This book provides theories, experiences, reflections and future directions for social scientists who wish to engage with policy-oriented research in, and for, cities and regions. The '?policy learning?' perspective is comprehensively discussed, focusing on actors promoting '?policy knowledge?' and interaction among different stakeholders. Theoretical frameworks and practical experiences of policy-orientated research for European regions and cities are comprehensively explored in this timely book. The authors review current theories and present novel case studies of policy-orientated research. By combining policy analysis with urban and regional studies, the book highlights how researchers can be agents of policy learning, helping policymakers to learn how to learn. This book will provide unique, real world insights for researchers, practitioners and stakeholders interested in research-based approaches to cities and regions. Contributors include: I. Bakker, S. Bandera, P. Benneworth, M.C. Cattaneo, P. Coletti, A. Colombino, A. Colombo, J.L. De las Rivas Sanz, N. Francesco Dotti, F. Eckardt, A. Gerritsen, S. Giest, D. Greenwood, A. Healy, T. Herrschel, T. Metze-Burghouts, S. Moyson, M. Paris, S. Pazos-Vidal, D. Pojani, P. Scholten, D. Stead, M. Stuiver, C. Termeer, G. Urso, J. Vaesen, W.-J. Velderman, B. Wayens

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. A Research Agenda for Military Geographies explores how military activities and phenomena are shaped by geography, and how geographies are in turn shaped by military practices. A variety of future research agendas are mapped out, examining the questions faced by geographers when studying the military and its effects. Bringing together chapters from leading contributors, this Research Agenda explores a range of geographical places, spaces, environments and landscapes, examining peoples' experiences of the military in a variety of contexts. Chapters investigate key topics from armed conflict to its aftermath, as well as the study of the economic, social, political and cultural practices that make war possible. Providing interdisciplinary insights to military geography issues in European, North American, African and Asian contexts, this timely book sets out key areas of scholarship for discussion. Advanced students of critical geography and geopolitics studies as well as military studies, will greatly appreciate the suggestions for future research that sits at the heart of the book. Human geographers more broadly will find this a useful read in analysing the interdependent relationships between the military and place and space.

The Philosophy of Matter is a journey in thinking through the material fate of the earth itself; its surfaces and undercurrrents, ecologies, environments and irreparable cracks. With figures such as Spinoza, Gilles Deleuze and Michel Serres as philosophical guides and writings on New Materialism, Posthumanism and Affect Theory as intellectual context, Rick Dolphijn proposes a radical rethinking of some of the basic themes of philosophy: subjectivity, materiality, body (both human and otherwise) and the act of living. This rethink is a work of imagination and meditation in order to conceive of "another earth for another people". It is a homage to courageous thinking that dares to question the religious, capitalist and humanist realities of the day. A poetic philosophy of how to live in troubling times when even the earth beneath us feels unstable, Dolphijn offers a way to think about the world with depth, honesty and glimpses of hope.

This book studies smart green innovation through the prism of social entrepreneurship as a driver for sustainable development and the development of an environmental economy. It systematizes and analyzes the modern challenges of the environmental economy: climate change and environmental pollution. The tendencies and scenarios for the environmental economy are considered in the context of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Globalization and international trade are also considered factors in the sustainable development of the environmental economy.The book hones in on the international experience of ecological responsibility and fighting climate change through social entrepreneurship. The contribution of corporate responsibility in the fight against climate change is determined, and state regulation of corporate responsibility in the resource-based economies of developing countries is considered. The market mechanisms for stimulating the fight against climate change through social entrepreneurship in countries with developed environmental economies are also considered. The advantages of digitalization for fighting climate change through social entrepreneurship are offered.The book also reflects on the possibilities for the sustainable development of the environmental economy based on climate-smart innovation in social entrepreneurship. It presents a model of climate-smart enterprise and substantiates its advantages for corporate responsibility and sustainable development. The key climate-smart innovations in social entrepreneurship for sustainable development of the environmental economy—robots big data, AI, blockchain, and green finance—are determined. The book also develops policy recommendations to support climate-smart innovation in social entrepreneurship.

This comprehensive compendium highlights the practical side in the design of the coastal rubble mound structures. All basic rubble mound structural elements with various special features or arrangements are discussed and presented with guidelines to the best practices.A unique feature of this book offers insight into practical constraints and problems. A variety of practical designs and construction examples are elucidated to most common issues faced in the design with extensive discussions on what influences the selection of the proper solution. It is an essential aid to take the design a step further, from basic to a professional level.This useful reference benefits coastal engineers in general, design consultants, construction engineers or anyone carrying out supervision and inspection work.Related Link(s)

Our food system is broken, and it's endangering what's most precious to us: our environment, our health, our soil and water, and our future. In recent years, a host of books and films have compellingly documented the dangers. But advice on what to do about them largely begins and ends with the admonition to eat local" or eat organic." Longtime good food pioneer Oran Hesterman knows that we can't fix the broken system simply by changing what's on our own plates: the answer lies beyond the kitchen. In Fair Food he shares an inspiring and practical vision for changing not only what we eat, but how food is grown, packaged, delivered, marketed, and sold. He introduces people and organizations across the country who are already doing this work in a number of creative ways, and provides a wealth of practical information for readers who want to get more involved.

The concept of green business originated recently, but the phenomenon has a longer history which offers many lessons for today and the future. This book provides rich new empirical evidence on green business as it examines its variation between industries and nations, and over time. It demonstrates the deep historical origins of endeavors to create for-profit businesses that were more responsible and sustainable, but also how these strategies have faced constraints, trade-offs and challenges of legitimacy. Based on extensive interviews and archives from around the world, the book asks why green business succeeds more in some contexts than others and draws lessons from failure as well as success. This book emphasizes the importance of context for explaining the choices which explain the varieties of green business. Government policies, both local and national, cultural and religious values, and national images, are amongst the contextual factors which are identified. The book's distinctiveness lies in the use of original empirical data and the fact that it considers both successful and unsuccessful cases. An unusually wide geographical scope means that it covers not only the United States and Europe, but also less studied settings, including Chile, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Japan. Scholars and students interested in environmental management; corporate social responsibility; business ethics and trust; and business and environmental history will find this an important and fascinating read.