In fifteen insightful new essays noted scholars in geography, economics, and public policy provide a comparative examination of the problems and prospects for development in frontier areas. Blending theory with case studies, the essays challenge the widely held notion that peripheral areas are marginal or backward.

Contributions by: Bertha K. Becker, Brian J. L. Berry, Lawrence A. Brown, Richard W. Butler, Scott Digiacinto, Daniel J. Elazar, Eirik Evenhouse, John Friedmann, Niles Hansen, Benjamin Higgins, Irwin Lithwick, Yasuo Miyakawa, Joseph M. Powell, Siobhan Reilly, Rodrigo Sierra, W Randy Smith, Eugene Smolensky, David Stea, Walter B. Stohr, Richard V. Welch