A forecast of public water scarcity on Leu-Rotunda Plain,Romania, for the end of the 21st century

The article examines the risk of water shortages due to the climate change on Leu-Rotunda Plain, which is part of Oltenia Plain in Romania. The region has been exposed to several extreme climatic phenomena, mostly droughts, which has created several problems related to water quality and quantity. The authors defined climate change scenarios using two regional climate models. Water resources under climate change were estimated by a regional numerical groundwater model covering a deep aquifer. The water demand components were estimated for households, industries, services, and livestock, based on specific socio-economic assumptions. A non-probabilistic risk assessment, using simplified fuzzy sets mathematics, was used to estimate water supply, water demand, and the consequences of water shortages. The results of the study revealed significant vulnerability in the water supply, a limited territorial expansion of sewerage networks, an expected increase in households’ demand, an expected increase in industrial and services water demand, a relatively stable demand for water for livestock farming, and an important water shortage in the study area. The authors conclude by highlighting a set of actions to mitigate the risk of the potential crisis.     

The influence of snow cover on ground freeze-thaw frequency,intensity, and duration: An experimental study conducted in coastal northern Sweden

The impact of snow cover on seasonal ground frost and freeze-thaw processes is not yet fully understood. The authors therefore examined how snow cover affects seasonal ground frost in a coastal setting in northern Sweden. Air and soil temperatures were recorded in a paired-plot experiment, both with and without snow cover, during the frost season 2012–2013. The frequency, duration, and intensity of the freeze-thaw cycles during the frost season were calculated. The results showed that the freeze-thaw frequency was 57% higher at the soil surface and the intensity 10 °C colder in the spring of 2013, when the ground lacked snow cover. Furthermore, the duration of the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle was 30 days longer on average in cases where there was natural snow accumulation. The correlation between air and ground surface temperatures weakened with increased snow-cover depth. The authors conclude that continued increases in air temperature and decreases in snow in coastal northern Sweden might alter freeze-thaw cycles and thus affect natural and human systems such as geomorphology, ecology, spatial planning, transport, and forestry.     

The first permafrost cycle in Færdesmyra,eastern Finnmark,Norway?

The author studied the causal relationships between palsa formation, the maintenance of palsas, their final thawing, and climate. His main approach was to compare his observations with other researchers’ observations of recent palsa formation and degradation, and the use of relevant palaeoclimatic data. A more than 10 km² large palsa mire complex in Sør-Varanger Municipality, northern Norway, was studied in terms of vegetation and stratigraphy 50 years ago, and then observed between 2005 and 2015, when the final palsa thawing occurred. The decisive climatic factor for the maintenance of existing palsas – annual mean temperatures below -1 °C, stated earlier by researchers – seemed to be valid also in the studied case. However, the results showed that new palsa formation may require a series of consecutive years with temperatures between -1 and -2 °C in annual mean temperatures. There is a possibility of detecting former palsas (i.e. since thawed) by stratigraphic investigations in cases of lateral erosion of palsas. Stratigraphic corings and field observations in the selected study area did not indicate earlier periods of palsa thawing prior to the modern one. The author concludes that the present thawing thus reflects a reversal of the final cooling stage of the present interstadial (Holocene).     

Symbolic ecclesiastical representations in the High Middle Ages landscape: A single-case study in northern Scandinavia

A regional examination of representations of geographical ecclesiastical features (boundaries, churches, and land use) in northern Scandinavia during the High Middle Ages was performed, using a peripheral parish as a single case. The analysis was based on historical maps, processed using microhistory and retrogressive approaches, and guided by theories of territoriality and landscape. The results showed that some churches were built on outfields, that landownership and prehistoric burials were clustered in two different areas, and that parish boundaries were often located in uninhabited forests between settlements and were sometimes moved. These results are discussed within the context of symbols, relations, and identity, which are complementary to explanations of centrality such as minimum travel distance. The author concludes that this indicates that, based on kinship networks, farmers from the settlement areas built the churches on jointly owned or managed land, which symbolises their collective effort – their sense of ours. Furthermore, settlement desertion during the agrarian crisis is probably the reason behind later changes in parish boundaries.     

Confronting the social debate: A study of the distribution of Russian recreational properties in Eastern Finland

Transborder property ownership is a growing trend in different parts of the world. In Finland, Russians make up the biggest group of foreign buyers. The article examines Russian recreational property purchases in Eastern Finland, where South Savo Region is subject to the heaviest flow of Russian purchasers. Russian purchases of second homes have been the subject of a broad social debate dominated by negative attitudes towards the phenomenon. Fears of place change and displacement have been among the main concerns. The authors reveal how arguments presented in the social debate on Russian ownership correspond to the distribution of Russian properties in South Savo. Statistics for the period 2003–2012 and GIS methods were used to analyse the distribution and density of Russian recreational properties in the region. Statistical modelling uncovered some factors that affected the location of the properties. The findings indicate that the arguments presented within the social debate have only partially derived from the distribution patterns of Russian properties. The authors conclude that a combination of factors, including distances from the border and services as well as preferences for waterside locations, have influenced the choice of location of Russian properties and led to concentrations in certain areas.     

Food gardens as important elements of urban agriculture: Spatio-developmental trends and future prospects for urban gardening in Czechia

The main research goals of the article are to explain the historical context of urban food gardens in Czechia, to describe the current spatial pattern of allotment gardens, and to introduce and analyse recent trends in urban gardening. The main method for achieving the first goal was a literature study. For the second goal, geographical mapping and analysis of data relating to the spatial distribution of allotment gardens were used. For the third goal, mapping together with analysis of semi-structured interviews carried out in community gardens in Prague were used. The analysis showed a strong tradition of urban agriculture and urban food gardening activities in Czechia. Both allotment gardens and newly emerged community gardens were concentrated mainly in the biggest cities and in areas with a rich industrial and mining tradition. This finding supports the significance of gardening as an important element of urban agriculture. However, uncertainty regarding land tenure and long-term sustainability were among the greatest obstacles for the future of allotment and community gardens. The authors’ main recommendations are that urban agriculture should be included as primary land use in sustainable planning and there should be broader community involvement in planning and decision-making processes.     

The importance and limitations of social networks and social identities for labour market integration: The case of Ghanaian immigrants in Bergen,Norway

Whereas refugees and larger immigrant groups’ integration in the Norwegian labour market has received considerable research attention, less is known about the labour market integration of small, non-refugee immigrant groups from West African countries such as Ghana. The purpose of the article is to examine the role of social networks and social identities for the differentiated labour market integration outcomes among Ghanaian immigrants in the city of Bergen. Based on data produced through in-depth interviews, participant observation and informal conversations, the authors argue that Ghanaian immigrants’ ability to obtain jobs is determined by more than simply having the appropriate educational and language qualifications, and largely depends on having favourable social identities and being embedded in social networks beyond the Ghanaian immigrant community. They find that those who mainly relied on Ghanaian networks found it difficult to circumvent labour market hindrances and they predominantly obtained menial jobs. The authors conclude that Norwegian job-seekers networks played a crucial role in the immigrants’ opportunities and for potential Norwegian employers’ perception of their employability, especially in professional and semi-professional jobs.     

Natural hazard experiences and adaptations: A study of winter climate-induced road closures in Norway

The effects of global climate change include more extreme weather events that harm lifeline infrastructure such as road access. The questionnaire-based study takes a novel natural experiment approach to subjective personal experiences and perceptions of lifeline vulnerability in two seaside communities in Norway that have been sporadically isolated due to avalanches, heavy snowfall, and/or snowdrifts. The enquiry aims at filling a research gap on sudden winter climate-induced disconnections and road travel hazards in advanced societies. The results show that weather-induced road closures lead to worries about road travel and practical problems, but also that many people are able to adjust to reduce their vulnerability. The authors concluded that community characteristics such as available services and social and human capital are important for understanding people’s vulnerabilities, worries, and hazard preparedness.     

The formation and structure of cleantech clusters: Insights from San Diego,Dublin, and Graz

ABSTRACT

In recent years cleantech (clean technology) clusters have emerged in many industrialized regions. Cleantech clusters are heralded as a key solution in the transformation toward a greener economy, with the potential to foster regional economic growth while simultaneously mitigating environmental challenges. Despite witnessing a growing tendency for cleantech activities to be organized in clusters, the research literature remains rather vague on what cleantech clusters are and how they emerge. The author therefore explores these questions with the use of empirical data from three internationally recognized cleantech clusters: (1) Cleantech San Diego, in Southern California, USA, (2) Green Tech Valley, located in the province of Styria, Austria, and (3) Sustainable Nation Ireland, located in the Dublin region, Ireland. The data and information used in the article were derived from empirical accounts sourced from existing literature, secondary data sources, on-site observations, and face-to-face interviews carried out between October 2015 and June 2016. The findings show that the cleantech clusters can be perceived as knowledge, innovation, and collaboration clusters that span industrial and institutional boundaries. The formation of the cleantech clusters is largely the outcome of strategic leadership on the one hand, and place-specific conditions and local capabilities on the other hand.     

The importance of symbols in the region formation process

The aim in the article is to conceptualize the general foundations of research on the importance of regional symbolism in the process of region and regional identity formation. The article is founded on a critical analysis of works pertaining not only to the field of the new regional geography, but also to the field of regional marketing and/or branding, sociology, and semiology. The authors focus on meanings attributed to symbols and symbolism in literature, and observe which elements are viewed as regional symbols and how these symbols contribute to the process of regional development and institutionalization, especially in the formation of its symbolic shape. They examine the thematic and theoretical grounds, looking at identity, regional identity, and regional institutionalization. Next, regional symbols are defined and classified according to their types and forms, and their importance in the process of regional formation and institutionalization is discussed. The results show that symbols of any type can play an important role in a region’s marketing, and become the key image associated with a region. The authors conclude that regional symbols are a significant feature of the formation of a region and its identity, both outwardly (the external image of a region) and inwardly (concerning the inhabitants’ relationships with their region).     

Negotiating invisible lines: Cross-border emergency care in the rural north of Scandinavia

ABSTRACT

Cross-border cooperation is increasingly practised as a spatial planning strategy in health care. This observation is emphasized in numerous reports on transboundary agreements in European border regions. While the projects hint at an ongoing contestation and reconfiguration of nationally bordered health care pathways, they have rarely been subject to critical geographical inquiry. Departing from contemporary border studies debates, the article addresses this gap by providing a nuanced perspective on the socio-spatial complexity of health care practices across Europe’s internal borders. The author demonstrates this empirically by focusing on a framework for emergency care assistance in the northernmost regions of Scandinavia. He uses a heuristic approach to borderscapes as assemblages, and conceptually argues that the strategic reconfiguration of emergency care provision through cross-border cooperation is not adequately captured by a narrative of dissolving topographically bordered sovereignty (i.e. the commonplace notion of overcoming national boundaries). Based on a qualitative analysis of motives, procedures and hurdles, the author concludes that the attempt to cope with demography and distance in rural northern health care formats a socio-spatial arrangement in its own right, a case-specific geography of emergency care that is characterized by a complex interplay between different sites and their multiple bordering trajectories.     

Towards a more sustainable process industry: A single case study of restructuring within the Eyde process industry cluster

ABSTRACT

Due to increased attention on environmental issues, industrial sustainable restructuring is high on the research agenda. The article adds to the literature through an analysis of a restructuring process within a Norwegian process industry cluster. By introducing an analytical framework combining the concepts of entrepreneurial discovery process and path dependency theory, the article offers a deeper understanding of the role of various types of actors in processes of restructuring. The authors categorise the actors as either firm-level entrepreneurs or system-level entrepreneurs on the basis of their motivation. While the former are motivated mainly by firm success, the latter find their motivation mainly in developing systemic factors. The analytical framework suggests a stepwise analysis of the restructuring, and in each step, the significance and interplay between the two types of entrepreneurs are discussed. Finally, the authors discuss the potential for new path development following from this process. The case study illustrates the important role of system-level entrepreneurs as facilitators and of firm-level entrepreneurs as utilisers of opportunities. The empirical case demonstrates that the two types of entrepreneurs are highly interactive throughout the restructuring process. The article contributes to existing literature by advancing the actor perspective in new path development.     

Russian cross-border shopping tourists in the Finnish and Polish borderlands

Cross-border shopping and tourism are worldwide phenomena, appearing at any border with at least some degree of permeability. The authors investigate the range of cross-border shopping and tourism activities practised by Russians at two of the EU’s external borders, one between Finland and the Leningrad Oblast, and the other between Poland and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. The study is based on research conducted in the Polish–Russian and Finnish–Russian border regions between 2013 and 2015, when the authors held interviews, administered survey questionnaires, and engaged in participant observation. The information was supplemented with data from the Finnish and Polish Border Guard services. Based on the results of the fieldwork, the authors argue that cross-border shopping and tourism are often combined during the same trip, and thus constitute a specific form of cross-border activity. Their study sheds light on how cross-border shopping tourism depends on and is interconnected with more than just the factor of the non-availability of goods and services. They conclude that cross-border shopping at the Polish–Russian border and the Finnish–Russian border has become more like a Western European practice, namely shopping for pleasure.     

Fictive clusters: Crafty strategies in the New Zealand beer industry

ABSTRACT

The authors bring together two theoretical and empirical strands in economic geography – established work on clusters and nascent research on ‘fictive place’ – in order to introduce the concept of ‘fictive clusters’. To explore this concept, they examine the New Zealand craft beer sector, which has evolved from non-existence since the year 2000. This growth has precipitated the rise of a dynamic and innovative cluster at the local scale in Wellington. The fictive cluster is explored through the Wellington case study, and the authors pose various questions for future work based on this discursive geographical device. The construction and complicit reproduction of what they term a ‘fictive cluster’ has been central to the evolving strategies of the involved agents. Through the use of this term, the evolution of Wellington place-based brands that are increasingly territorially specific are seen as building competitive advantage based on constructed histories, environments, and other geographic characteristics.     

The adoption of a local food concept in post-communist context: Farm shops in Czechia

The article examines an alternative food network evolution in the post-communist context in Czechia in general and farm shop developments in particular. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with farm shopkeepers operating in Czechia. The results revealed that the development of the farm shop network was significantly shaped by the communist past of the country. While consumers’ demand for quality food contributed to the initiation of developments in local food movements such as farm shops in Czechia, the inconvenient structure of the farming sector, comprising a limited number of small-scale farmers, hindered the development. Although the farm shops usually operate as middlemen by reselling goods produced by a range of farmers, farm shopkeepers expressed significant awareness of the sustainability principles of the local food concept and dissociated themselves from unethical practices of large retailers. Nevertheless, the author finds that the local concept is used in a flexible manner to meet customers’ demands. Despite obstacles faced by farmers when developing their own farm shops, there is significant potential in ‘Czech-type’ farm shops operating solely as retailers. However, the author concludes that the threat of the diversion from the sustainability principles of the local food concept should not be neglected.     

Configuring floating production networks: A case study of a new offshore wind technology across two oil and gas economies

ABSTRACT

The authors employ the global production network (GPN) approach to analyse the development of the renewable energy sector. Through a case study of the development of a Hywind floating offshore wind project (Hywind) across two oil and gas economies, namely Norway and Scotland, the paper sheds light on the key drivers and role of core GPN actors. Methodologically, the authors investigate the process from both ‘inside-out’ and ‘outside-in’ perspectives, referring to the efforts of firms expanding into overseas markets and the efforts of host countries to attract investment from outside their territories. The analysis shows how the configuration of extractive production networks is shaped by the interactions between the network development practices of firms and the market development strategies of host states. The authors conclude that the distinct materiality of floating wind power technology shapes the territorial configuration of the production network by enabling its spatial extension across a range of locations. By contrast, existing research on other extractive sectors has emphasized the spatially constraining effects of materiality (Bridge 2008).     

The role of lead firms in cluster evolution: The case of the Manchester television cluster

ABSTRACT

The author utilizes recent work in evolutionary economic geography to examine the television cluster in Manchester, UK. A path dependency approach is used to trace the evolutionary phases of the cluster, and to reveal the shifting dynamics of the cluster and the role of key actors. The article focuses on the role of two lead firms – the BBC and Granada. Based on qualitative interview and participant observation data, supplemented with contextual quantitative data collection, the study presents the results of longitudinal research conducted between 2000 and 2014. The author finds that the role of lead firms varied according to the evolutionary phase of the cluster. The role of the broadcasters was most significant during the emergence and growth of the cluster. Both the lead firm and the cluster have been impacted by exogenous factors, particularly regulatory changes. A key trigger point in 2003 led to the evolutionary trajectory of the cluster shifting into decline and stagnation.     

Rediscovering the anatomy of urban growth: The spatio-temporal evolution of building activity in a Mediterranean city

ABSTRACT

The impact of building cycles on recent expansions of Athens was assessed under the hypothesis that non-linear paths of urban growth result from sequential phases of economic growth and decline. Changes over time in building activity were examined by considering indicators derived from a local-scale analysis of building permits issued by Greek municipalities between 1990 and 2016. Relevant socioeconomic forces shaping spatio-temporal variability in building activity were identified by analyzing contextual indicators through inferential techniques and multivariate analysis. The results showed distinctive responses of real-estate local markets to economic cycles at the local scale in Athens, allowing for identification of short-term and long-term urban dynamics characteristic of expansion and recession waves. The most sensitive indicators to economic cycles in Athens were density of new buildings, average floors per new building, density of building additions, and number of building permits per inhabitant. Infrastructure-driven development, as a result of the 2004 Olympic Games, has produced relevant alterations in short-term patterns in the construction market, resulting in spatially-complex urbanization trends. The author concludes that local-scale indicators derived from building permit data provide insights into progressively complex dynamics of urban growth, with implications for regional planning and the design of sustainable development practices.     

Disentangling the compact city drivers and pressures: Barcelona as a case study

ABSTRACT

The compact city is globally acknowledged as the most adequate urban model to encourage sustainable urban development. Its validity is often assumed, despite the lack of clarity on what such compactness entails. The knowledge gap is even wider regarding how different drivers and pressures influence the development of more compact cities. Therefore, the authors analyse indirect and underlying processes (drivers) and more direct events, actions, and processes (pressures) affecting compact city development. Since compact city driving forces are extensively influenced by local situations, their research focused on district-level case studies within the compact city of Barcelona Municipality. Mixed methods were used, and the authors used both qualitative and quantitative data. The results revealed that drivers and pressures can both support and counteract compact city qualities and therefore any intervention has to be tailored to local conditions. In particular, the results of the in-depth analysis of local pressures and their progression over time foster an understanding of context-related nuances, thereby shifting attention from taken-for-granted compact city qualities to the driving forces that produce beneficial compactness. The authors conclude that the diversity of drivers and pressures requires the involvement of a multiplicity of stakeholders and actors in urban planning, implementation, and management.