Regional opportunity spaces – observations from Nordic regions

Abstract

This paper further explores the novel concept of the opportunity space, which refers to the limits and possibilities of regional development trajectories and the idea of deliberative agency. Opportunity spaces are formed, perceived and used by individual agents or groups of agents and serve as a bridge between structure and agency. Drawing on six comparative case studies from Finland, Norway and Sweden, the study introduces a conceptual framework to investigate how actors search for and construct opportunities in regions by linking opportunity spaces to social filters that frame their perception.