Cristina Carrillo-Pulido (p), Bienvenido Ortega-Aguaza, Juan-Carlos, Rodríguez-Cohard

This study analyses the relationship between the quality of institutions and the innovation processes, which has been explored in the literature, with particular emphasis on the regional dimension. The aim of this paper is to twofold. On the one hand, to provide an overview of the current state of the art between these two concepts. On the other hand, to identify and understand the lines of research developed by the scientific community and to carry out an analysis of the main findings. The Systematic Literature Review is the methodology used to identify and select the articles, and evaluate their content. The papers in the sample were extracted from the most relevant databases, Web of Science and Scopus. The classification of the literature has provided several research lines, among which the most productive is the analysis of the effect of the quality of the institutions on innovation. In general terms, the articles analysed. However, there are some studies that show that, in specific cases, this relationship can be less significative or even negative. This paper discusses the gaps found in the literature reviewed and proposes new challenges for future research. Several implications are presented that may be useful for policy makers.

Alice Scalas (p), Chiara Orrù, Stefania Aru, Sandro Sanna, Alessandro Spano

Cristina Carrillo-Pulido

The integrated territorial development policies launched in Sardinia by the 2014-2019 Regional Development Programme promote the involvement of territories in the definition of local development strategies, according to the place-based approach. This means pursuing the valorisation of local peculiarities and the identification of existing links between economic issues and territorial dynamics, as part of an innovative approach in the implementation of the development strategy for interior areas.
This work intends to propose an evaluation tool for these public policies with regard to the dimensions of governance in the implementation of participatory and integrated local development projects, starting from the analysis of the 2014-2020 regional programmes, in order to orient the new 2021-2027 programmes towards an optimisation of their strategies, with regard to the dimension of multi-level governance and the relationship between institutions, organisations and public and private operators.
Through a survey involving a selected sample of policy implementation actors, we analyse the links between territories and public policies and provide a multidimensional analysis system on the quality of governance of local development processes. A proposal for the evaluation of territorial development projects is constructed through the analysis and articulation of the dimensions identified to measure the quality of governance local public policies.
The research conducted highlights some of the critical issues that have emerged in the implementation process of the integrated territorial programming supported by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia in the 2014-2020 programming period and focuses on the needs and, in part, the tools to overcome them. The fundamental issue remains that of the long timeframe of strategic transformations and the fact that these timeframes, like the needs, change from territory to territory.
The approach promoted in Sardinia by the local integrated policies, however, introduces important methodological innovations that, although they can be improved through optimisation processes, first and foremost of the administrative capacity of the territories to overcome the problems identified in the implementation phase, to the advantage of enhancing the dimensions of efficiency and effectiveness of governance, find the stakeholders agree in appreciating the process and the support for local development.

Ali Cenap Yoloğlu, Fikret Zorlu (p)

Alice Scalas

This study investigates the role of regional development policies and regional disparities in relation to vulnerability of settlements under earthquake risks. Concentration of economic investments and hence population in a region is called value agglomeration (VA). VA process in Turkey has been accelerated after 1980’s as an outcome of liberalization and open trade policy, and resulted an extreme uneven development in the country.
Scholars and practitioners in Turkey give emphasis to building quality, ground strength, and urban scale development strategies, however, limited number of studies deal with the problem of agglomeration of economic activities and settlements around earthquake probe zones (seismic belt).
Industry, tourism, trade-commercial activities, universities, and employment have been concentrated around major metropolitan cities located on the western part of Turkey due to access to foreign market and transport corridors, whereas, those settlements are located in the riskiest seismic belts. Risk categories are classified into 5 categories (from riskiest to the les risky, 1 to 5). Level of development from most developed to the least (1 to 5). In order to conduct a risk sensitive analysis, a disaggregated statistical analysis was necessary, therefore districts (970 geographical units) based data are used.
Research findings showed that the majority of most developed districts are located in the riskiest zone while least developed ones are located in less risky zones. Between 1990 and 2018, the total industrial area increased from 5,900 hectares to 22,300 hectares. 10,700 hectares (66%) of the 16,300 hectares of the industrial increase occurred in the 1st-degree seismic belt. While 57% of the total industrial areas were in the 1st-degree seismic belt in 1990, this rate increased to 64% in 2018. the ratio of industrial areas in the 1st-degree seismic belt to the total industrial areas increased by 7%. Between 2008 and 2022, Turkey's total population increased by 13.8 million people. 8.6 million (63%) of this resided in the 1st-degree seismic zone. When the period between 1986-2022 is examined, 73% of the most socially and economically developed districts and 55% of the priority regions for development are located in the 1st-degree seismic zone.
Results reveal that VA is correlated with seismic risks, and this implies a need for reversal of regional development strategies in Turkey. In order to achieve a resilient settlement pattern, government may achieve risk mitigation by adopting effective regional planning policies; government incentives, and investment promotion.

Daniele Karasz (p), Adrienne Homberger, Simon Güntner

Fikret Zorlu

‘Left behind places’ as a concept has recently gained significance in academic debates on territorial inequalities as well as in EU policy discourses. This paper offers a scrutiny of how the concept of ‘left behind’ is used in research, policy and political discourse to define specific areas facing territorial inequality, in order to then develop a possible alternative, intersectional view of territorial inequalities. ‘Left behind places’ as a concept calls for an alternative idea of ‘development’ that begins from the potentials but also from the actually existing problems of ‘left behind’ places. We share this call for a local perspective on development; yet we underline that perspectives of the people living in marginalized areas are - besides emerging as problematised protest voters – absent from the discourses on ‘places left behind’. With a focus on the local experience, we propose an
ethnographic approach to ‘left behindness’ that focuses on the material reality of persons living on site.