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Towards a Developmental Turn in Evolutionary Economic Geography?

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  • Ron Martin
  • Peter Sunley

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades or so, there have been increasing moves within evolutionary theory to move beyond the neo-Darwinian principles of variety, selection and retention, and to incorporate development. This has led to a richer palette of concepts, mechanisms and models of evolution and change, such as plasticity, robustness, evolvability, emergence, niche construction, and selforganisation, This opens up a different framework for understanding evolution. In this paper we set out the main characteristics of the recent and ongoing ‘developmental turn’ in evolutionary theory, and suggest how these might inform a corresponding ‘developmental turn’ in evolutionary economic geography.

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  • Ron Martin & Peter Sunley, 2014. "Towards a Developmental Turn in Evolutionary Economic Geography?," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1401, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jan 2014.
    • Handle: RePEc:egu:wpaper:1401
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    Keywords

    Evolutionary economic geography; Generalised Darwinism; Evolutionary developmental biology; Developmental systems theory; Plasticity; Robustness; Evolvability; Emergence; Self organisation;
    All these keywords.

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