Looking into the future and trying to visualize long-run regional disparities is difficult. There is no agreed single theory to guide our model building, although some insight can be gained from analysisofthe past and by looking at the differ- ent theoretical positions to see if there is any agreement at least in terms of out- come ifnot in terms of mechanism. This is what is attempted in this book, which brings together specialists with a common interest in European regional growth and in applying quantitative analytical and simulation techniques in order to pro- vide different perspectives...

Our world is continuously changing as new technologies are developed, demographic patterns evolve and new social and political configurations emerge. However, most people would agree that, not unlike the time of the Industrial Revolution, the rate of change has accelerated over the last few decades. It is certainly the case of many economic activities, where the trend towards globalization, supported by a faster diffusion of knowledge and information, economies of scale, the opening of borders and improved transport networks, has induced a spatial redistribution of production and ownership....

This book brings together a collection of innovative papers on strategies for analyzing the spatial and economic impacts of disasters. Natural and human-induced disasters pose several challenges for conventional modeling. For example, disasters entail complex linkages between the natural, built, and socio-economic environments. They often create chaos and economic disequilibrium, and can also cause unexpected long-term, structural changes. Dynamic interactions among agents and behavioral adjustments in a disaster become complicated. The papers in this volume make notable progress in tackling...

1 2 Daniel Felsenstein and Boris A. Portnov 1 Department of Geography, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 2 Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Haifa, Israel During the Candiot War of 1645-1669, the Ottoman Sultan Ibrahim I ordered his chief admiral to attack Malta. Fearing imminent defeat by the superior Venetian forces stationed on the island, the admiral decided to trick the sultan out of the idea. As the story goes, he placed a candle on his naval map, allowing the wax to drip on the tiny island until it was completely covered. Then he exclaimed...

Geocomputation may be viewed as the application of a computational science paradigm to study a wide range of problems in geographical systems contexts.
This volume presents a clear, comprehensive and thoroughly state-of-the-art overview of current research, written by leading figures in the field.
It provides important insights into this new and rapidly developing field and attempts to establish the principles, and to develop techniques for solving real world problems in a wide array of application domains with a catalyst to greater understanding of what geocomputation is and what it...

In recent years there has been growing scientific interest in the triangular relationship between knowledge. complexity and innovation systems. The concept of'innovation systems' carries the idea that innovations do not originate as isolated discrete phenomena, but are generated through the interaction of a number of actors or agents. This set of actors and interactions possess certain specific characteristics that tend to remain over time. Such characteristics are also shared by national, regional, sectoral and technological interaction systems. They can all be represented as sets of ...

The book reconsiders the issue of regional development from a European perspective in light of transition of society towards a knowledge-driven economy. It integrates research findings from a broad area including: economics, transportation, geography and regional science. In particular, it offers insights about innovation systems, learning regions and human resources; competitiveness and cooperation; mobility and transport infrastructure and regional development and policy. The contributions provide an excellent coverage of current conceptual and theoretical developments, and valuable...

Planning Support Systems: Technologies that are Driving Planning Michael Batty Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA), University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC 1 E 6BT, United Kingdom I had always thought the term 'Planning Support Systems', abbreviated to PSS, had been coined by the father of land use modelling, Britton Harris, in his article 'Beyond Geographic Information Systems: computers and the planning professional' published in the Journal of the American Planning Association in 1989 (Harris 1989). Until I asked hirn, that iso In a response to a paper he gave...

Knowledge has in recent years become a key driver for growth of regions and nations. This volume empirically investigates the emergence of the knowledge economy in the late 20th century from a regional point of view. It first deals with the theoretical background for understanding the knowledge economy, with knowledge spillovers and development externalities. It then examines aspects of the relationship between knowledge inputs and innovative outputs in the information, computer and telecommunications sector (ICT) of the economy at the regional level. Case studies focusing on a wide variety...