How alternative food networks work in a metropolitan area? An analysis of Solidarity Purchase Groups in Northern Italy

Our paper focuses on Solidarity Purchase Group (SPG) participants located in a highly urbanized area, with the aim to investigate the main motivations underlining their participation in a SPG and provide a characterization of them. To this end, we carried out a survey of 795 participants involved in 125 SPGs in the metropolitan area of Milan (Italy). Taking advantage of a questionnaire with 39 questions, we run a factor analysis and a two-step cluster analysis to identify different profiles of SPG participants. Our results show that the system of values animating metropolitan SPG practitioners does not fully conform to that traditionally attributed to an alternative food network (AFN). In fact, considerations linked to food safety and healthiness prevail on altruistic motives such as environmental sustainability and solidarity toward small producers. Furthermore, metropolitan SPGs do not consider particularly desirable periurban and local food products. Observing the SPGs from this perspective, it emerges as such initiatives can flourish also in those places where the lack of connection with the surrounding territory is counterbalanced by the high motivation to buy products from trusted suppliers who are able to guarantee genuine and safe products, not necessarily located nearby

Developing a conceptual model of marine farming in New Zealand

Survey and Geographic Information System (GIS) data analysis describes the relative influence of biophysical and human variables on site choices made by marine farmers in New Zealand. Community conflicts have grown in importance in determining farm location and different government planning strategies leave distinct signature patterns. Recent legislation empowers local governments to choose among three strategies for future regional aquaculture development. This paper suggests each strategy could result in different spatial outcomes. Simulation modelling of the type described here can provide a better understanding of farmer responses to management approaches and the range of futures that could result from planning choices made today

Creating Open Source Geodemographic Classifications for Higher Education Applications

This paper explores the use of geodemographic classifications to investigate the social, economic and spatial dimensions of participation in higher education. Education is a public service that confers very significant and tangible benefits upon receiving individuals: as such, we argue that understanding the geodemography of educational opportunity requires an application-specific classification, that exploits under-used educational data sources. We develop a classification for the UK higher education sector, and apply it to the Gospel Oak area of London. We discuss the wider merits of sector specific applications of geodemographics, with particular reference to issues of public service provision

Understanding citizen science and environmental monitoring: final report on behalf of UK Environmental Observation Framework

Citizen science can broadly be defined as the involvement of volunteers in science. Over the past decade there has been a rapid increase in the number of citizen science initiatives. The breadth of environmental-based citizen science is immense. Citizen scientists have surveyed for and monitored a broad range of taxa, and also contributed data on weather and habitats reflecting an increase in engagement with a diverse range of observational science. Citizen science has taken many varied approaches from citizen-led (co-created) projects with local community groups to, more commonly, scientist-led mass participation initiatives that are open to all sectors of society. Citizen science provides an indispensable means of combining environmental research with environmental education and wildlife recording. Here we provide a synthesis of extant citizen science projects using a novel cross-cutting approach to objectively assess understanding of citizen science and environmental monitoring including: 1. Brief overview of knowledge on the motivations of volunteers. 2. Semi-systematic review of environmental citizen science projects in order to understand the variety of extant citizen science projects. 3. Collation of detailed case studies on a selection of projects to complement the semi-systematic review. 4. Structured interviews with users of citizen science and environmental monitoring data focussing on policy, in order to more fully understand how citizen science can fit into policy needs. 5. Review of technology in citizen science and an exploration of future opportunities

Culture and Urban Revitalization: A Harvest Document

Advocates have long argued that the economic benefits of the arts and culture provide a firm rationale for public support. Recent scholarship on the "creative class" and "creative economy" is simply the latest effort to link cultural expression to community prosperity. In contrast, the social benefits of cultural engagement have received relatively little attention, even though -- as we shall see -- they provide a stronger case.We need to avoid a simplistic either-or choice between the economic and social impacts of the arts. People who live in our cities, suburbs, and countryside are simultaneously consumers, workers, residents, citizens, and participants. Culture's role in promoting community capacity and civic engagement is central to its potential for generating vital cultural districts. To separate the economic and the social impacts of the arts makes each more difficult to understand.This document provides an overview of the state-of-the-art literature on culture and urban revitalization. In Part 2, we place the creative sector in contemporary context with a discussion of three social dynamics. The "new urban reality" has restructured our cities by increasing social diversity -- fueled by new residential patterns, the emergence of young adult districts, and immigration; expanding economic inequality; and changing urban form. Shifts in the economic and political environment have changed the structure of the creative sector. Finally, the changing balance of government, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions in social policy development -- the shift to transactional policymaking -- has profound implications for cultural policy and the creative sector broadly defined. These three forces -- the new urban reality, the changing structure of the creative sector, and the emergence of transactional policy-making -- define the context within which culture-based revitalization takes place

An alternative regional strategy

Regions, this extract suggests, cannot bring about regional inequality without significant national level action. The key, it is claimed, is a ‘national commitment to decentre the economy’. As well as re-examining some current regional policy – such as whether knowledge transfer needs to happen locally or how foreign investment might be better harnessed – this manifesto argues that national policy needs to be made far more sensitive to the regional agenda

South American Expert Roundtable : increasing adaptive governance capacity for coping with unintended side effects of digital transformation

This paper presents the main messages of a South American expert roundtable (ERT) on the unintended side effects (unseens) of digital transformation. The input of the ERT comprised 39 propositions from 20 experts representing 11 different perspectives. The two-day ERT discussed the main drivers and challenges as well as vulnerabilities or unseens and provided suggestions for: (i) the mechanisms underlying major unseens; (ii) understanding possible ways in which rebound effects of digital transformation may become the subject of overarching research in three main categories of impact: development factors, society, and individuals; and (iii) a set of potential action domains for transdisciplinary follow-up processes, including a case study in Brazil. A content analysis of the propositions and related mechanisms provided insights in the genesis of unseens by identifying 15 interrelated causal mechanisms related to critical issues/concerns. Additionally, a cluster analysis (CLA) was applied to structure the challenges and critical developments in South America. The discussion elaborated the genesis, dynamics, and impacts of (groups of) unseens such as the digital divide (that affects most countries that are not included in the development of digital business, management, production, etc. tools) or the challenge of restructuring small- and medium-sized enterprises (whose service is digitally substituted by digital devices). We identify specific issues and effects (for most South American countries) such as lack of governmental structure, challenging geographical structures (e.g., inclusion in high-performance transmission power), or the digital readiness of (wide parts) of society. One scientific contribution of the paper is related to the presented methodology that provides insights into the phenomena, the causal chains underlying “wanted/positive” and “unwanted/negative” effects, and the processes and mechanisms of societal changes caused by digitalization

Synthesis and final recommendations on the development of a European Information System for Organic Markets. = Deliverable D6 of the European Project EISfOM QLK5-2002-02400

Executive summary European markets for organic products are growing rapidly, but the market information available in most European countries is woefully inadequate. Often only very basic data such as certified organic holdings and land area are reported, and sometimes not even individual crop areas or livestock numbers. Important market data, such as the amount of production, consumption, international trade or producer and consumer prices, do not exist in most European countries. In some European countries there are only rough estimates of the levels of production and consumption. There is no standardisation and data are seldom comparable. Furthermore, detailed information on specific commodities is missing. Hence, investment decisions are taken under conditions of great uncertainty. Policy evaluation, including periodic monitoring of the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming and RDP 2007-2013, will require many other data in addition to those regarding production structures and financial data that are already available, but obtaining this information would require a new EU-wide data collection and processing system (DCPS) to be put in place. The European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) project is an EUfunded Concerted Action which has analysed and documented the current situation and proposed ways in which organic data collection and processing systems (DCPS) can be improved by means of: • improvement in the current situation of data collecting and processing systems for the organic sector • innovation in data collection and processing systems for the organic sector • integration of conventional and organic data collection and processing systems This report summarises the most relevant findings of the EISfOM project, which are analysed in the main project reports: Wolfert, S., Kramer, K. J., Richter, T., Hempfling, G., Lux. S. and Recke, G. (eds.) (2004). Review of data collection and processing systems for organic and conventional markets. EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. Recke, G., Hamm, U., Lampkin, N., Zanoli, R., Vitulano, S. and Olmos, S. (eds.) (2004a) Report on proposals for the development, harmonisation and quality assurance of organic data collection and processing systems (DCPS). EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. Recke, G., Willer, H., Lampkin, N. and Vaughan, A. (eds.) (2004b). Development of a European Information System for Organic Markets – Improving the Scope and Quality of Statistical Data. Proceedings of the 1st EISfOM European Seminar, Berlin, Germany, 26-27 April, 2004. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland. www.eisfom.org/publications. Gleirscher, N., Schermer, M., Wroblewska, M. and Zakowska-Biemans, S. (2005) Report on the evaluation of the pilot case studies. EISfOM (QLK5-2002-02400) project deliverable submitted to European Commission. www.eisfom.org/publications. QLK5-2002-02400 European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) D6 final report Rippin, M. and Lampkin, N. (eds.) (2005) Framework for a European Information System for Organic Markets. Unpublished report of the project European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) (QLK5-2002-02400). Rippin, M., Willer, H., Lampkin, N., and Vaughan A. (2006). Towards a European Framework for Organic Market information, Proceedings of the 2nd EISfOM European Seminar, Brussels, November 10 and 11, 2005. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland. www.eisfom.org/publications

Categorisation of Open Government Data Literature

Background: Due to the emerging global interest in Open Government Data, research papers on various topics in this area have increased. Objectives: This paper aims to categorise Open government data research. Methods/Approach: A literature review was conducted to provide a complete overview and classification of open government data research. Hierarchical clustering, a cluster analysis method, was used, and a hierarchy of clusters on selected data sets emerged. Results: The results of this study suggest that there are two distinct clusters of research, which either focus on government perspectives and policies on OGD, initiatives, and portals or focus on regional studies, adoption of OGD, platforms, and barriers to implementation. Further findings suggest that research gaps could be segmented into many thematic areas, focusing on success factors, best practices, the impact of open government data, barriers/challenges in implementing open government data, etc. Conclusions: The extension of the paper, which was first presented at the Entrenova conference, provides a comprehensive overview of research to date on the implementation of OGD and points out that this topic has already received research attention, which focuses on specific segments of the phenomenon and signifies in which direction new research should be made