Designing and Creating Global Economic/Business Regions: A Case Study of the Rio Grande Valley Region

This study focuses on the present, and the possible future, economic dynamics in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region. The main goal of the study is to identify factors that can be used to transform the region into a major global economic region. Since the Lower Rio Grande Valley region is not yet a major global economic region, this study also analyzes how to design and implement the frameworks of factors that will transform the region into such a major global economic region. A new conceptual framework, termed premier global economic/business region conceptual or theoretical framework, is created by this study to guide and gird this study. The Oresund region (Denmark–Sweden) and the Puget Sound region (United States–Canada) are models of what Lower Rio Grande Valley can be transformed into in the future. Therefore, this study draws from the main features of the Oresund region and the Puget Sound region to create the premier global economic/business region conceptual or theoretical framework. Essentially, this theoretical framework consists of 12 factors or variables that can be used to transform an international region into a premier global economic/business region. A significant portion of this study analyzes how each of these factors or variables can be designed and utilized to help transform the Lower Rio Grande Valley region into premier global economic/business region.