Since the industrial revolution the location of industry concentrated on the coalfields and in the port and London. After the first World War world economic circumstances were quite unlike those of the previous century. The industrial development elsewhere in the world had a profound effect upon the economy of Great Britain. There was the decay of older industries, especially on the coastal coalfields, then were the distressed areas. The Government took powers to provide assistance in bringing work to such ‘special area.’
Since the second World War, Great Britain has experienced full employment. According to the changes in techniques and the revolution in transport, however, there were the changes in Great Britain's industrial structure and distribution. Such changes produced also the distressed areas and a boom area. The former are ‘special areas’, now ‘development area’, and the latter are South East England.
Government Papers, such as ‘Central Scotland’ and ‘North East’ and ‘South East Studies’, were published. We will be able to compare so-called ‘Tokaido Megalopolis’ with South East and coalfields, for instance Kita-Kyushu and others, with such development areas.
