About

The Canadian Regional Development: A Critical Review of Theory, Practice, and Potentials project was a multi-year research initiative funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The project investigated how Canadian regional development has evolved over the past two decades and the degree to which Canadian regional development systems have incorporated New Regionalism into their policy and practice.

The project conducted an empirical assessment of Canadian regional development using a multi-level network, mixed methods case study approach in four provinces: British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Québec. The assessment of regional development across the case studies was based on the five key themes of New Regionalism: i) collaborative, multi-level governance; ii) integrated versus sectoral and single objective approaches; iii) fostering knowledge flow, learning and innovation; iv) place-based development; and v) rural-urban interaction and interdependence. For more information on the central themes click here.

The project was led by Kelly Vodden of the Department of Geography at Memorial University. The research team includes David Douglas (School of Environment Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph), Sean Markey (Simon Fraser University), Bill Reimer (Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University), Heather Hall (School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development, University of Waterloo), and Ryan Gibson (School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph). In addition, graduate students at all four universities are engaged on the project.