Abstract

Traditionally, applied aspects of human geography are mainly associated with economic geography, regional development and spatial planning. 
 In the debate on the application potential of the discipline, a number of important problems of social, political and cultural geography, relevant to various contemporary processes on a global and regional scale, are marginalized. For this reason, the author undertakes a critical rethinking of the current debate on the applied aspects of research in human geography. 
 A brief review of the conceptual and institutional development of applied geography in the world and in selected national schools is made. The author also distinguishes two research orientations: 1) strategic orientation – connected to studies carried out at the international, national and macro-regional spatial levels; 2) operational orientation – concerning applied studies undertook on a scale of separate municipalities, cities, neighbourhoods or even separate streets and buildings.
 Taking an attempt to overcome the narrow understandings of the frameworks of applied human geography, the author presents a new definition and tries to identify the main challenges for geographers that work in the field of Human Geography. Applied aspects of basic directions of human geography from the point of view of their broader interdisciplinary ties are also indicated.

Highlights

  • Reflection on the social functions and the possibilities of applying knowledge generated by geographers in practice accompanies geographical thought at all stages of its development as a modern academic field

  • The author has in mind “non-physical” part of the discipline intentionally specified as human geography

  • This paper focuses on chosen concepts and schools which deal with practical aspects of human geography

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Summary

Introduction

Reflection on the social functions and the possibilities of applying knowledge generated by geographers in practice accompanies geographical thought at all stages of its development as a modern academic field. Applied aspects of human geography and their scope are treated differently in national schools and in the views of individual scientists (Leszczycki, 1962; Parysek, 1990, 2004; Pacione, 1999, 2011; Chojncki, 2010; Phlipponneau, 2004; Aleksandrova, 2006; Gladkiy, 2010; Anoshko, 2011; Lee, Sui, 2015; Mihaylov, Runge, 2018) For this reason, an attempt to systematize the current priorities in application research in the field of human geography was made in the paper. This paper focuses on chosen concepts and schools which deal with practical aspects of human geography Contentious issues in this field are addressed in their formal dimension (e.g. in institutional projects or publications) as well as in backstage disputes and relations of geographers. Conceptual and institutional development of applied geography in the world and in selected national schools

General remarks
Applied Geography in Western schools of geography
Constructive geography in the former USSR and Russia
Applied aspects of Human Geography in Poland
Research scale
Author’s concept of applied human geography
Closing remarks
Full Text
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