We are pleased to announce our updated prioritised research themes.
The RSA’s research portfolio raises the profile of regional research, championing regional studies and science in all their forms. It provides state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and delivers a public- and policy-facing narrative that demonstrates the value of this work in improving the day-to-day lives of citizens globally.
The RSA welcomes research from any discipline that advances our understanding of regions and regional development. We adopt an open and plural definition of “region,” focusing on the dynamics of subnational change, whether in global megaregions or more remote, peripheral locations.
Work within the RSA portfolio is characterised by its impact, its critical questioning of data and methods, and its push to the theoretical and conceptual frontiers of the field.
RSA’s research portfolio includes but is not restricted to the following themes:
- Global geopolitics, infrastructure and security
- Crises, external shocks and resilience
- North-south relations and southern urbanism
- Varieties of capitalism and the role of the state
- Informal economies, urbanisation and development
- Digitalisation, AI, Industry 4.0
- Global production networks, value/supply chains and trade
- Entrepreneurship, technology and innovation
- Agglomeration, industrial districts, clusters and networks
- Finance, knowledge and skills
- Territorial politics, policy and governance
- Regionalism, identity politics and citizenship
- Governance, planning and place leadership
- Planning, design and the built environment
- Settlements, land and housing
- Climate change adaptation, energy and sustainable transitions
- Food, water and poverty
- Inequalities, cohesion and spatial justice
- Demography, migration and work
- Health, well-being and creativity