Chapter Overview
Emerging trends, challenges, and future directions in economic geography.
This concluding chapter looks ahead to the emerging issues and transformations that will shape economic geography in the coming decades. We examine how technological change, climate crisis, geopolitical shifts, and evolving social values are reshaping the spatial organization of economic activity. Understanding these trends is essential for anticipating future challenges and opportunities in an increasingly interconnected yet fragmented world.
Chapter Resources
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapter 15
- Coe, Kelly & Yeung (2019)
- Economic Geography: A Contemporary Introduction
Download Slides
Video Content
- Multiple lecture sections
- Future trends and challenges
- Watch at your own pace
Video Lectures
Section 15.1: Technological Disruption & Automation ~15 minutes
How artificial intelligence, automation, and digital platforms are transforming work, production, and the geography of economic activity.
Section 15.2: Climate Change & Economic Transformation ~15 minutes
The geographic implications of climate change for economic activity: physical risks, transition risks, and the geography of decarbonization.
Section 15.3: Deglobalization & Reshoring ~15 minutes
Are we seeing the end of hyperglobalization? Examining supply chain restructuring, nearshoring, and the new geopolitics of trade.
Section 15.4: Inclusive & Sustainable Economies ~15 minutes
Alternative economic geographies: community wealth building, foundational economy, and reimagining economic development for people and planet.
Key Takeaways
Future Trends
- Technological change will continue to reshape where and how economic activities take place, with uncertain geographic impacts
- Climate change will fundamentally alter economic geography through both physical impacts and policy responses
- Geopolitical tensions are driving reconfiguration of global supply chains and trade relationships
- Growing interest in alternative economic models that prioritize sustainability, equity, and local resilience
Key Concepts
- Platform Economy: Digital platforms that mediate economic transactions and reshape labor markets
- Just Transition: Ensuring workers and communities are not left behind in the shift to sustainable economies
- Reshoring: Bringing production back to domestic locations from overseas manufacturing sites
- Foundational Economy: Focus on essential goods and services that support everyday life
- Circular Economy: Economic systems designed to eliminate waste and keep resources in use
Discussion Questions
Consider these questions as you watch the lectures and complete the readings:
- How will artificial intelligence and automation change the geography of jobs in the next 20 years?
- Which regions will be "winners" and "losers" in the transition to a low-carbon economy?
- Is deglobalization a temporary response to crises or a permanent restructuring of the world economy?
- What role should economic geographers play in addressing contemporary economic and environmental challenges?
- How has this course changed your understanding of the relationship between geography and the economy?