When we talk about Regional Planning, a very obvious concern is the imbalance in development across regions. But in India, even understanding these regional imbalances comes with its own set of problems. Let’s understand this: ⚠️ Why the Term “Regional Imbalance” Is a Misnomer In most textbooks and reports, you’ll find the phrase “Regional Imbalances”….
👤 Who was Hirschman? Albert O. Hirschman, a renowned development economist, looked at how economic growth tends to behave unevenly across space — and instead of treating that as a flaw, he examined how this unevenness could be part of the process of development itself. 🌐 Modification of Growth Pole Theory Hirschman modified the traditional…
Let’s begin with the name itself: “Cumulative Causation Theory.” Break the term into two parts: So, this theory tells us how development and underdevelopment are not just accidental, but rather, the result of a chain of cause-and-effect processes that reinforce themselves over time. 👨🏫 The Scholar Behind the Theory The theory was proposed by Gunnar…
The Core-Periphery Model is essentially a theory of spatial organization—how regions develop in relation to one another—and more importantly, why some regions stay underdeveloped while others flourish. Imagine the economy and society as a chessboard. While a few squares (the “core”) gain most of the power, wealth, and infrastructure, the rest (the “periphery”) remain systematically…
After understanding what growth poles and centres are, the next logical step is to ask:Does this theory really work? What are its strengths and weaknesses? ✅ Strengths: A Breakthrough Idea in Development Planning So, conceptually, it was a powerful tool for strategic planning. ❌ Limitations and Criticisms But like every theory, it faced challenges when…
The Root Problem: Regional Disparities in Development First, let’s begin with a basic question—Why do we even need something like growth centres or poles? Because development is not equally spread out across regions. Some regions grow rapidly—industrially, economically, socially—while others lag behind. This unequal development is called regional disparity. Now, let’s understand this in a…
“Regionalisation tells us how to divide the space; delineation tells us where to draw the lines.“ Once a formal or functional region is conceptualized, geographers need specific methods to delineate (mark out) the boundaries of these regions on the map. These methods vary depending on the type of region — formal or functional. 🔷 Delineation…
🗺️ The Earth’s surface is diverse and complex. Regionalisation is the method by which this complexity is simplified, organized, and analyzed by dividing it into manageable and meaningful spatial units — called regions. But how do we ensure that such divisions are logical, systematic, and purposeful? One important contribution in this regard was made by…
🌍 Just like every science evolves, the concept of a region in geography has also undergone significant paradigm shifts — major changes in the dominant worldview about what a region is, and how it should be studied. Let’s begin by understanding the term “paradigm” itself. 📘 What is a Paradigm? A paradigm refers to the…
Understanding the Concept of “Region” in Geography Let’s start with the most fundamental question: What is a Region? Region is a Dynamic Concept The word “region” is not a fixed, rigid term. It’s a dynamic concept — meaning, it changes in its definition and application depending on who is using it, why, and in what…
