• Contents: Introduction: Regional development agencies and business change. Organizing for Regional Development in England and Wales: Whitehall, devolution and the English regions, John Mawson; The new English regional project: integrating the work of the RDAs with other elements of regional planning, development and management, Peter Roberts; New regional development agencies in England: wicked issues, John Shutt; Regional development agencies: the experience of Wales, Philip Boland and John Lovering. Business Change and Regional Development in the West Midlands: Preface to part II: an overview of the West Midlands economy, Barbara Smith and Chris Collinge; The automotive industry: change and challenge for the RDAs, Gill Bentley; Towards an innovation-rich regional system for product and process development in rubber and plastics, Barbara Tilson; Change and development in the business services sector: an emerging regional agenda, Margareta Dahlstrom; The ICT industries: corporate behaviour and regional change, Chris Collinge and Alan Srbljanin. Conclusion: Some critical issues for regional development agencies in England, Gill Bentley and John Gibney; Appendices; Index.

’...a useful contribution to a growing area of development...’ Aslib Book Guide ’For those wanting to find more about New Labour's regional development agenda, the book by Bentley and Gibney is a good read.’ Australasian Journal of Regional Studies ’The essays presented here are all of high quality...this book offers a useful starting point for understanding the new and complex arrangements for governance in the English regions...’ Regional and Federal Studies ’Regional Development Agencies and Business Change is an excellently crafted volume that brings together the contributions of a dozen major figures in regional studies...highly readable set of essays that will appeal to students and practitioners in government, policy-making and planning and geography.’ Local Government Studies 'The book is worth reading for those with an interest in the issues surrounding the RDA's and those interested in the economy of the West Midlands.' Urban Studies

• Contents: Introduction: Regional development agencies and business change. Organizing for Regional Development in England and Wales: Whitehall, devolution and the English regions, John Mawson; The new English regional project: integrating the work of the RDAs with other elements of regional planning, development and management, Peter Roberts; New regional development agencies in England: wicked issues, John Shutt; Regional development agencies: the experience of Wales, Philip Boland and John Lovering. Business Change and Regional Development in the West Midlands: Preface to part II: an overview of the West Midlands economy, Barbara Smith and Chris Collinge; The automotive industry: change and challenge for the RDAs, Gill Bentley; Towards an innovation-rich regional system for product and process development in rubber and plastics, Barbara Tilson; Change and development in the business services sector: an emerging regional agenda, Margareta Dahlstrom; The ICT industries: corporate behaviour and regional change, Chris Collinge and Alan Srbljanin. Conclusion: Some critical issues for regional development agencies in England, Gill Bentley and John Gibney; Appendices; Index.

’...a useful contribution to a growing area of development...’ Aslib Book Guide ’For those wanting to find more about New Labour's regional development agenda, the book by Bentley and Gibney is a good read.’ Australasian Journal of Regional Studies ’The essays presented here are all of high quality...this book offers a useful starting point for understanding the new and complex arrangements for governance in the English regions...’ Regional and Federal Studies ’Regional Development Agencies and Business Change is an excellently crafted volume that brings together the contributions of a dozen major figures in regional studies...highly readable set of essays that will appeal to students and practitioners in government, policy-making and planning and geography.’ Local Government Studies 'The book is worth reading for those with an interest in the issues surrounding the RDA's and those interested in the economy of the West Midlands.' Urban Studies

• Contents: Introduction: Regional development agencies and business change. Organizing for Regional Development in England and Wales: Whitehall, devolution and the English regions, John Mawson; The new English regional project: integrating the work of the RDAs with other elements of regional planning, development and management, Peter Roberts; New regional development agencies in England: wicked issues, John Shutt; Regional development agencies: the experience of Wales, Philip Boland and John Lovering. Business Change and Regional Development in the West Midlands: Preface to part II: an overview of the West Midlands economy, Barbara Smith and Chris Collinge; The automotive industry: change and challenge for the RDAs, Gill Bentley; Towards an innovation-rich regional system for product and process development in rubber and plastics, Barbara Tilson; Change and development in the business services sector: an emerging regional agenda, Margareta Dahlstrom; The ICT industries: corporate behaviour and regional change, Chris Collinge and Alan Srbljanin. Conclusion: Some critical issues for regional development agencies in England, Gill Bentley and John Gibney; Appendices; Index.

’...a useful contribution to a growing area of development...’ Aslib Book Guide ’For those wanting to find more about New Labour's regional development agenda, the book by Bentley and Gibney is a good read.’ Australasian Journal of Regional Studies ’The essays presented here are all of high quality...this book offers a useful starting point for understanding the new and complex arrangements for governance in the English regions...’ Regional and Federal Studies ’Regional Development Agencies and Business Change is an excellently crafted volume that brings together the contributions of a dozen major figures in regional studies...highly readable set of essays that will appeal to students and practitioners in government, policy-making and planning and geography.’ Local Government Studies 'The book is worth reading for those with an interest in the issues surrounding the RDA's and those interested in the economy of the West Midlands.' Urban Studies