Episodes in Dutch Policy to Develop ‘Left Behind Places’ (1945–2025)

Abstract

This contribution takes Rob Tamsma’s 1972 paper ‘The Northern Netherlands: Large problem area in a small country, small problem area in a large economic community’as a starting point to probe the history and literature about Dutch regional development policy since 1945. We do this by relying on economic-geographic research, much of it published in TESG. We relate how post-war reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s brought about a successful comprehensive regional development approach to industrialization. However, when this approach was extended to services in the 1970s, it faltered. We subsequently discuss the shift of regional development policy towards innovative regions in the 1980s and beyond, when the policy gradually lost its comprehensiveness and funding. In conclusion, we assess how historical experiences of Dutch regional development policy could inform policy debates on contemporary spatial-economic issues and left-behind places.