This is the most comprehensive and significant statement about the value and potential of economic geography in thirty years. More than forty leading economists and geographers from around the world investigate the rival theories and perspectives that have sustained the recent development of economic geography, and offer stimulating insights into the emerging global economy of the twenty-first century.The editors have outstanding reputations for original research at the boundaries of economics and geography. They have taught in leading U. S. and European universities, and have contributed to significant debates about the theory of economic geography and its applications to public policy. The handbook is devoted to the frontiers of the field, eschewing nostalgia for the past in favour of contributions relevant to the emerging global economy of the twenty-first century. From general statements about the history and evolution of the field to statements about the crucial problems of economic geography, it is concerned with the rival theories and perspectives that have sustained the recent growth of economic geography. Always provocative and challenging, it will continue to define the terms of debate for the coming decade.