In the Regional Growth Against All Odds project, we covered Finland, Norway and Sweden with an aim to identify to what extent, and how, various actors and actor groups have shaped regional growth trajectories. The initial phase included all the sub-regions / labour market regions from the three countries and the last phase zoomed in twelve comparative in-depth case studies, focusing on the role of agency in regional development. We were interested in the structure/agency relationship. At this point, only the Team Tampere’s publications are listed, more to appear from Lund and Stavanger.
Grillitsch, M. & Sotarauta, M. (2025). Agency and structure in regional development: in search of a social science research programme. European Planning Studies, 33(1) 104-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2024.2415125
Sotarauta, M. & Grillitsch, M. (2023). Studying human agency in regional development Regional Studies, 57(8), 1409-1414
Grillitsch, M., & Sotarauta, M. (2020). Trinity of change agency, regional development paths and opportunity spaces. Progress in Human Geography, 44(4), 704-723.
Sotarauta, M. & Grillitsch, M. (2023). Path tracing in the study of agency and structures: Methodological considerations. Progress in Human Geography, 47(1) 85-102
Grillitsch. M., Rekers, J. & Sotarauta, M. (2021). Investigating agency: methodological and empirical challenges. Sotarauta, M. & Beer, A. (eds.) Handbook on City and Regional Leadership. 302-323. Cheltenham; Edward Elgar Publishing.
Sotarauta, M. Kurikka, H., Kolehmainen, J. & Moisio, S. (2025). Place leadership in the geography of opportunities: survival of small industrial localities when industrial giants fall. Regional Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2025.2479108
Grillitsch, M., Rekers, J., Asheim, B. Fitjar, R.D., Haus-Reve, S., Kolehmainen, J., Kurikka, H., Lundquist, K.-J., Martynovich, M., Monteilhet, S., Nielsen, H., Nilsson, M., Sopanen, S., Sotarauta, M. & Stihl, L. (2024). Patterns of opportunity spaces and agency across regional contexts: Conditions and drivers for change. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space. https://doi: 10.1177/0308518X241303636
Kurikka, H., Kolehmainen, J., Sotarauta, M., Nilsson, M. & Nielsen, H. (2023). Regional opportunity spaces – observations from Nordic regions. Regional Studies, 57(8), 1440-1452.
Sotarauta, M., Kurikka, H. & Kolehmainen, J. (2023). Change agency and path development in peripheral regions: from pulp production towards eco-industry in Lapland. European Planning Studies, 31(2), 348-371
Grillitsch, M., Sotarauta, M., Asheim, B. Fitjar, R.D., Haus-Reve, S., Kolehmainen, J., Kurikka, H., Lundquist, K.-J., Martynovich, M., Monteilhet, S., Nielsen, H., Nilsson, M., Rekers, J., Sopanen, S., & Stihl, L. (2023). Agency and Economic Change in Regions: Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify Routes to New Path Development. Regional Studies, 57(8), 1453-1468.
Sotarauta, M., Kurikka, H. & Kolehmainen, J. (2021). Patterns of place leadership: institutional change and path development in peripheral regions. In Sotarauta, M. & Beer, A. (eds.) Handbook on City and Regional Leadership. 203-223. Cheltenham; Edward Elgar Publishing.
Dinmore, H., Beer, A., Irving, J. & Sotarauta, M. (2023). Agency and the structural determinants of regional growth: towards a retheorisation. Regional Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2259944
Beer, A., Sotarauta, M. & Bailey, D. (2023) Leading Change in Communities Experiencing Economic Transition: Place Leadership, Expectations, and Industry Closure. Journal of Change Management, 3(1), 32-52.
Beer, A., McKenzie, F., Blažek, J., Sotarauta, M. & Ayres, S. (2020). Every place matters: towards effective place-based policy. Regional Studies Policy Impact Books, 2(1), Taylor & Francis.