The study of the role of space in the historical processes of social life need not be limited to the study of the city. The urban structure is but one of many forms into which the interaction of social relationships crystallizes. This paper moves the debate on space and society from the city to the region by focussing on the conflicting land-use requirements between subsistence and industrial economies. The purpose of this shift in analysis is to identify and document some of the methods by which local non­ industrial economic activities are integrated into the spatial logic of economic expansion.