Religion and relevance in human geography: Some further issues

In this paper I provide further discussion of a number of issues relating to the relevance of religion for a relevant human geography. These include the importance of a normative approach, the nature of relevant research, the implementation of research findings, and the value of a religious perspective for research in human geography and as an input to policy formulation.     

Household growth,housing demand and new settlements in Scotland

The question of how and where to accommodate the increasing number of households in Scotland represents a major challenge for policy makers and planners at the beginning of the twenty‐first century. The present research identifies the projected level and geographical incidence of household growth and housing demand in Scotland, identifies the principal alternative options for urban development and, within the context of the current policy and planning environment, assesses the potential contribution of a new settlement strategy to meet the challenge of urban development in contemporary Scotland.     

Planning urban growth in Scotland: The new settlement option

The question of how and where to accommodate the increasing number of households in Scotland represents a major challenge for policy makers and planners at the beginning of the 21st century. The present research ascertains the projected level and geographical incidence of household growth and housing demand in Scotland, identifies the principal alternative options for urban development and, with reference to a case study of urban growth in the Stirling region, assesses the potential contribution of a new settlement strategy to meet the challenge of urban development in contemporary Scotland.     

Environments of disadvantage: Geographies of persistent poverty in Glasgow

Persistence of poverty amidst plenty is a characteristic of advanced capitalist societies. In the UK most of the disadvantaged live in towns and cities, where despite half a century of the welfare state, poverty and deprivation remain serious problems for people and places marginal to the capitalist development process. This research employs data from successive national Censuses of Population to map the changing geography of disadvantage in the post‐industrial city of Glasgow. The findings provide insight into the effectiveness of past anti‐deprivation strategies and signpost areas for future action.     

The Retirement Village as a Residential Environment for the Third Age – The Example of Firhall,Scotland

Abstract

Retirement villages represent a recent addition to the range of residential options for older people in the UK. Research has focused on the development and nature of retirement housing in the public and voluntary sectors in England. Limited attention has been directed to the private retirement communities and, in particular, to the lived experience of residents in private sector retirement villages. This research, which is the first study of a private retirement village in Scotland, overcomes this information deficit by identifying the nature and growth of private retirement villages in the UK and exploring the lived experience of residents of the private retirement village of Firhall. The discussion is organised into four main parts. Part I examines the concept of the retirement village. Part II explains the growth and geography of retirement villages in the UK. Part III comprises the empirical analysis of the case study retirement village. The research identifies the social, economic and demographic characteristics of the village population and provides insight into lived experience of the residents in the study village. Finally, in part IV, the discussion identifies a number of key issues for further research, and the potential contribution of retirement villages for meeting the needs and preferences of the growing third age population of the UK.