The ‘Rural’ in the ‘Region’: Towards an Inclusive Regional Policy for the North East

Traditionally, the North East has been seen — both from within, and from outside the region — as predominantly urban and industrial in character. Of course, from the point of view of jobs and population the industrial conurbations of the lower Tyne, Wear and Tees have long dominated the region's economic geography. But interest in, and concern for, their economic prospects has overshadowed the distinctive set of development problems facing the region's rural hinterland.