Editorial Essay

The word nomad, etymologically from the Greek word for pasture, evokes images of a pastoral landscape, a culture that relocates periodically, and suggests also that people's movement might occur in accordance with "rhythms of the landscape." Nomadic cultures, particularly those which survive today in the face of increasing cultural homogeneity, have long held a fascination for more settled cultures. NOMAD is not however, an anthropological investigation of differing nomadic cultures and their representation. Rather, the use of nomad as a theme for this issue provides the opportunity to conceive of the idea of nomad more broadly through themes of travel, movement, memory, displacement, imposition of boundaries and ideas about home, Diaspora and belonging. The nomad is at once the versatile intellectual, the wandering revolutionary, the environmental studies student, the cyber junky, the canoe tripper, and so on.&nbsp

Assessing Municipal Lawn Care Reform: The Case of a Lawn Pesticide By-Law in the Town of Caledon, Ontario, Canada

This paper explores the significance of the rapid increase in municipal by-laws restricting the use of pesticides on lawns and their support by the courts and higher political jurisdictions in Canada. Using a review on the literature of lawn management, recent policy events in Canada, and a case study of the Town of Caledon in Ontario, the study confirms the power of local democratic forces in support of such initiatives, but cautions against an overly positive view. Selective community backing, the continued endorsement of an industrial lawn aesthetic, and the continued strength of the pesticide industry sector and its supporters, can compromise both the extent and quality of the effectiveness of a by-law. The study points to the value and urgency of further research and assessments of individual municipal by-laws and their local and cumulative impacts

Consumer preferences in the design of airport passenger areas

In recent decades, commercial developments have become increasingly important for the overall profit of airports. However, little is known about consumer preferences regarding the design of passenger areas, which is striking as the design of terminal buildings affects consumers' emotional state and shopping behaviour. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how architectural design characteristics are valued by airport passengers, using visualizations of hypothetical passenger areas. Discrete choice experiments were used to investigate passenger preferences for eight design characteristics. Data on 346 passengers were collected in June 2008 in departure and transfer areas at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Analyses showed that passengers preferred a passenger area with a curvilinear roof, a curved layout, the presence of greenery, no decoration reflecting the distinctiveness of Holland, warm lighting, wide dimensions and white materials. Signage had no influence.Real Estate & HousingArchitecture and The Built Environmen