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Importance of Geographic Space and Location
Southland”. SCAG’s plan has been presented as the ‘most ambitious growth visioning effort in
California’ (SCAG, 2004). Unfortunately, the major part of the project is still deeply rooted in
the traditional transportation planning and, as a result, the SCAG’s plan recommends growth
patterns that rely heavily on the existing transportation networks and infrastructure. The old
stereotype of ‘if we build it they will come’ tends to dominate the main philosophy behind the
key initiatives. SCAG fails to identify comparative and competitive advantages of the region and
it provides very little information on the type of businesses it wants to see in the region. It gives
almost no attention to economic spaces of current and future industries.
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) may in some ways represent a more
progressive approach. SANDAG’s strategy appears to take advantage of the basic cluster concept
and identifies 16 most important clusters within the greater San Diego economy (SANDAG, 2001
& 2004). The plan also recognizes the importance of exports to the regional economy, but it
stops short of identifying potential opportunities in foreign markets. SANDAG uses the term
‘employment clusters’ rather than ‘industry clusters’, which is misleading as it tends to change
the focus of the cluster theory from the production side to employment. In addition some of the
identified clusters are questionable in terms of their role in the regional economy. For example,
the ‘fruits and vegetables’ and ‘horticulture’ are identified as two separate clusters while the
higher education, which is extremely important to San Diego’s economy is basically excluded as
not meeting the rigid standards of SANDAG’s cluster. Another questionable cluster entry is the
‘uniformed military’, which is not even concentrated in one area of the county but scattered
throughout the region. SANDAG’s definitions appear to confuse geographic and economic
spaces. They are often too subjective and seem to be influenced by political factors. SANDAG’s
regional development approach still requires a lot more work and its recommendations are not
free of controversy. SANDAG’s case may also prove that the reliance on the concept of industry
clusters alone does not address all regional development needs and challenges.
FUTURE OF REGIONAL INITIATIVES AND CLUSTERS
Despite serious challenges facing individual regions, there are new hopes and expectations as
more progress is made in understanding the role of geographic space in regional economic
development. A good example of a new project in Southern California may prove to be the
Green Valley Initiative (GVI), which relies on a different approach than those adopted by SCAG
and SANDAG. The 2007 GVI program outline tries to incorporate multiple stakeholders,
including businesses, public agencies, academic institutions and environmental groups from
Riverside and San Bernardino counties and gives all participants equal voice in regional planning
(GVI, 2007). However, it is too early to judge what theoretical concepts will be used in the future
and whether this new initiative with ambitious goals and an emphasis on sustainable development
will be able to live up to its own high standards and expectations, and especially whether GVI
will succeed in fully integrating economic and geographic spaces.
There is no question that more theoretical work will be required in the future as well to support
regional development initiatives. A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Department of
Commerce suggests a need for developing the “Regionalism-Industrial-Cluster focused
curriculum” to assist public officials involved in economic development. The report based on the
existing experiences shows some common purpose in regional development, but also a variety of
priorities, opinions and approaches used by practitioners when trying to address regional
challenges. According to the survey conducted by the authors close to 40% of public agencies
involved in regional development have conducted or commissioned a study on industry clusters
within their region and some even claim using detailed cluster based strategies (U.S. Dept. of
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