Proposals for the development of depressed regions within national economies have in recent years increasingly incorporated the growth centre concept as a dominant element. This has been reflected in a bourgeoning growth-centre literature, although there is still a rather disturbing level of ambiguity and imprecision surrounding the concept. Nevertheless, given certain conditions, the logic of growth centre theorists seems inexorable: economic development in the past has in variably displayed a tendency towards spatial concentration, both in earlier industrialisation and latter tertiarisation phases. Given this pro pensity towards agglomeration (examined further below), it is argued that economic activity which is being deliberately channelled into de pressed regions should also be concentrated into a limited number of centres. The creation of a milieu which has been conducive to econo mic growth in the past, it is believed, will increase the likelihood that such economic activity will generate a momentum towards self-sus tained expansion. Thus the need for direct government intervention (in influencing location and creating infrastructure), crucial in the early stages, will eventually be phased out.