Exploring Sustainable Development: Geographical Perspectives

Martin Purvis, Alan Grainger

Earthscan, 2004 - Business & Economics - 401 pages

Sustainable development is capturing the attention of planners, politicians and business leaders. Within the academic sphere its study is increasingly breaching disciplinary boundaries to become a focus of attention for natural and social scientists alike. But in studying such a key concept, it is vital that there is a clear definition of what it means, how it is applied on the ground, and the influence it exerts upon people's perceptions of change in the physical environment, economic activity and society.Exploring Sustainable Development is a major new text which provides a multifaceted introduction to key areas of study in this field, examining sustainability at the full range of spatial scales from the local to the global. Building on existing theory it demonstrates the unique contributions that thinking geographically about space, place and human-environment relationships can bring to the analysis of sustainable development. This book explores different interpretations of sustainable development in both theory and practice, in developed and developing countries, and in rural and urban areas. It pays particular attention to the local, national and international politics of implementation, the future of climate and energy, the role of business, and different conceptions of agricultural sustainability.This wide-ranging text is ideal for undergraduates and postgraduates in geography, environmental science, development studies, and related social and political sciences.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Geography and Sustainable Development: 33
• The Role of Spatial Scale and Spatial Interactions in Sustainable Development: 50
• Linking the Local to the Global: 85
• Forecasting Urban Futures: 99
• Making Cities More Sustainable: 128
• Business Capital and Sustainable Economic Development: 156
• Sustainable Agricuture for the 21st Century: 179
• Sustaining the Flow: 207
• Sustainable Futures for the Arctic North: 230
• Climate Change Energy and Sustainable Development: 250
• Sustainable Development and International Relations: 279
• Future Perspectives: 313
• References: 340
• Index: 388

About the author

Martin Purvis and Alan Grainger are Senior Lecturers in Geography at the University of Leeds.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Exploring Sustainable Development: Geographical Perspectives; Online access with subscription: Proquest Ebook Central
• Editors: Martin Purvis, Alan Grainger
• Publisher: Earthscan, 2004
• ISBN: 1849771294, 9781849771290
• Length: 401 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Development / Economic Development; Business & Economics / Development / Sustainable Development; Business & Economics / Economic Conditions; Nature / Ecology; Science / Environmental Science; Social Science / Developing & Emerging Countries; Technology & Engineering / Environmental / General