Abstract
This article deals with practical aspects of regional development.
It seems that there have been more failures than successes in the history of regional development projects. There are discrepancies between expectations and actual accomplishments. These discrepancies have resulted for the most part from lack of foresight in regard to socio-economic trends and lack of sympathy toward regional problems at the initial stages of planning and execution. In order to point out the main causes of successes and failures of recent development projects, three historical examples have been chosen for case-study.
1) The Tennessee Valley Authority project in the U.S.A., begun in the 1930's under the New Deal and which has proved to be one of the most successful projects in history.
2) The Mutsu-Ogawara Development Project, planned and begun around 1970 in Aomori Prefecture, Northern Japan, which is considered to be a partial, if not total, failure, not in keeping with the great expectations of both government and financial authorities.
3) Various types of rural development projects, planned in oil-rich Iran within the past 30 years, into which vast sums of money have been supposedly invested but which have shown little physical results to date.
My examination of the foregoing projects has led to the following conclusions.
1) A sizable budget for regional development dose not necessarily guarantee the success of a project.
2) Proper timing for the execution of a project is essential. For example, TVA was begun in the midst of the depression and was in full operation during World War II, which can, to a great degree, account for its success. The failure of the Mutsu-Ogawara Project may be largely attributed to the fact that it was started at a time when Japan's economic growth rate had begun to decline.
3) There must be a good understanding of regional history and culture on the part of the planning authority. For example, the Iranian ruler's ignorance of the cultural characteristics of Islamic people can largely account for the failure of Iranian development projects.
