Globalization is affecting regional economies in a broad spectrum of
aspects, from labor market conditions and development policies to
climate change. To understand better how this works, we need both
conceptual and methodological contributions. We need new schemes to
organize our thinking, direct our attention, and frame thought
experiments on the basis of which guidance may be offered. And we need
methodological innovations that enable us to carry out studies and
thought experiments at levels of spatial and temporal resolution and
formal complexity adequate to capture and account for the phenomena that
characterize globalization. The chapters of this volume, written by an
international cast of eminent regional scientists, represent
contributions of both types, in many cases introducing and demonstrating
the use of new tools for analyzing and understanding enormous changes
underway in regional economies around the world.