Spatial poverty traps (A comprehensive analytical framework for their research)

Abstract

Spatial poverty traps (SPTs) represent a complex geographical-economic concept that explains why certain areas suffer from persistent high rates of poverty. SPTs are not static entities, but dynamically evolving territories as a result of internal and external factors. This dynamism requires their continuous monitoring, adaptive identification frameworks, and modern, sophisticated and integrated approaches, which currently represent the most effective way of researching them and capturing the changes taking place within them. The aim contribution is to provide a rigorous, multifaceted analytical framework for the research and identification of SPTs. The objective is to provide policymakers and researchers with the theoretical-methodological and knowledge-informational basis necessary for the transition from simple poverty mapping to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of persistent spatial poverty. Research into spatial poverty traps is a complex task and the contribution presents a holistic approach to their examination with emphasis on their identification and self-reinforcing mechanisms that cause poverty persistence. The contribution emphasises the key role of integrated methodologies and challenges that are an inherent part of the process of conceptualising research and identification of spatial poverty traps.