What is a Global City? Who authorizes the World Class City? This edited volume interrogates the "global cities" literature, which views the city as a shimmering, financial "global network." Through a historical-ethnographic exploration of inter-ethnic relations in the "other global" cities of Cairo, Beirut, Istanbul, Bukhara, Lhasa, Delhi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo, the well-known contributors highlight cartographies of the Other Global City. The volume contends that thinking about the city in the longue duree and as part of a topography of interconnected regions contests both imperial and nationalist ways of reading cities that have occasioned the many and particularly violent territorial partitions in Asia and the world.

Why do firms in high technology industries cluster at particular locations? The authors examine whether firms grow faster at such locations, and whether disproportionately more new firms are created in clusters. They compare the clustering process in the UK and the US in both computing and biotechnology, and investigate the policy implications.

The idea of giving cash, no-strings-attached, to the poor has become popular in the 21st century. While hardly a radical form of global redistribution, these cash grants, often known as unconditional cash transfers, claim to offer a new type of care that is less paternalistic than other forms of assistance. Caring Cash explores the caring practices that these grant experiments produced in the Nairobi ghetto of Korogocho. After receiving the grants, people there did not only look after themselves and their family, friends, lovers, clients and patrons, but also maintained the bonds that held them all together. Putting his interlocutors' lives in conversation with ideas around care, ethics and economies, Tom Neumark argues that for those in the ghetto, caring for relationships is as important as the care that takes place within relationships. Seeing care in this way reveals the importance of managing one's proximity, distance and detachment to others, and raises questions about the disquieting decisions that allow people to live together amidst violence and poverty.

Fierce competitiveness between established and emerging major cities, such as Berlin, London, Shanghai and Sydney, has led to a pressure to excel as desirable locations for business, cultural activities, highly skilled migrants and tourists. At the same time, the transformation of settled and new migrant communities creates complex urban borders and variegated representations (academic, cinematic, popular, official) of the city. While cities increasingly deploy cosmopolitan images portraying the diversity of past and present populations and activities, this continues to coexist with parochialism as a mood and mode of cultural formations and a reflection of local specificities. This volume brings together cultural analysts, social scientists, and media and film scholars to explore the ways in which core cities generate competing claims on, and visions of, their use and their future, and thus have engaged with the necessity to brand their image for international consumption and for internal coherence.

Democracy, States, and the Struggle for Social Justice draws on the fields of geography, political theory, and cultural studies to analyze experiments with novel forms of democracy, highlighting the critical issue of the changing nature of the state and citizenship in the contemporary political landscape as they are buffeted by countervailing forces of corporate globalization and participatory politics.

Using interesting case studies, the book explores these 3 main themes:

• the meaning of radical democracy in light of recent developments in democratic theory
• new spatial arrangements or scales of democracy from local to global, from streets protests to the development of transnational networks
• the character and role of states in the development of new forms of democracy

The book asks and answers: are participatory models of democracy viable alternatives in their own right or are they best understood as supplemental to traditional representative democracy? What are the conditions that give rise to the development of such models and are they equally effective at every scale; i.e., do they only realize their radical potential in particular, local places?

A useful text in a broad range of advanced undergraduate courses including social movements, political sociology or geography, political philosophy.

The purpose of this book is to provide a guided tour through the theoretical foundations of spatial locations of firms and industries in an evolutionary economic framework. It addresses the issues of how a location of business in geographical space is selected and where economic activity may (re)locate in the future. The analysis is in the context of technological progress, innovation, disequilibrium and endemic uncertainty. Jovanovic raises pertinent questions such as how willing, motivated and able firms (and governments) are to adapt to constantly evolving new opportunities and challenges over time and to experiment and translate these perceptions into profitable actions. How is their 'competitive position' evolving relative to others and changing over time when faced with a stream of constantly arriving new opportunities, threats and obstacles? Considerations are always supported with a plethora of examples and cases from real life. Jovanovic argues that the economy is a complex and constantly adaptive system which is almost always outside equilibrium. Building on this, he suggests that there is an important lacuna in our understanding of evolutionary spatial economics and that there is much space for further multidisciplinary research in this academic and practical area. This book offers an evolutionary and disequilibrium analysis of the subject and makes parallels, where appropriate and possible, among economics, geography, physics, biology and art. It considers key areas in theory, market and production structure, spatial location of domestic and foreign firms, as well as regional policy. In addition, there are references to policy intervention; importance of investment in local social stability, education and training; as well as to uncontrollable variables that are beyond the influence of firms, industries, regions or public authorities. The author offers various evolutionary insights and alternatives to the pure neoclassical equilibrium economic model.

This book discusses the conditions that underpin configuration of specific places as resource peripheries and the consequences that such a socio-spatial formation involves for those places. The book thereby provides an interdisciplinary approach underpinned by economic geography, political ecology, resource geography, development studies and political geography. It also discusses the different technological, political and economic changes that make the ongoing production of resource peripheries a distinctive socio-spatial formation under the global economy. Through a global and interdisciplinary perspective that uncovers ongoing political processes, socio-economic changes and socio-ecological dynamics at resource peripheries, this book argues that it is critical to take a more profound appraisal about the socio-spatial processes behind the contemporary way in which capitalism is appropriating and transforming nature.

Recent market turmoil, bank runs, global equities sell-off, and the "credit crunch" have demonstrated the sophisticated and interconnected nature of financial markets today-- seemingly localized problems have quickly spread, putting at risk the solvency of both local and global financial institutions. As these markets are increasingly complex, interconnected, and embedded in the daily lives of individuals, there is a pressing need to unravel and understand the complexities and prospects of this new and transformative social, political, and geographical paradigm.
This book brings together a group of leading scholars from a range of disciplines to formulate a more holistic understanding of financial risk by rooting it in different environments, spatial scales, and disciplines. The result is an all-encompassing exposition of current and future financial risk management practices, possibilities, and problems.

Continuing the (neo-)classical tradition of von Th nen, Launhardt, Weber, Palander, and L sch this book offers a fresh approach to the location of industries and other economic activities, of market areas, spatial price distribution, locational specialization, urban and transportation systems, and spatial interaction in general. It uses elementary economic reasoning supported by simple mathematical models, some classical, some new. The mathematical methods are presented in numbered Mathematical Notes. The author has been active in this field since 1950.

The rapidly changing structure of urban social and economic activity in recent years has given rise to a great deal of concern regarding the fate of that area of the city where economic activity is chiefly concentrated: the central business district (CBD). This book, a geographic study of the changing nature of CBDs, represents a concise, well-ordered, and readable attempt to deal with that concern. Written by a widely known authority on the subject, it provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of much of the research done on CBDs over the past two decades and establishes many striking generalizations regarding the past, present and future evolutions of CBDs, both in this country and abroad.

Using maps and diagrams where helpful, Murphy, a pioneer researcher in this field from the standpoint of economic geography, provides the record of his own and others' attempts to define CBDs and to develop theories about them. He not only presents the story of the research attack on the CBDs of a number of cities, including estimates of their probable future, but also details a practicable technique for delimiting and studying CBDs.

An important feature of the book is the attention Murphy devotes to the valuable work done in this field outside America, and his examples, which fully cover the American experience, are by no means confined to it, taking in important urban centres throughout the world. This book, intended for anyone interested in the urban scene, will be particularly helpful to students and teachers of urban geography and to practicing urban planners.

"Raymond E. Murphy" received his B.S. from the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He has taught at the University of Kentucky, Pennsylvania State University, and for many years in the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University, Massachusetts. He has contributed numerous articles to geographical literature and is the author of several books. He was also editor of "Economic Geography."

One of the consequences of the post-socialist transformation of Eastern and Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union is the emergence of energy poverty, a condition where households are living in inadequately heated homes. This book provides the first full-length examination of the causes, consequences and patterns of energy poverty in former Communist countries. Based on empirical evidence that spans different spatial contexts and scales and compares these with other parts of the world, the book links household-level deprivation with broader organizational and political dynamics. The book also analyzes the lived experiences of scarcity and marginalization with the aid of two in-depth country studies. Furthermore, it identifies the socio-demographic factors that distinguish energy-poor families from the rest of the population, while stressing the need for a comprehensive range of policy tools to address energy poverty. As the issue of energy supply from the former Soviet Union is likely to become one of the most important economic and political problems across the whole of Europe within the next couple of decades, the book argues that there is a direct link between the energy crises experienced by the region, and the social aspects of energy use in households.

This title was first published in 2003. This book focuses on the role of tangible and intangible networks that affect spatial interdependencies in economic and social life. It addresses the question - is the effect of distance disappearing? In examining this question the book considers the types of interaction that bring about globalisation of markets as well as social life in general and the distortion of distance patterns and changes in spatial interdependencies. The contributions elaborate theory and methods by examining hierarchical fields of internal and external influence on regional change; sources of productivity growth in a network of industries, endogenous growth and development policies. The book concludes with an assessment of plan evaluation methodologies for a changing and globalizing world characterized by new economic networks and networking arrangements.

An important contribution to our understanding of the distribution of retail activities, particularly within cities, this book provides a critical review of the literature on the subject. It points out the major general propositions concerning retailing from the geographical point of view, and identifies key research problems, which need to be examined in order to push forward the frontiers of this sub field of economic geography. It presents a major critique of the central-place model, which has came to hold an important place in the methodology of economic geography, and clearly and decisively shows the model to be static, deterministic, retrospective and of little value for predictive purposes.

Scott also shows with regard to the question of the hierarchy of shopping centers (a major facet of central-place thought) that the methodology employed to identify these hierarchies rests on restricted theory, imperfect data, incomplete measures, and arbitrary decisions. Although he recognizes the value of some of the work associated with the central-place syndrome, the author presents the first effective antithesis to its beguiling and simplistic appeal. He argues that the geography of retailing cannot be understood without reference to the organization of retailing as an economic and social activity and complex patterns of consumer and entrepreneurial behavior, none of which are dealt with in central-place studies.

Distinguished by clarity of presentation objectivity of analysis and breadth of inter-disciplinary interest, this is the only book that covers the geography of retailing substantively and methodologically. This book is jargon and mathematics free, and contains the most complete bibliography on the geography of retailing available in a single volume the book. It will be of value to all social scientists concerned with retailing as a major activity, particularly in modern societies. It may be used as a basic or supplementary text for courses in economic geography, marketing and retailing.

"Peter Scott" is a recognized expert in the geography of retailing and the economic geography of cities. He is engaged in continuing research in these areas and has worked in South Africa, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

This book aims to analyze Lesotho's prospects for economic advancement, and examines the influence of the policies and economic development of South Africa on Lesotho's own potential for development.

This groundbreaking book analyses the geography of the commercial Internet industry. It presents the first accurate map of Internet domains in the world, by country, by region, by city, and for the United States, by neighborhood.
Demonstrates the extraordinary spatial concentration of the Internetindustry.
Explains the geographic features of the high tech venture capital behind the Internet economy.
Demonstrates how venture capitalists' abilities to create and use tacit knowledge contributes to the clustering of the internet industry
Draws on in-depth interviews and field work in San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.

This groundbreaking book analyses the geography of the commercial Internet industry. It presents the first accurate map of Internet domains in the world, by country, by region, by city, and for the United States, by neighborhood.
Demonstrates the extraordinary spatial concentration of the Internetindustry.
Explains the geographic features of the high tech venture capital behind the Internet economy.
Demonstrates how venture capitalists' abilities to create and use tacit knowledge contributes to the clustering of the internet industry
Draws on in-depth interviews and field work in San Francisco Bay Area and New York City.

Enterprising World represents the culmination of several years of work by geographers, planners, and economists. The chapters included in this volume represent the collective efforts of the International Geographical Union's Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces. This collection is the result of the 2005 annual meeting in Toledo, Ohio (USA). The chapters have been selected based on their contribution to the broader community of economic geographers and policymakers and to demonstrate the inherent interconnectedness of these themes (and at times the conceptual tension that exists between ethics, economics, and the environment) insofar as these important issues shape the contours and cleavages of contemporary regional development.

Coastal zones represent a frontline in the battle for sustainability, as coastal communities face unprecedented economic challenges. Coastal ecosystems are subject to overuse, loss of resilience and increased vulnerability. This book aims to interrogate the multi- scalar complexities in creating a more sustainable coastal zone. Sustainability transitions are geographical processes, which happen in situated, particular places. However, much contemporary discussion of transition is either aspatial or based on implicit assumptions about spatial homogeneity. This book addresses these limitations through an examination of socio- technological transitions with an explicitly spatial focus in the context of the coastal zone. The book begins by focusing on theoretical understandings of transition processes specific to the coastal zone and includes detailed empirical case studies. The second half of the book appraises governance initiatives in coastal zones and their efficacy. The authors conclude with an implicit theme of social and environmental justice in coastal sustainability transitions. Research will be of interest to practitioners, academics and decision- makers active in the sphere of coastal sustainability. The multi- disciplinary nature encourages accessibility for individuals working in the fields of Economic Geography, Regional Development, Public Policy and Planning, Environmental Studies, Social Geography and Sociology.

"A Companion to Economic Geography" presents students of human geography with an essential collection of original essays providing a key to understanding this important subdiscipline. The contributions are written by prominent international scholars offering a wide-ranging overview of the field.

The authors provide the reader with an understanding of the tradition of geographic research in all the relevant topics of economic geography whilst focusing on the developments of the last twenty years. All the entries provide critical assessments of the state of the field and highlight the contribution of each approach to an understanding of economic geography.

The Companion is ideally suited to undergraduates and first year graduates and will provide them with a comprehensive review of economic geography in a clear and accessible format.

This text focuses on the contemporary economic, social, geographical, environmental and political realities of the Caribbean region. Historical aspects of the Caribbean, such as slavery, the plantation system and plantocracy are explored in order to explain the contemporary nature of, and challenges faced by, the Caribbean. The book is divided into three parts, dealing respectively with: the foundations of the Caribbean, rural and urban bases of the contemporary Caribbean, and global restructuring and the Caribbean: industry, tourism and politics.

This reader introduces students to examples of the most important research contributions to economic geography in recent years. In its structure and content, it mirrors "Blackwell's Companion to Economic Geography "and it can be used either to complement that volume or as a stand-alone text.

The reader opens with an editorial introduction, summarising the nature of contemporary economic geography, explaining the volume's structure, and discussing what it means to take a critical approach to geography. The readings themselves are grouped into five sections, each of which is also prefaced by an editorial commentary, placing them within a critical framework. Suggestions for further reading are included to enable students to investigate particular topics further. The editors are all highly respected international authorities on economic geography.

Individuals, consumer groups, nation states and supra-national bodies increasingly have interrogated the ethics of particular production and consumption relations such as GM foods. Flowing from and bound up with these political concerns is the growing interest in the mutual dependence of sites of (for example) production, distribution, retailing, design, advertising, marketing and final consumption. This timely volume draws together contributions concerned with the production, circulation and consumption of commodities. Not only do these case study examples seek to transcend older understandings of production and consumption, but they also explicitly tap into wider public debate about the meanings, origins and biographies of commodities. Taking a geographical approach to the analysis of links between producers and consumers, the book focuses upon the ways in which these ties increasingly are stretched across spaces and places. Critical engagements with the ways in which these spaces and places affect the economies, cultures and politics of the connections between producers and consumers are skilfully threaded through each section.

The Caribbean is one of the premier tourist destinations in the world. Changes in the travel patterns, markets and traveller motivations have brought considerable growth and dramatic change to the region's tourism sector. This book brings together a high calibre team of international researchers to provide an up-to-date assessment of the scope of tourism and the nature of tourism development in the Caribbean. It is a valuable resource for students of Tourism and Caribbean Studies, as well as governments, and national and regional tourism offices.

This book evaluates African Special Economic Zones from the perspective of learning from China's experiences with such Zones and the impact of Chinese policy and investment on African Zones. Utilising case studies of perceived successful Special Economic Zones in China, the book proposes the Chinese Model of Special Economic Zones as an evaluation and benchmarking tool against which African Special Economic Zones are considered. Applying several case studies on African Special Economic Zones, the book then details the competitiveness of African Special Economic Zones with a specific focus on attracting Chinese investors to these Zones. The economic, social and environmental impact of these zones are appraised. African Nations' efforts, or lack thereof, to enable successful Special Economic Zones are critically analysed. Finally, Special Economic Zones in Africa are compared against the Chinese Model; and an African Model of Special Economic Zones is proposed. Recommendations are presented to both African Nations' leadership and Chinese policymakers and investors as to how these Zones can be improved to enhance competitiveness and the attainment of the Zones' sustainable development objectives.

Clusters of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have to adapt continually to a fast changing environment. This new book, containing contributions on countries ranging from Italy and Mexico to China and India, recognises the disparity between conditions in these countries and poses some interesting questions about what might be termed post cluster globalisation. This book will be of interest to students, academics and policy makers in the fields of economic geography, international business and entrepreneurship.