Accuracy of forecasting in a Nordic paper mill's supply chain: A case study

The article compares the accuracy of forecasted and actual supply chain cost and price factors in a Nordic paper mill's sales to customers in two large European countries. Empirical longitudinal research data covering the years between 2002 and 2008 were obtained from a large integrated Finnish paper mill, and consisted of sales volumes, paper prices, variable costs, and transport costs. It was expected that the mill would be able to forecast demand, prices and costs accurately, but the empirical findings showed that the forecasts for paper price, demand, and cost varied from one market to another and were not highly accurate. In addition, the forecasting of gross margins seemed to be very inexact. It is concluded that there is a need for more reliable forecasting methods in the paper industry to anticipate economic development as paper demand and costs change.     

转向企划—活动系统研究的时间地理学

全生态综合世界观和人地互动过程与复杂性的系统研究是时间地理学理论体系构建的核心,也是行为地理学关于空间—行为互动理论构建的关键问题。企划和活动的地方秩序嵌套是新时间地理学的最新发展。论文围绕企划—活动系统及其变化、企划交织下的活动系统与社会互动、企划实现过程中活动的地方秩序构建等3个方面对时间地理学理论发展和研究前沿进行综述,系统梳理时间地理学在交通出行、城市与区域规划、地理学、康复医疗与健康、资源能源利用等领域的跨学科应用。未来呼吁更多学者关注时间地理学,积极开展跨学科应用和时间地理学创新应用的国际比较研究,将时间地理学的最新研究进展与中国城市发展的现实问题相结合,创新并发展中国城市研究的行为范式,丰富和完善中国城市的空间—行为互动理论,为中国城市的高质量发展做出贡献。     

连接科学与社会——从第33届国际地理大会看地理学的发展态势

本文介绍了第33届国际地理大会的会议概况和主要议题,从会议论题中总结当前国际地理学研究的前沿问题与发展态势。当前国际地理学界关注的前沿问题主要有：未来地球研究,陆地表层过程作用的综合研究、土地利用变化与生态系统服务,人类活动对全球变化的影响、响应与适应,城市化与可持续发展,地理学与环境、健康问题,自然灾害形成过程与风险分析,大数据、地理信息科学与决策制定,地理学与多元文化等。地理学的发展需要更加关注人地系统的综合研究、自然—社会系统的耦合研究及基础理论和方法的发展与突破。中国地理学应关注当前国际地理学的前沿问题与发展趋势,实现系统的综合和耦合,引领地理科学的发展。     

城镇化系列咨询研究进展与影响

2014年3月,国家印发《新型城镇化规划（2014-2020年）》,标志着中国城镇化发展的重大转型,将城镇化重点转向实现“人的城镇化”。国家城镇化政策转型离不开多学科众多学者长期以来针对城镇化开展研究探索的集体智慧的推动,中国科学院学部牵头完成的城镇化系列咨询报告是标志性成果之一,在城镇化政策转型中发挥了作用。回顾城镇化系列咨询研究的主要内容,以及对国家相关部委产生的工作推动与影响。认为人文与经济地理学要积极承担国家智库和思想库功能,加强基础研究以支撑决策咨询研究,城镇化是地理学综合研究的重要内容,新型城镇化为学科发展提供了广阔空间。同时,科技工作者要有强烈责任感与科学精神。     

The Pedagogical Benefits of SimCity in Urban Geography Education

This article investigated the pedagogical potential of the SimCity simulation game in an urban geography course. University students used SimCity to build their own cities and applied a wide range of theories to support their urban structures. Moreover, the students critically evaluated the logic and functioning of the SimCity simulation compared to real-world contexts and urban geography principles. The students believed the SimCity activity provided them with opportunities to promote their geographic creativity, resulting in diverse, unique, and interesting cities. The findings demonstrate that the use of SimCity can be an effective tool for geography education.     

Recent Trends in Geography Education in Louisiana

Geography at elementary and middle schools in Louisiana, USA., remains a social studies strand along with civics, economics, and history, with no state-required geography course at any level. But because schools may require more geography than the state standard, this research examines the extent to which K–12 students are exposed to geography in Louisiana, using an electronic survey and an interview with state department of education officials. Results suggest that geography remains underemphasized, but the 2011 implementation of new social studies standards, the Advanced Placement Human Geography course, and other initiatives offer promise for more geographically literate Louisiana citizens.     

Student Perceptions of a Recreation Trail Assignment as a Valuable Learning Experience for Geography Undergraduates

Charging undergraduate geography students with the task of designing a recreational trail in their local community offers an engaging experiential opportunity with potential to advance geographic learning in a real-world setting. This article presents an assignment in which students were asked to develop a recreational trail proposal for an undeveloped local conservation area and the results of a survey that asked the students to reflect and report upon the educational value of this experience one year later. Results of the survey validated the assignment's lasting value to the students across the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains.     

地理学展望:2050年的地理学

尽管空间、地方、区域、环境是所谓"永恒的地理命题",但大部分的人文、环境地理学研究中的"时间"主题都聚焦在研究地方、景观和区域的当前或过去,却少有研究者对其未来产生兴趣。研究的缺乏可能要归因于对此前社会、文化、政治、经济地理学者所做的相关研究不熟悉,或者对这些研究所具有的价值和意义估计不足。本文希望通过梳理在不同年代地理学界对未来地理学的研究做过哪些工作,以及未来还可以在哪些方面做出贡献,来弥补这一缺陷。20世纪70年代早期,地理学者开始关注当时正在显现的后工业经济、社会的不同特征,信息和通讯技术的革新,城市未来,变化中的社会秩序,区域和全球尺度上的资源短缺和环境改造等一系列问题。部分未来地理学者从"带有地理色彩"的科幻作家们以及其他各学科的学者那里借鉴了许多观点和概念。这些学者们的代表作品,在文中列出的书目以及两本主要的跨学科杂志The Futurist(由世界未来学会出版)以及Future Studies中可以看到。未来学家们所使用的预测方法和模型多种多样,如趋势外推、交叉影响分析、模型模拟、情景假设、德尔菲法等,这些方法各有其优势和劣势。当前,对未来的研究已经引起了企业界、教育界、政策研究界等的重视,这一点可以从学术性刊物、奖项,以及对2050年及其以后的世界规划中,对未来研究的兴趣日益增长得到证明。对未来的研究聚焦于世界南方(发展中国家)、北方(发达国家)、区域经济与人口,以及全球环境的未来,不仅需要考虑"确定性"(期待中的世界),也同样要考虑"不确定性"以及"不愿意看到却又可能出现"的一面。本文给出了当前至2050年时段地理学者可能需要考虑的29个重点研究主题,涉及经济、文化、社会、政治及环境地理领域。同时,本文还讨论了6个针对中国经济、文化、政治、环境领域未来发展的研究主题,包括中国的"绿色化",作为崛起的世界性强国的中国,中国消费者及其伦理观,作为全球创新领袖的中国,人口问题和数字鸿沟,以及未来的宗教/信仰问题。为便于对未来研究的讨论和分析,文中给出了7幅富有新意的专题图,分别描绘了欧洲世界的亚洲化趋势,未来的城市系统,重大洲际交通工程,不同区域的时间文化,自治区域和新的国家,以及环境地带迁移等。最后,本文建议中国地理学界运用德尔菲法,对中国的未来从经济、社会、环境等方面进行审视。其结果对于区域和国家层面规划制订将是非常具有价值的,也将使地理学者在推动建设社会、环境美好未来的过程中扮演更为重要的角色。同时,地理学者也需要与其他学科的学者们紧密合作,共同研究与国家、区域乃至全球未来相关的"时间"主题。     

Global divides: Deconstructing the way we see the world should not be left to senior geography

Terms such as ‘Third World/First World’, ‘Developing/Developed’ are still in common usage despite many commentators and educators signalling that they are inadequate. Using empirical evidence from research in New Zealand, this paper discusses how these dividing terms may be under stress among young people who seek new ways of learning about places and people. In conceptualising the South Pacific, terms like ‘developing world’ may be challenged by young people. Debating these terms at all levels of education is important and should not merely be left to tertiary levels.     

Trends in Spatial Statistics

With many leading spatial analysts nearing retirement, reflection on the discipline becomes beneficial. To capture some of their collective perspective, fifty-eight researchers were surveyed on key spatial analysis developments, future challenges, and essential readings for newcomers. Geographic information systems (GIS), new data sources, improved understanding of spatial autocorrelation, spatially local methods, and the spread of spatial analysis beyond geography featured prominently among the twenty-four respondents. Future challenges included overcoming methodological limitations and retaining spatial analysis within geography. Twelve books highlighted by respondents are also summarized. Finally, a synthesis and some thoughts based on survey results are presented.