SLE741 - Regional Development Economics for Sustainability
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Robert Faggian |
| Prerequisite | Nil |
| Corequisite | Nil |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 2 x 1 hour lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour seminar per week. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | Online independent and collaborative learning including 1 x 1 hour scheduled online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Content
This unit examines regional development economics through a range of competing and complementary theoretical traditions, with particular emphasis on alternative economic perspectives and the implications of ecological limits for regional futures. Students engage with theories of trade-led growth, spatial polarisation and endogenous territorial development, but also move beyond conventional growth-centred approaches to examine ecological economics and related frameworks that challenge standard assumptions about efficiency, value, development and progress.
The unit explores how different theories interpret uneven regional development, economic restructuring, resource dependence, environmental degradation and the relationship between economy and place. Particular attention is given to ecological economics in its various forms, including steady-state perspectives, resource and energy constraints, socio-ecological systems thinking, and approaches concerned with sustainability, resilience and long-term regional viability. Students examine how these perspectives reframe familiar policy questions by shifting attention from growth alone to questions of distribution, ecological integrity, adaptive capacity and the conditions for durable prosperity.
Through analysis of real-world regions in both developed and developing contexts, students develop the capacity to diagnose regional conditions, compare the strengths and limitations of different theoretical approaches, and design context-sensitive development strategies that are economically credible, socially grounded and environmentally defensible.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain the evolution of regional economic development thinking and what is called the 'regional problem'. Relate the latter to the specific student's country/region. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Analyse the particular situation of a real-world country and a (non-metropolitan) region within it through the application of a theory or model dealing with: (i) uneven territorial development, and (ii) integrated ecological-economy development. | GLO2: Communication |
| ULO3 | Develop and justify the implementation of innovative (economic) measures in various contexts including developed and developing countries and regions. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | 1,500 word written essay | 25% | Week 4 |
| Assessment 2 | Oral presentation (group) and written reflection (individual) | 35% (30%, 5%) (Group, individual) | Week 10 |
| End-of-Unit Assessment | Timed online test | 40% | End-of-Unit Assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for SLE741 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
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Unit fee information
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Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
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