Exploring sustainable development : geographical perspectives / edited by Martin Purvis and Alan Grainger.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Purvis, Martin.

Grainger, Alan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sustainable development.

Economic geography.

Physical Description:

xiv, 401 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; Sterling, VA : Earthscan, 2004.

Summary:

* Major new textbook on the geography of sustainable development * Collaborative effort from one of the UK's leading geography departments * Ideal for undergraduates in geography, environmental science and social science Sustainable development is the new mantra, but what does it mean on the ground in how people relate to the physical environment and across landscapes? This book offers fresh insights into sustainable development by looking at it from a range of geographical perspectives. Building on existing theory, it demonstrates geography's unique contribution to the study of human-environment relationships, and examines sustainability at the full range of spatial scales from the global to the local. Both theory and practice are discussed as the book explores sustainable development in urban and rural areas, in both developing and developed countries. The contributors suggest that the future path of sustainability is ours to forge if we make the choice and take action.

Contents:

Conflicting Political Ideals 3

Sustainable Development as an Ambiguous Compromise 6

From Economic Growth to Sustainable Development 9

Capital: A Unifying Thread in Development Theories 13

Economic Theories of Sustainable Development 16

Reconciling the Political and Theoretical Discourses 20

Questions about Sustainable Development 22

Geographical Perspectives on Sustainable Development 24

2 Geography and Sustainable Development / Martin Purvis 33

A Case for Geography 33

Engaging with Sustainable Development 37

Geography and the Pursuit of More Sustainable Development 40

Looking Deeper 43

3 The Role of Spatial Scale and Spatial Interactions in Sustainable Development / Alan Grainger 50

Structuring Global Space 51

Achieving Sustainable Development at Different Levels 57

Sustainable Development in Open Economies 60

Interaction between Different Spatial Levels 72

4 Linking the Local to the Global: Can Sustainable Development Work in Practice? / John Soussan 85

Approaches to Development 86

Can Local Action Substitute for Ineffective State Institutions? 88

The Political Limits of Local Action 89

National Constraints on Participation in Sri Lanka 90

Institutional Change and Community Forestry in Nepal 92

5 Forecasting Urban Futures: A Systems Analytical Perspective on the Development of Sustainable Urban Regions / Gordon Mitchell 99

Impacts of Urban Development 100

The Complexity of Urban Sustainability 105

A Systems Perspective: Urban Modelling and Sustainability Assessment 110

Models of Sustainable and Urban Development 116

The Quantifiable City Programme: Sustainable Urban Development Modelling in Practice 119

Problems and Prospects for Urban Sustainability Modelling 123

6 Making Cities More Sustainable: People, Plans and Participation / Rachael Unsworth 128

Continuity and Change in Urban Problems 129

Outlining Sustainable Urban Development 132

Planning for Urban Sustainability 136

People as Planners: Participation in the Search for Sustainable Urban Development 143

Urban Challenges in the Developing World 146

Communicating Good Practice 151

Making the Local Universal: A Concluding Reflection 152

7 Business, Capital and Sustainable Economic Development / Martin Purvis 156

Business and the Environment 157

Sustainable Economic Development as Eco-efficiency 159

Too Good To Be True: Are Win-Win Arguments Sustainable? 166

A Space for Sustainable Development? 171

8 Sustainable Agriculture for the 21st Century / Martin Purvis, Richard Smith 179

Modern Agriculture: Reviewing the Account 179

Sustainable Farming: Different Places, Different Solutions 186

Greater Resource Efficiency 187

Redistributing Resources 199

Conclusion: Sustainable Futures 204

9 Sustaining the Flow: Japanese Waterways and New Paradigms of Development / Paul Waley, Martin Purvis 207

21st-Century Japan: Poised for Sustainable Development? 207

Past Imperfect 208

River Management: The Context 211

Technocentric River Planning and the Ministry of Construction 215

Reassessing the Role of Rivers 217

From Words to Deeds 220

Problems Behind the Projects: Environmental Quality and Participation 224

Conclusion: Points of Ideological Cleavage 227

10 Sustainable Futures for the Arctic North / Ken Atkinson 230

Varieties of Development 231

Unsustainable Development: Past Practice and Conflict over Renewable and Non-renewable Resources 232

Sustainable Development in Principle 236

Moves Towards More Sustainable Development: The North American Experience 239

Lessons for the Russian Arctic 244

International Initiatives to Promote More Sustainable Development 246

11 Climate Change, Energy and Sustainable Development / Martin Purvis 250

Climate Change: A Threat to Sustainable Development? 251

Adaptation to Current and Future Climate Regimes 255

Mitigating Climate Change 257

The Wider Context of Sustainable Development 261

Scales of Change: Theory and Practice 267

12 Sustainable Development and International Relations / Alan Grainger 279

The World as Viewed by International Relations Theories 281

Climate Change: The Predominance of an Isolated Globalist Discourse 284

Discourses in Conflict at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 293

Modifying Existing International Institutions 301

13 Future Perspectives: Developing Sustainable Development / Martin Purvis, Alan Grainger 313

Reflecting upon Existing Strategies 313

A Necessary Critique 317

Consensus and Contest 321

The Challenge of Sustainable Development 322

Sustainable Development and Societal Change 327

A More Pragmatic Response 331

The Limitations of Current Theories 336.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [340]-387) and index.

ISBN:

1844071073

1853834726

OCLC:

53361393