Political economy
Stilwell published 'Understanding Cities &amp; Regions' in 1994, developing the theoretical foundations for spatial political economy. Taking inspiration from the work of David Harvey and Manuel Castells, Stilwell suggests that geography and political economy are capable of explaining processes of urbanisation. Political economy is defined as (but not limited to): (i) the analysis of how production, distribution and exchange are organised; (ii) how economic surplus is generated and the purpose for which is it used; (iii) the source of economic growth and recurrent crisis; (iv) economic inequality and class interests; (v) the role of the state in orchestrating economic activity. Stilwell's contribution is thus to integrate these concerns into broader discussions of space and place related to the Urban Question: "“how and why does the size and structure of cities interact with the functioning of the economy and society?”