Doctoral Dissertation Research in Geography and Regional Science

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Studies of how investments in roads and other forms of physical infrastructure affect regional economic development in developing nations have tended to focus on large-scale economic activities. Over the last few decades, however, a major share of the economic growth in developing nations has been in small-scale enterprises (SSEs), some of which operate within formal legal structures, some of which do not. The concentration of investments in infrastructure in many nations have benefitted larger urban centers, often to the relative detriment of smaller cities and rural areas. This doctoral dissertation proposal will examine the relationships between infrastructure investments, the establishment of small-scale enterprises, and the growth of market centers and nearby locales in rural parts of Kenya. Existing and potential SSEs will be identified through census inventories and financial records, leaders from a sample of SSEs will be surveyed to determine how current and perceived investments in infrastructure affect locational decisions, and a more general model of regional economic impacts of infrastructure improvements will be developed. This project will provide valuable data and analyses of how decisions to improve the infrastructure within developing countries affect the economic vitality of rural areas. Although focusing on a case study in Kenya, the insights from this project will be of great use to persons conducting related work elsewhere. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.