Transport Geography: A bit of a caveat here and there1

But you must also be aware of another distinct bias nearly all of the examples are from the United States, Canada, Britain and Sweden. Is it fair? Are the new ideas to be found almost exclusively in these four countries —what the French call les Anglo-Saxons. Is this where the explosion in modern geography started, and continues to gather its strength? Now I am probably going to make myself extremely unpopular around the world but I am going to answer Yes to those three questions with a bit of a caveat here and there—which is the Latin word for a loophole you can wriggle out of if you have to     

GAME THEORIES? SPATIAL DIVISIONS OF LABOUR AND RATIONAL CHOICE MARXISM

Criticisms of Spatial Divisions of Labour have argued that the model ultimately dissolves into empirical particularities so that its theoretical tenets and context have been neglected. This paper attempts to draw out these premises by comparing Spatial Divisions of Labour with rational choice Marxism. Rational choice Marxism has aimed to provide microfoundations for structural categories by analysing the strategic interactions of individual actors. The approach has been criticised for relying on a rational, utilitarian and individualistic theory of action and, therefore, for assuming the constitution of agents to be given. The spatial divisions of labour approach also involves a move towards the microscale and emphasises the importance of strategic relations. In this case, the specified actors are collective entities. Once again, the aims and interests of the actors appear to be predetermined so that the significance of their interactions is limited. In conclusion it is argued that studies of uneven development should pay greater attention to the historical constitution of agents within their institutional contexts.     

An Inventory of Australian Estuaries and Enclosed Marine Waters: An Overview of Results.

The results of a recently completed inventory of Australian estuaries and enclosed marine waters are summarised The inventory was compiled to gain a national perspective on the ecological status of estuaries and to ufentify research and management priorities The database shows that most estuaries in northern and western Australia have been relatively unaffected by human activity. In contrast estuaries in eastern and southern Australia generally have lower water quality and greater catchment clearance and a high percentage face real threats to their conservation values The estuaries in N.S. W. and VicroM have the most ertensive literature available. The results suggest that, given clearly defined management priorities, many representative and important features can still be adequatety conserved in a national system of estuarine reserves Subject areas where more research is needed include individual catchment characteristics, water quality, fihehs and conservation values and more detailed mapping. especially for seagrass beds and intertidal mud banks.     

THE SIMULATION OF URBAN SYSTEM DYNAMICS IN ATLANTIC CANADA, 1951–1991

A dynamic urban model is used to study the post-war evolution of the Atlantic Canada urban system. The computer-based simulation model is calibrated for the period 1951-86 and then employed to predict the 1991 population of each cma and ca within the system. The simulation results show that, to a large extent, the evolution of the system can be understood in terms of endogenous system dynamics rather than exogenous events. Specifically, competition among the cities of the region is a significant factor in the urban system evolution. The high degree of abstraction of the model means that data requirements for application are minimal, and the calibration procedure is relatively simple. The successful predictions show that the model can yield useful results in spite of its simplicity.
Un modèle dynamique est employé afin ďétudier ľévolution du système urbain de la région atlantique du Canada depuis 1951. Le modèle de simulation est ďabord calibré sur la periode 1951-86, et ensuite utilisé pour générer une prévision de la population en 1991 de chaque rmr et ar dans la région. Les résultats montrent que ľévolution démographique du système peut être expliqué, pour la plupart, par la dynamique inhérente du système. Plus précisement, le processus de concurrence économique et démographique entre les villes de la région est décisif; les événements exogène sont ďune moindre importance. Le modèle est plutot simple et abstrait; par conséquent, son application exige relativement peu de donnés, et le procédé calibration est relativement simple. La qualité des prévisions déographiques indique que ce genre de modèle, malgrésa simplicité peut êre utile.     

Human and Natural Controls on the Accumulation,Acidification and Drainage of Pyritic Sediments: Pearl River Delta,China and Coastal New South Wales

There is increasing concern about environmental impacts of acidic drainage from acid sulphate soils on Holocene estuarine flood plains. Acidity derives from oxidation of iron pyrite in the sediments. Natural factors determine concentrations and distributions of pyrite accumulations, but human activities have reduced pyrite accumulation in the Pearl River Delta with land use practices increasing terrestrial sediment discharge. Large freshwater discharges and management techniques have enabled sustainable use of these soils. High concentrations of pyrite occur in many estuarine flood plains of Australia because of relatively greater marine inputs. Drainage of these soils enhances pyrite oxidation and estuarine acidification, which is associated with fish-kills. For sustainable development, the problems of acid sulphate soil drainage must be recognised and overcome.     

Economic processes and urban change: an analysis of contemporary patterns of residential restructuring

This article examines questions of explanation in urban geography through consideration of the gentrification process. Particular attention is given to the problems of ‘structural’ analyses and the need to develop alternative political economy perspectives.