Information Needs in Regional Economics

The paper discusses the information needs of policy oriented regional economic research. These needs have to be derived on the basis of policy goals, political decision processes, the policy instruments available, and a set of theories on the behaviour of the economic system. The lack of data has inhibited the development of operational theories. For the testing of theories as well as for the formulation of long-term regional policies, one needs additional information on: (1) the future demand for space by categories of economic units and the mobility of people and jobs; (2) the cost of changes in the spatial structure of the economy, particularly the social costs and benefits of (a) different degrees of the agglomeration of activities, (b) the utilization of infrastructure services (also as determined by distances) as well as (c) the input and output characteristics of production and the adaptations of firms to changes in their environments. More data on externalities are essential A more flexible information system would make it easier to meet confidentiality requirements.