Rethinking regions in turbulent times

We live in turbulent times, but when has this not been the case? The history of regions and the ‘regional studies project’ has always had at its core concerns relating to new and increased social and spatial inequalities resulting from economic and political change. Whatever change has occurred to cause this turbulence, some people and places have taken advantage and raced ahead, while others were disadvantaged and left behind. The difference today is that the stakes are higher, with more people and more places exposed and being impacted than ever before. There is also increased recognition that the region is a central context for these developments, a pivot in a world under much duress. As we begin the new decade, the 2020 volume of Regional Studies opens at yet another key point in history and in regional studies.