Geography Compass最新文献

Drawing on established scholarship in the historical geography of science, the history of technology and science and technology studies, this paper argues for the significance of an historical geography of engineering. Large-scale and transformative infrastructure projects have been a common focus in historical geography, however comparatively little attention has been paid to the engineers responsible for designing and implementing them. This paper reviews recent work which has foregrounded engineers and their work across diverse times and places. It conceptualises engineering in three ways: as a form of knowledge about the world that is connected to, but distinct from, science; as a set of practices undertaken in specific locations; and as an identity that, since the profession's origin in the 18th century, has enabled individuals to claim expertise in relation to environmental management and therefore exert power over land, territory and people. The article reviews geographical inquiry that foregrounds these perspectives on engineering and suggests future directions for research in the field.

The use of data and statistics along with computational systems heralded the beginning of a quantitative revolution in Geography. Use of simulation models (Cellular Automata and Agent-Based Models) followed in the late 1990s, with ontology and epistemology of complexity theory and modelling being defined a little less than two decades ago. We are, however, entering a new era where sensors regularly collect and update large amounts of spatio-temporal data. We define this ‘Big Data’ as geolocated data collected in sufficiently high volume (exceeding storage capacities of the largest personal hard drives currently available), that is updated at least daily, from a variety of sources in different formats, often without recourse to verification of its accuracy. We then identify the exponential growth in the use of complexity simulation models in the past two decades via an extensive literature review (broken down by application area), but also notice a recent slowdown. Further, a gap in the utilisation of Big Data by modellers to calibrate and validate their models is noted, which we attribute to data availability issues. We contend that Big Data can significantly boost simulation modelling, if certain constraints and issues are managed properly.

Green Skills are considered a prerequisite for sustainability transitions. However, existing literature shows heterogenous meanings of Green Skills, which are based on normative assumptions about what is understood as ‘green’ and ‘skill’. Despite the high expectations of Green Skills as a driving force for increasing sustainability of companies and regions, there is a research gap about implementation of Green Skills in vocational education and further training, and their impact on sustainability transitions. This paper is based on a literature review and reveals a fertile field for investigation, creating clarity by systematically analysing the fragmented literature and suggesting a research agenda for economic geography and labour geography.

Sense of place has become relevant in Latin America in recent decades. Although many scholars have looked at people-place relationships there, language barriers have limited the international exposure of these studies. By assembling a collection of works mainly published in Spanish and Portuguese, we trace the fields of research where the concept has taken root and reflect upon the regional characteristics of sense of place. Overall, this review provides empirical insights into the human experience of place in a culturally diverse region marked by historical injustices, inequalities, and instability. These structures have created specific, often ambivalent senses of place, organized around resistance and adaptation. A more nuanced understanding of sense of place, which emphasizes the richness and complexities of people-place connections, will help avoid oversimplification and idealization in future theories. To frame our analysis, we investigate sense of place from the perspective of humanistic geography. Overlapping with other non-representational inquiries, the humanistic lens focuses on human-environment relationships—encompassing experiences, behaviors, ideas, and feelings—to deepen our understanding of the intricate and multifaceted human condition and the essential role of place in human life. Our review shows that sense of place has proven helpful in shedding light on critical Latin American socio-spatial phenomena such as mobilities, territorialities, and fear. Regionally, researchers center on marginalized and oppressed senses of place framed by longstanding structural inequalities stemming from a colonial legacy, capitalism, and neoliberalism. We highlight “geographies of terror,” “diabolic places,” and “necroplaces” as powerful categories that address the grim reality in the region.