Economic Geography: An Institutional Approach

The market is the central institution of the global economy, driving the development that has so dramatically improved living standards for many of the world's people over the past two centuries. But the market has also helped to keep many other people in poverty, and it has played a major role in the ongoing degradation of the environment. In Economic Geography: An Institutional Approach, Roger Hayter and Jerry Patchell offer a comprehensive introduction to the study of economic activity in place and across space, centred on the interplay of the economic, social, and political institutions that do so much to determine the quality of life in a particular place: from its economic efficiency to the degree of social equity it enjoys and its position in what is now a global economic system. Perfect for courses in economic geography, the text provides both a solid foundation in the location dynamics of value chains and a perspective that recognizes the interdependence of places, institutions, activities, and ways of life around the world.

Dr Roger Hayter is professor and chair in the Department of Geography at Simon Fraser University. Dr Hayter has written numerous papers and books. He was given the Award for Scholarly Distinction by the Canadian Association of Geographers in 1999, and served as Editor of The Canadian Geographer from 2006 to 2008. Dr Jerry Patchell is associate professor in the Social Science Division at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He hasn't written as many papers or books as Roger, but he isn't as old either.