RURAL REGIONAL INNOVATION: A RESPONSE TO METROPOLITAN-FRAMED PLACE-BASED THINKING IN THE UNITED STATES

The purposes of this paper are to examine the origins of the place based policy initiative introduced by the Obama Administration and the implications of this approach to rural America, and so provide a framework for emerging thinking in the United States around the idea of "rural regional innovation". The paper begins by discussing the measurement of rurality, and how that feeds into the prevailing public discourse about the contribution that rural America makes to national prosperity. The lack of a clear understanding of rural-metropolitan relationships provides the background for a discussion about innovation and the current strong interest in regional innovation clusters. The paper then proceeds to suggest what rural regional innovation might entail and to present its key components, and concludes with some thoughts about the implications for regional science.