker earnings, poverty, and inequality. However, findings from different sample periods and regions still need to be reconciled. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms connecting minimum wage to other market components. This research note first explores Mexico’s minimum wage data from 1980 to 2023 to grasp its spatial and temporal trends. We then discuss several future research directions to explore mechanisms through which minimum wage potentially works, including the welfare effect of the policy, the informal sector, and interactions between different policy tools.

Keywords: Minimum wage; income inequality; policy effectiveness; trade liberalization; Mexican Economy

César Benavidez–Silva, Esthela Salazar, Alex Paulsen–Espinoza, Guillermo Chuncho–Morocho, Oscar Juela–Sivisaca, Aníbal González

Land use, climate change and biodiversity: an approach from meta-analysis (2001-2022)

In recent decades, land use changes have experienced a rapid increase due to various environmental,

demographic, economic, and sociocultural factors. These changes have led to significant environmental transformations on a global scale, affecting landscape stability and carrying significant implications for global change, habitat loss, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and the productive capacity of ecosystems. The aim of this study is to identify the relationships reported in the scientific literature between land use, biodiversity, and climate change. A dataset of over 20,000 bibliographic records published between 2001

and 2022 was analyzed using bibliometric techniques and specialized software. The results reveal that land use change is one of the main factors associated with global change, disrupting biogeochemical and hydrological cycles. Additionally, it is a leading cause of global biodiversity loss, impacting society’s relationship with the environment. The bibliometric analysis demonstrates a rapid increase in scientific publications on this subject in the last 20 years. This reflects the growing interest and concern of the scientific community in understanding the implications of land use change on biodiversity and climate change. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of comprehending and addressing the effects of land use change on biodiversity and climate change to promote sustainable management practices and the use of appropriate technologies that contribute to understanding phenomena related to global change.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; LULC; ecosystems; climate change; biodiversity

Jonathan Torres-Tellez

The impact of different types of crimes on the recovery of house prices in Spain (2015-2019): an empirical analysis at the city level

The 2008 economic crisis in Spain triggered a significant correction in housing prices, and signs of recovery did not manifest until early 2014. This article delves into the Spanish context, examining how various types of crimes influenced the housing price recovery between 2015 and 2019. A fixed-effects panel data analysis was conducted across 119 Spanish cities. The findings demonstrate that housing values depreciate in response to an increase in criminal activity, with noticeable effects emerging within one to two years (-0.2%). Furthermore, it is confirmed that crime against property have a more pronounced negative impact on housing prices, especially robbery with violence (-1.3%) and burglary with forced entry (0.8%).

Keywords: Housing prices; crime; data panel; Spain

Marcos Valdivia López

Local Employment Multipliers in Mexico Cities: contributions of manufacturing, tradable and creative employment

This research estimates local employment multipliers for Mexican cities. To classify tradable and non-tradable sectors, the study employs both the traditional manufacturing/non-manufacturing classification and an alternative classification based on an employment concentration index that includes services. The findings indicate that manufacturing generates significant multipliers, at the upper bound of those estimated in other regions. However, the alternative classification yields much lower, and more reliable, multipliers. Additionally, the study reveals that creative and technological employment sectors produce larger multipliers compared to the average trade/manufacturing sector.

Keywords: Regional labor markets; local employment multipliers; tradable sector; creative employment; econometrics

Aleix Calveras, Jenny De Freitas

The impact of all-inclusive offerings in a tourism destination’s competitiveness

This study analyzes the impact of all-inclusive offerings on a destination’s competitiveness. When the rise in all-inclusive offerings causes a negative externality on complementary services, it creates a market-size effect. This results in an excessive supply of all-inclusive offerings in the market. Imposing different taxes on all-inclusive and non-all-inclusive offerings is more effective than a cap on the supply of all-inclusive offerings. Taxes can implement the optimal allocation. We expect the market-size effect to be harmful to competitiveness in mature destinations.

Keywords: All-inclusive; competitiveness; hotel industry; externalities; regulation

Paula Cruz-García, Jesús Peiró-Palomino

Bank restructuring and regional economic growth in Spain. Are branches still relevant?

The restructuring process of the Spanish banking sector initiated after the Great Recession of 2008 has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of bank branches. This paper analyzes the impact of branch closures on GDP per capita, labor productivity and employment per capita of the Spanish provinces in the period 2008–2018. The results show that bank branches have only a weak impact on employment, and no effect on productivity and GDP per capita. Therefore, if consumption and investment decisions of families and firms are affected by branch closures, the impact is not transferred to aggregate regional performance.

Keywords: Bank restructuring; branches; economic growth; Spanish provinces

José María Larrú

Divergency in poverty among Spanish Autonomous Communities: an empirical analysis

The paper analyzes the changes in poverty (both monetary and non-monetary) in the Spanish Autonomous Communities in the period 2008-2021. Through statistical methodologies, it identifies the existence of absolute divergence in poverty and conditional divergence in per capita income and inequality. The research finds statistical significance with poverty, the unemployment rate, minimum income transfers from the Autonomous Communities and the number of pensions per inhabitant. Neither of the educational variables considered were found to be statistically significant.

Keywords: Spanish Autonomous Communities; convergence; inequality; poverty

Books reviews

Patricio Aroca

Book review: Regional Policy: Theory and Practice – A Comprehensive Framework for Understanding and Implementing Territorial Development

Ugo Fratesi ‘s “Regional Policy: Theory and Practice” represents a significant contribution to the field of regional development studies, offering what is perhaps the first comprehensive treatment of regional policy that bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementation. Published by Routledge, this ambitious volume addresses a notable gap in the literature by providing a systematic examination of regional policy’s conceptual underpinnings, operational mechanisms, and evaluation frameworks.

REGIONAL STATISTICS, 2025, VOL 15, No 3.

STUDIES

Dear Readers,

We are pleased to say that the 3/2025 issue of Regional Statistics has been published and available online!

CONTENT

Kamil Maciuk – Michal Apollo – Gijsbert Stoet – Paulina Lewinska – Lukasz Borowski – Lukasz Tomczyk – David C. Geary: A critical analysis of the factor of gender and STEM enrollment in higher education

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150301.pdf

Szilvia Módosné Szalai – Botond Géza Kálmán – Arnold Tóth – Norbert Gyurián – Dhruv Pratap Singh – Lóránt Dávid – Szonja Jenei: NUTS2 regions of the Visegrad countries during the Covid-19 pandemic and recovery

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150302.pdf

Miklós Losoncz – Rurong Chen: Evaluating China’s high-quality economic development model: the example of the Yangtze River region

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150303.pdf

Mátyás Borbély – Márton Péti – Zsombor Csata: Comparative analysis of data sources on the socio-economic position of autochthonous national minorities: a case study on minority Hungarians

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150304.pdf

Reyhane Salehabadi – Mohammad R. Hafeznia – Mostafa Ghaderi Hajat: National power: what its elements and how to measure https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150305.pdf

Márta Bajnok – Julianna Tasi – Zoltán Kovács-Mesterházy – Szilárd Czóbel – Orsolya Szirmai – Krisztina Varga – Zsombor Wagenhoffer: Grassland management survey on farms in Hungary

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150306.pdf

Liqiao Yang – Izabella Szakálné Kanó – Andreász Kosztopulosz: Characteristics and factors of spatial differences in electric vehicle battery industry development among EU member states

https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150307.pdf

Tibor Tatay – Zsuzsanna Novák: Eurozone inflation in times of crises: an application of cluster analysis https://www.ksh.hu/statszemle_archive/regstat/2025/2025_03/rs150308.pdf

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I AM A PROFESSOR EMERITUS and a Distinguished Professor of Infrastructure Management at the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University. I currently serve as chair of the National Resilience Promotion Council, which is affiliated with the Cabinet Secretariat of the Japanese government. The global spread of recent online technologies and generative AI technologies is fundamentally transforming the way we work. These technologies are not merely complementary to the systems that support urban societies. They symbolize the fusion of real and virtual spaces and provide new forms of communication that will become the foundation of human society.

In this newsletter, I would like to share my thoughts on hybrid societies, which are becoming increasingly important to consider in future urban and regional planning policies.

In 2023, generative AI, symbolized by ChatGPT, rapidly spread around the world. Before the advent of generative AI, how much time and effort did many researchers and practitioners spend collecting standard information and knowledge? However, if the challenges associated with generative AI are appropriately addressed, it will become possible to instantly and freely obtain standard models using generative AI. Research and knowledge/information businesses will increasingly depend on how much they can deviate from the standard models provided by generative AI. This is an era where such deviation becomes the source of value. With the emergence of generative AI, standard models of knowledge and information suddenly appeared in society. The value of knowledge and information is now evaluated based on these standard models. I would like to call this the “benchmarking of society.”

The benchmarking of society has had a significant impact on the role of universities as institutions that generate new knowledge. Medieval universities in Europe originated from the University of Bologna and were established with the aim of training academic specialists in the fields of theology, law, and medicine. Education was conducted through face- to-face oral instruction. Over time, medieval universities, which had focused on training specialists, began to decline. In the late 18th century, the development of Gutenberg’s printing technology gave rise to a new type of university. With the printing of books and the circulation of academic papers, knowledge and information became dispersed, leading to the emergence of diverse new ideas and concepts around the world. As McLuhan pointed out, an academic world resembling Gutenberg’s galaxy, composed of countless stars, was formed. Advances in IT technology have begun to disrupt Gutenberg’s galaxy. There were simply too many stars in the galaxy. The global spread of online and on-demand education due to the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated the collapse of this galaxy. Furthermore, the proliferation of generative AI poses a threat to the fundamental principle of Gutenberg’s galaxy — the decentralized production of knowledge and information through books and papers. Of course, generative AI cannot be a co-author of creativity. However, it functions as a standard for evaluating creativity. Traditional educational methods, where knowledge is unilaterally transmitted in lecture halls, are facing the need for fundamental reform. Generative AI achieves the modern standardization of knowledge and information based on the databases available in its time. In fact, generative AI can combine existing logic to create new logic. However, only combinations that humans recognize as meaningful remain as creativity. Knowledge and information can be interpreted in diverse ways. This diversity, which deviates from the standard model, becomes the source of new added value.

It is said that the African continent is characterized by excessive diversity and instability. For example, the spatial distribution of savannas has changed significantly over time. Tribes that depend on specific living technologies are forced to migrate in response to changes in the ecosystem. Tribal societies that are forced to migrate have no incentive to invest fixed capital in specific locations. As a result, the accumulation of fixed capital on the African continent had remained extremely low for many years. In history, settlement of people promotes capital investment in fixed spaces and leads to the emergence of cities. Cities function according to the logic of capital. The capitalization of cities requires ownership (or usage rights) of space. For example, individuals capitalize their living space by placing furniture and durable consumer goods in their homes. However, it is impossible to capitalize space that is not owned. When you leave your home, that space becomes someone else’s space. Urban landscapes and commercial districts are formed through public and corporate investment. In this way, part of urban spaces became public spaces, and individual customization became impossible. However, advances in IT technology began to change this situation. In the real world, space is fragmented, and capitalization is exclusive based on ownership relationships. However, in the virtual world, capitalization (accumulation of content) can occur independently of such ownership rights. As a result, the boundary between the real and virtual worlds has become even more blurred. We now live in a hybrid society where the real and virtual worlds intersect. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the global spread of telework and online meetings. This is a historic event that can be called the “online revolution.”

The advancement of the real world requires social innovation and human resources to realize it. It requires investment of time and money from many stakeholders, and progress is not always rapid. New social technologies such as monitoring technology, IoT, big data, AI, and simulation are beginning to support the development of real urban spaces. Simulations that consider how people, goods, and information are arranged to move within real urban spaces are now required. This is no longer an era of formulating several alternative plans and comparing them qualitatively. We have entered an era where AI technology can generate an infinite number of alternative plans. The challenge lies in developing a system to evaluate the desirability of three- dimensional spaces. We must now develop an evaluation system for urban spaces that considers not only efficiency but also health and safety.

As hybrid society evolves, several issues have already come to light. Urban digital twins will become an important infrastructure in virtual spaces, serving as templates for creation used by many people. Of course, various legal issues remain to be resolved, such as information security and ownership of information assets. If customization of virtual spaces becomes possible, an infinite number of virtual spaces will emerge. This has groundbreaking significance in terms of urban theory. Among the various virtual spaces created by many people, a few may become famous, giving rise to “influencers” in urban space creation. Within this context, platforms to manage customized virtual spaces — including verifying the originality and importance of virtual spaces — will become necessary.

Human actions in real space are constrained by physical conditions. The information about the actions of avatars in virtual space is observed/ controlled by individuals in real space. Individuals in real space are bound by time constraints. The flexibility of actions in real space is supported by capital and various infrastructures in real urban spaces. Of course, capital accumulated in real urban spaces can serve as templates for infrastructure in virtual spaces, such as digital twins. However, due to the constraints of the body in real space, it seems that the principle that the freedom of human behavior in hybrid worlds is guaranteed by capital formation in real space remains unchanged.

We live not only in the physical world but also in various virtual spaces such as social media and the metaverse. The time of “a day” has begun to be grouped into several blocks. To make effective use of this block-structured time, we utilize virtual spaces including smartphones and social media. We can only focus our attention on either the physical world or the virtual world at any given time. Infrastructure has been invested in cities based on the assumption of the spatial fixity of infrastructure. However, with the advancement of online technology, we can now choose whether to communicate in real or virtual spaces. More importantly, we allocate our time throughout the day between activities in real spaces and those in virtual spaces. It seems that research in regional science must now expand to include hybridized spaces.

Kiyoshi Kobayashi

(Published on RSAI Newsletter 2025 May)

Dear RSAI members,

I hope this email finds you well.

In the following link you can read the newest issue of the RSAI Newsletter (download). 

Enjoy the read, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with Martijn (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Mina (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) if you would like to propose new material, ideas, researchers to interview, etc. for the next newsletter.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Regional Science events (conferences, seminars, workshops, summer schools, awards, etc) organized by the RSAI National Sections or the RSAI Supranationals (NARSC, LARSA, ERSA, PRSCO) are regularly announced in the NEWS of the  

RSAI web page (https://regionalscience.org/) and also for convenience in the events calendar (https://regionalscience.org/index.php/news/events-calendar.html)

Kind regards,

Dr Ana Viñuela

RSAI Executive Director

Associate Professor, Applied Economics Department

REGIOlab, University of Oviedo,  Spain

European Project EXIT (https://www.exit-project.eu/)

Regional Science Policy & Practice Volume 17, Issue 6 , June 2025

Articles

Book Review

Call for Papers for Special Issue in Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP)

Title: "Impacts of War in Ukraine: Perspectives and Challenges"

Guest Editor: Dr Kateryna Zabarina - University of Warsaw; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This special issue aims to collect articles on perspectives and challenges coming from ongoing war. Unlike the previous RSPP Special Issue "Ukraine: geopolitical realities and regional development perspectives" dedicated to understanding a way Ukraine went starting in 1991 without focusing on full-scale war, this issue will address the economic, social, environmental, psychological and geopolitical impacts, providing a platform for in-depth analysis and discussion. By featuring diverse perspectives and rigorous analyses, it aims to foster a deeper understanding of the multifacetedness of the war phenomena and provide a foundation for building more resilient and peaceful futures.

Special issue information:

The war in Ukraine has led to various consequences, reshaping all aspects of everyday life. This special issue aims to explore these changes, bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to deepen our understanding of the conflict's far-reaching effects. Contributions will address themes such as displacement and resilience, economic disruptions, social transformations, ecological damage, and shifts in international relations, with a particular attention to spatial dimension.

By examining these aspects, this issue seeks not only to provide critical analyses but also to offer valuable guidance for policymakers, academics, and practitioners in crafting strategies for rebuilding, reconciliation, and future conflict prevention.

Keywords: Impact of war, challenges and perspectives, multidisciplinary perspective.

Manuscript submission information:

We kindly invite contributions on topics related (but not limited) to:

• Challenges and perspectives for various industries
• Social and Cultural aspects (i.e. education, migration, culture etc.)
• Effects of war on environment
• Geopolitical implications
• Psychological issues
• Policy evaluation (i.e. challenges and possibilities of joining the EU)

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 “Impacts of War in Ukraine: Perspectives and Challenges”, otherwise, your submission will be handled as a regular manuscript.

Submission deadline: December 31^st 2025 

Related literature:

Maruniak, E., Lisovskyi, S., & Rudenko, L. (2023). The spatial dimension of the war effects in Ukraine: An agenda for country recovery. Europa XXI, 44.

Biagini, E. (1993). Spatial dimensions of conflict. GeoJournal, 31, 119-128.

Hinterleitner, M., & Sager, F. (2022). Policy’s role in democratic conflict management. Policy Sciences, 55(2), 239-254.

Bjorkdahl, A., & Buckley-Zistel, S. (Eds.). (2016). Spatialising peace and conflict: Mapping the production of places, sites and scales of violence. Springer.

The RSAI President, Prof Shibusawa and the RSAI Executive Director, Ana Vinuela, have the pleasure to announce the new elected RSAI Fellow for 2025.

But first, we would like to thank the members of the RSAI Fellows Selection Committee -made up of Prof. Genevieve Giuliano (chair), Jouke Van Dijk and Amit Batabyal-, who received and evaluated the candidatures for this year's RSAI Fellows election; and also thank all the RSAI Fellows that participated in the ballot. 

According to the votes received from the RSAI Fellows, four (4) new Fellows have been elected this year 2025 (ordered in alphabetical order):

1. Daniela -Luminita Constantin (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania)
2. Sarah Low (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA)
3. Daoqin Tong (School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University, USA)
4. Hans Westlund (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm; Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping, Sweden)

Congratulations to all for this outstanding achievement!