Regions, spaces of economic practice and diverse economies in the 'new Europe'

This paper considers some alternative readings of 'the region' in contemporary Europe. It does so through examining cities and regions as moments in webs of connections and through considering the diversity of economic practices that constitute regional economic life. Drawing inspiration from non-essentialist political economy, the paper charts several debates over how European regions are conceived in the mainstream, and emphasizes the limits of seeing regional spaces as bounded, centred on capitalist social relations and fixed in their identities. The paper explores alternative readings that emphasize the relational and open nature of regional spaces through a consideration of the economic practices found in the European garment industry.