The idea that there is a set of forces

that determines the trajectory of

a society and that these forces, once
set in motion, have an inherent set
of dynamics that reinforce
themselves and the results are
thus polarized, is essentially the
REGIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
essence of
the Myrdal-Hirschman
THEORIES
OF TOWN PLANNING
interpretation.

MYRDAL THEORY OF POLARIAZTION

New theories of regional development focus on human and social

POLARIZATION
THEORYand the spatial dynamics demographic
capital, innovation
According to Myrdal, once a region
change as
key components
Polarized
regional
development
started to grow economically, as
has been also discussed by
per cumulative causation, people;
Hirschman (1958) and Myrdal
resources & finance would be drawn
(1958).
to that area, hence contributing to
According to Hirschman, regional
further growth.
development is irregular and
He believed that a vicious cycle of
concentrated in the so called
decline would continue for regions
geographic centres, from which a
neighboring the core.
diffusion wave of developmental
Spread effect: flows of capital,
impulses gradually spreads onto
innovations and people form the core to
the surrounding area
the periphery. (+ve for surrounding areas)
Myrdal (1958), on the other hand,
Backwash effect: flows of labor, capital
assumes that irregular economic
and trade from periphery to the core. (-ve
growth is the result of long-term
for surrounding areas)
historical, cultural and economic
conditions

POLARIZATION THEORY
GROWTH POLE THEORY
CENTRE-PERIPHERY THEORY
CENTRAL PLACE THEORY

Albert O. Hirschman

For Albert Hirschman, spatially

unbalanced growth was a desirable part
of the development process. He argued
that rather than attempt to achieve equal
rates of growth throughout a country, it
makes sense to allow economic
development, to be spatially
concentrated.
Effects
These
soof
called growth poles would
polarization:act
as foci for economic development.

HIRSCHMAN THEORY OF
POLARIAZTION

Towards the end of the 20th century, regional development

became far more multi-disciplinary in its approach. Political
science, public policy and sociology became critical
disciplines alongside economics focusing more on the notion of
what a region might be and how a range of factors not just
economic shaped the idea of a region.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THEORIES

WHAT IS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

When the discipline of regional development emerged in the 1950s
it had a strong economics basis and a focus on what firms did in
regions and how their performance influenced a range of economic
indicators: employment, profit, GDP and growth.

There are primarily four theories of regional

development. These are:

Hirschman discusses how polarized

development may benefit both the
growing region and the surrounding
hinterland
He argues that growth in a developed
region produces favorable tricklingdown effects within a lagging region
as the lagging regions goods are
purchased and labor hired by the
developed region.
Growth may also produce unfavorable
polarization effects resulting from
competition and trade barriers erected
by the developed region
SANIA DOGRA

POLARIZATION
NAVYA CHUGH
THEORYOver time, benefits of progress of these
TH
4

YEAR (A)

The growth pole theory was

developed by French regional
economist, Francois Perroux, in
1955
BACKGROUND OF GROWTH-POLE THEORY
It is ablunt and indisputable fact thatgrowth is not uniform in
different placesbut growth has different degrees of intensity in
different point, or poles, and then it spreads via channels and its
final result for the state economy is different in different regions
WHAT ARE GROWTH POLES?
GROWTH POLE REFERS to the concentration of highly innovative
and technically advanced industries that stimulate economic
development in linked businesses and industries.
FRANCOIS PERROUX

The poles are often characterized by core (key)

industries around which linked industries develop,
mainly through direct and indirect effects.
Direct effects implythe core industry purchasing
goods and services from its suppliers (upstream
linked industries)
Indirect effects can involve the demand for goods
and services by people employed by the core and
linked industries supporting the development and
activitiesimplies
such as
retail.
Theexpansion
expansionof
ofeconomic
the core industry
the
expansion
of output, employment & new technologies and new
industrial sectors.
The emergence ofsecondary growth polesis possible,
mainly if a secondary industrial sector emerges with its
own linked industries, contributing to regional economic
EX: VIDHYANAGAR, AN EDUCATIONAL HUB
diversity. Initially BMV college was established in 1948, in

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
THEORIES OF TOWN PLANNING

which engineering was the pioneer department.

Due to this, students started gathering here for
education & made an agglomeration . Thus
engineering college cluster is the primary growth
pole in Vidhyanagar.
Demand for other fields of education rose in this
area, hence, commerce; science; pharmacy;
architecture also started. Every department made
their own clusters i.e, secondary and tertiary
growth poles developed.
Thus Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Gujarat, grew as per
growth pole method.

CLASSIFICATION OF GROWTH POLES BY

PERROUX:
A large firm or industry that has a high
degree of interaction with others and is
dominant in that interaction is said to be
propulsive. The process of development
of a propulsive firm or industry is called
polarization.
According
to growth poles theory

thepropulsive pole is abusiness

unit(a company, industry) or aset of
these units and these units are the main
force of the economic development
as they generate growth through the
impact of strong input-output linkages .
All other industries, which lack the strong
character, are calledpropelled.
To summarize, in this theory the
economic development of aregions
This
classification
thenintensity
creates polarization
depends
on the
of the of
space.
propulsive industries on the
propelled.

Perroux also identified the termsdominant

regionwhich is the region where poles of
development are concentrated,
anddominated region which is aregion where
side poles are concentrated and which develop
economic activities affected by the demand from
dominant region were labor comes from.
Growth poles theory thus documents the
contribution of polarization to the development
of poles as well as peripheries.

This theory identifies 4 basic types of

polarization:
Technological and technical- expansion of
technology and industry.
Income- expansion of services
Psychological - anticipation of future
SANIA DOGRA
GROWTH-POLE
demand in the propelled region, NAVYA CHUGH
THEORY
Geographicalbased on the concentration
of (A)
4TH YEAR