Shipping and port systems are vital to societies and lifestyles around the world. In the late twentieth century, however, assumptions concerning the robustness of these systems were severely shaken by economic shocks triggered by oil crises. This volume explores how many of the consequent uncertainties have been resolved, and how adapted systems have been shaped to meet the challenges of the new millennium. To explore these issues, contributors focus on issues such as: * economic integration of emerging economies - in particular China * sectors as diverse as the high-speed ferry and offshore oil industries * pollution problems generated by shipping Contributors' investigations, such as those into the homogenisation of the container industry and the port cluster concept and 'model' vessels for the offshore oil industry, make for a rewarding book that will be of interest to academics working in many fields including transport studies, marine and coastal studies and economic geography. Professional organizations and policy-makers will also appreciate the book.

Shipping and port systems are vital to societies and lifestyles around the world. In the late twentieth-century, however, assumptions concerning the robustness of these systems were severely shaken by economic shocks triggered by oil crises.
This volume explores how many of the consequent uncertainties have been resolved, and how adapted systems have been shaped to meet the challenges of the new millennium. To explore these issues, contributors focus on issues such as:
* Economic integration of emerging economies - in particular China
* Sectors as diverse as the high-speed ferry and offshore oil industries
* Pollution problems generated by shipping
Contributors' investigations, such as those in to the homogenization of the container industry and the port cluster concept and 'model' vessels for the offshore oil industry, make for a rewarding book that will be of interest to academics working in many fields including transport studies, marine and coastal studies and economic geography. Professional Organizations and policy-makers will also appreciate the book.

One popular view of the Netherlands is that of a society oriented towards agriculture and associated processing industries. But although these activities enjoy greater prominence than in most developed countries, in reality the Dutch economy is based on a broad range of manufacturing, the extent and character of which has experienced rapid evolutio

Originally published in 1983, when Europe's economies were facing the worst recession since the 1930s, this book reviews the outcome of a quarter of a century of research and practical experience in the field of regional economic management. In the spatial context of the European Community, the author explores central issues by integrating the results of his own research with those of economists, geographers, economic historians and psychologists. It provides a wide survey of the subject, demonstrates the complexity of the spatial-economic systems which the regional economic planner seeks to modify, analyses the strategies for regional development employed by national and international agencies and offers a substantial annotated bibliography. Contradictions arising from the contrasting spatial perspectives of national governments and the European Commission are emphasised. Among other things, it concludes that many regional problems strongly reflect perception and behavioural factors as well as purely economic constraints.

Originally published in 1983, when Europe's economies were facing the worst recession since the 1930s, this book reviews the outcome of a quarter of a century of research and practical experience in the field of regional economic management. In the spatial context of the European Community, the author explores central issues by integrating the results of his own research with those of economists, geographers, economic historians and psychologists. It provides a wide survey of the subject, demonstrates the complexity of the spatial-economic systems which the regional economic planner seeks to modify, analyses the strategies for regional development employed by national and international agencies and offers a substantial annotated bibliography. Contradictions arising from the contrasting spatial perspectives of national governments and the European Commission are emphasised. Among other things, it concludes that many regional problems strongly reflect perception and behavioural factors as well as purely economic constraints.

One popular view of the Netherlands is that of a society oriented towards agriculture and associated processing industries. The primary aim of the first half of this book is to chart this evolutionary process and its formative influences, thereby providing a background to the contemporary industrial scene. The early chapters offer initial insights into inter-regional industrial contrasts and into the problems that beset regional manufacturing economies.

Cultural Geography in Practice provides an innovative and accessible approach to the sources, theories and methods of cultural geography. Written by an international team of prominent cultural geographers, all of whom are experienced researchers, this book is a fully illustrated guide to methodological approaches in cultural geography.
In order to demonstrate the practice of cultural geography each chapter combines the following features:
*Practical instruction in using one of the main methods of cultural geography (e.g. interviewing, interpreting texts and visual images, participatory methods)
*An overview of a key area of concern in cultural geography (e.g. the body, national identity, empire, marginality)
*A nuts and bolts description of the actual application of the theories and methods within a piece of research
With the addition of boxed definitions of key concepts and descriptions of research projects by students who devised and undertook them, Cultural Geography in Practice is an essential manual of research practice for both undergraduate and graduate students in geography and related disciplines.

In recent years, developing a value proposition has become a prime consideration for businesses. A value proposition is an analysis and quantified review of the business benefits, costs and value that a company can deliver to prospective customers and customer segments. Creating and Delivering your Value Proposition provides guidance for business leaders - demonstrating why having a strong value proposition is so important for a company. This practical first edition shows readers how to build, deliver and harness value propositions to create profitable growth for any business, by utilizing the experience of clients and customers. Featuring global case studies and examples, Creating and Delivering your Value Proposition is an essential guide for all senior practitioners to understand and develop a value-focused strategy.

To stay in business and thrive during this recession, companies need to focus and hone their value. If clients complain about the cost of a product or service, then a company is not demonstrating the superior value of their product or service. Discounting is always an option, but this means losing value during the sale - value that will be hard to regain in the future.

Instead, companies need to prove their superior value to clients using bottom-line terms - i.e. they need strong value propositions. "Creating and Delivering Your Value Proposition" shows how to do this. It explains what a value proposition is and how to build and deliver one. The authors argue that, contrary to the norm, value propositions cannot rest on unsupported marketing claims. Rather, a value proposition must be must be created at the strategy level and expressed in measurable terms.

Visions of the City is a dramatic account of utopian urbanism in the twentieth century. It explores radical demands for new spaces and ways of living, and considers their effects on planning, architecture and struggles to shape urban landscapes. Such visions, it shows, have played a crucial role in informing understandings and imaginings of the modern city. The author critically examines influential traditions in western Europe associated with such figures as Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier, uncovering the political interests, desires and anxieties that lay behind their ideal cities, and drawing out their 'noir side'. He also investigates oppositional perspectives from the time that challenged these rationalist conceptions of cities and urban life, and that disturbed their dreams of order, especially from within surrealism. At the heart of this richly illustrated book is an encounter with the explosive ideas of the situationists. Tracing the subversive practices of this avant-garde group and its associates from their explorations of Paris during the 1950s to their projects for an alternative 'unitary urbanism', David Pinder convincingly explains the significance of their revolutionary attempts to transform urban space and everyday life. He addresses in particular Constant's vision of New Babylon, finding within his proposals for future spaces produced through nomadic life, creativity and play a still powerful challenge to imagine cities otherwise. The book not only recovers vital moments from past hopes and dreams of modern urbanism. It also contests current claims about the 'end of utopia', arguing that reconsidering earlier projects can play a critical role in developing utopian perspectives today. Through the study of utopian visions, it aims to rekindle elements of utopianism itself.

"Visions of the City" is a dramatic history of utopian urbanism in the twentieth century. It explores radical demands for new spaces and ways of living, and considers their effects on planning, architecture and struggles to shape urban landscapes. The author critically examines influential utopian approaches to urbanism in western Europe associated with such figures as Ebenezer Howard and Le Corbusier, uncovering the political interests, desires and anxieties that lay behind their ideal cities. He also investigates avant-garde perspectives from the time that challenged these conceptions of cities, especially from within surrealism. At the heart of this richly illustrated book is an encounter with the explosive ideas of the situationists. Tracing the subversive practices of this avant-garde group and its associates from their explorations of Paris during the 1950s to their alternative visions based on nomadic life and play, David Pinder convincingly explains the significance of their revolutionary attempts to transform urban spaces and everyday life. He addresses in particular Constant's New Babylon, finding within his proposals a still powerful provocation to imagine cities otherwise. The book not only recovers vital moments from past hopes and dreams of modern urbanism. It also contests current claims about the 'end of utopia', arguing that reconsidering earlier projects can play a critical role in developing utopian perspectives today. Through the study of utopian visions, it aims to rekindle elements of utopianism itself.

"A superb critical exploration of the underside of utopian thought over the last hundred years and its continuing relevance in the here and now for thinkingabout possible urban worlds. The treatment of the Situationists and their milieu is a revelation."
David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, City University of New York Graduate School