Economic geography has, over the last decade or so, drawn upon ideas from
evolutionary economics in trying to understand processes of regional growth and
change, with the concept of path dependence assuming particular prominence.
Recently, some prominent researchers have sought to delimit and develop an
evolutionary economic geography (EEG) as a distinct approach, aiming to create a
more coherent and systematic theoretical framework for research. This paper
contributes to debates on the nature and development of EEG. It has two main aims.
First, we seek to restore a broader conception of social institutions and agency to
EEG, informed by the recent writings of institutional economists like Geoffrey
Hodgson. Second, we link evolutionary concepts to political economy approaches,
arguing that the evolution of the economic landscape must be related to the broader
dynamics of capital accumulation, centred upon the creation, realisation and
geographical transfer of value. As such, we favour the utilisation of evolutionary and
institutional concepts within a geographical political economy approach rather than
the construction of a separate and theoretically ‘pure’ EEG; evolution in economic
geography, not an evolutionary economic geography
