Geographical Approach Research Articles

Challenging the boundaries of exclusive Europeanisation: How young refugees unsettle normative spaces of urban citizenship

This article combines postcolonial and feminist geography approaches to make sense of refugees’ everyday lives in Europe. The article weaves ‘global’ accounts on migration and ‘local’ negotiations of inclusion and exclusion into one story: how young refugees, within urban spaces of arrival, challenge and reformulate European orders of belonging and citizenship. Departing from works that conceptualise arrival within the urban fabric, it suggests a postcolonial lens to young refugees’ intimate and embodied processes of emplacement. My explorations are based on field research conducted in the East German city of Leipzig. This local urban context provides unique insights into how migration-related phenomena are negotiated in a very particular European region in which postsocialist and postcolonial histories of migration intersect. Based on qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations, the article interprets the young peoples’ articulations as ways of ‘speaking back’ to and countering the violent and hierarchical segmentation of the (post)colonial world. In creating alternative spaces of belonging, citizenship and encounter, they decentre Europe from below.

Transnational media corporations in global media cities: A geographical approach to understanding media power through corporate office networks

A central concern of media scholars has been the discursive and economic power of a small number of transnational media corporations (TNMCs). In this paper, we advance research on TNMC power through a novel empirical analysis of their global-spatial organization, reflected in their corporate global office networks. Our findings reveal both global and regional corporate strategies and, further, demonstrate how US new media firms are expanding into Chinese global media cities to penetrate this emerging media market. Our analyses provide a crucial macro-level overview of the structural power of TNMCs to consolidate control over the global network of media.

The Transportation Revolution and the English Coal Industry, 1695–1842: A Geographical Approach

Cross sections of coal prices in England for 1695, 1795, and 1842 are used to infer transportation rates by sea, river, canal, and road. The effectiveness of monopolies, the degree of market integration, and the patterns of regional supply of each mining district are then established. The growth rates of productivity in sea, river, and road transport from 1695–1842 are computed and combined with a social savings assessment of canals to measure the overall growth in the productivity of shipping coal. Productivity growth was substantial but had a surprisingly limited impact on the geography of production and consumption.

THE ROLE OF TOURIST AND EXCURSION ACTIVITIES IN INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article reveals the peculiarities of tourist-excursion activity as a complex and integrative educational process. Its role in increasing the effectiveness of the educational process in institutions of general secondary education is shown. The author also provides directions for realizing the potential of tourist and excursion work for the implementation of a competence approach in school geography.

Dementia, music, and fields of care

ABSTRACT The number of elderly people is rising in many countries and a marked increase in people susceptible to dementia can be expected. Research in the field of arts and health shows that culture and art can have a positive effect for dementia sufferers. The author takes his starting point in earlier research in this field and shows that systematic use of biographically adapted music and song can have a positive effect for dementia sufferers. Music and song can provide pleasure, activity, merriment, reduced uneasiness, and emotions, which to a certain degree help them to awaken and recognize memories. He examines the relationship between place as fields of care, music, dementia, and memory, and addresses how humanistic geography and awareness of place may contribute to increased understanding of the effect that use of music and song can have for alleviating suffering. The main findings are that biographically adapted music and song can have positive effects in reawakening and recognition of memories for people suffering from dementia, and through memories sufferers can maintain emotional ties to places embodied in their earlier life. The author concludes that a humanistic geographical approach could indicate the importance of place and home for dementia sufferers.

Implications of Climate Change on Wind Energy Potential

This study examines the crucial role of wind energy in mitigating global warming and promoting sustainable energy development, with a focus on the impact of climate change on wind power potential. While technological progress has facilitated the expansion of the industry, it is crucial to continue making advancements to reduce the life-cycle emissions of wind turbines and ensure their long-term sustainability. Temporal discontinuities present a significant challenge for renewable energy sources. This study highlights the potential of hybrid systems to provide consistent energy output from wind sources. It also examines the variability in wind patterns caused by climate change, acknowledging that outcomes vary depending on geographic contexts, modeling approaches, and climate projections. Notably, inconsistencies in wind speed projections from downscaled general circulation models introduce uncertainties. While specific regions, such as North America, project an increase in wind speeds, others, such as the Mediterranean, face a potential decrease. Of particular note is the forecast for a potential long-term increase in wind speeds in Northern Europe. In conclusion, the wind energy industry displays considerable potential for growth, driven by technological advancements. However, the complexities resulting from climate change necessitate further research. Such insights are crucial for informed energy policy formulation and sustainable industry progress.

Mapping the Land Suitability Rating of Arabica Coffee Crops: A Geographical Indication Factor-Based Approach

Aims: To map land suitability ratings and organoleptic characteristics of arabica coffee using physical and human dimension attributes constructed from geographical indication components.
 Study Design: The study was designed in an integrated manner, using a quantitative approach integrated with a qualitative-descriptive approach and supported by field surveys.
 Place and Duration of Study: Conducted in 3 sub-districts within the scope of Sinjai Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, at altitudes > 800 m.asl., between February 2021 and August 2022.
 Methodology: The method for determining the observation location point is on-screen digitization based on the land cover class seen with satellite imagery. Ground truth implementation, 16 location points were determined with their respective geographical coordinate positions. To analyze soil properties and characteristics, 41 samples were obtained: An organoleptic test of coffee beans, as many as 3 samples representing the sub-district area.
 Results: Mapping using physical dimensions in the West Sinjai area resulted in a moderate land suitability rating with an area of 6,976.46 ha; the Sinjai Borong area obtained a less suitable rating of 7,530.32 ha and a moderate rating of 1,457.17 ha, the Central Sinjai area obtained a less suitable rating of 822.16 ha, and a moderate rating of 1,586.47 ha. The compilation of physical and human dimensions in the West Sinjai area shows a moderate rating of 1,057.97 ha and a suitable rating of 5,918.49 ha, Sinjai Borong produces a moderate rating of 8,821.48 ha and a suitable rating of 166.01 ha, Central Sinjai obtained land suitability with a moderate rating of 986.55 ha and a suitable rating of 1,422.08 ha. West Sinjai and Central Sinjai have an organoleptic score of 88.50, with a more specific floral aroma than Sinjai Borong.
 Conclusion: Mapping the land suitability ranking of arabica coffee plants using physical and human dimensions provides clear and logical results.

Healthcare as asset: Private equity investment and the changing geographies of care in the United States

This article considers what private equity’s (PE) growing interest in the healthcare industry means for the geographies of healthcare provisioning in the United States. PE firms invest in healthcare providers and spaces, treating these investments similar to their traditional investment assets, which subjects healthcare, a vital service, to often austere management tactics and financial engineering. Our work builds on critiques emerging from the healthcare community about the negative effects – and even dangers - of this mode of funding. A geographical reading raises questions about this form of investment that are simultaneously political, ethical, and practical: whose sickness provides profit, where and how is care provisioned, and what impacts--if any-- does this form of investment have on the quality of care and life? To answer these questions, we mobilise feminist geographical approaches to finance and care to consider the impacts of PE investments on the provisioning of US healthcare. Specifically, this article examines urgent care centers (UCCs) and telehealth in the United State. We conduct a content and discourse analysis of investor, analyst, and industry documents, examining dealmaking in the sector and asking how PE investors understand the healthcare sector as a lucrative asset that they can subject to traditional PE investment strategies. In so doing, we illustrate how private equity both relies on old practices and reinvents itself as it seeks profits in the healthcare sector. Overall, we call for more attention to the effects of PE investment on the geographies and quality of healthcare.

Enhancing water security through site selection of water harvesting structures in semi-arid regions: a GIS-based multiple criteria decision analysis

Abstract This research endeavors to develop a decision support tool aimed at ascertaining the optimal site selection for water harvesting structures in semi-arid regions, employing a geographic information system-based multiple criteria decision analysis approach. Water scarcity poses a formidable challenge in various countries, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. Among the potential solutions, the adoption of water harvesting technologies stands out for capturing and storing rainwater to address water shortages. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of these structures hinge significantly on their precise placement. To address this issue, this paper introduces a comprehensive framework that integrates multiple criteria, encompassing rainfall intensity, land slope, soil type, and land use, to discern the most suitable locations for water harvesting structures. A practical application of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study conducted in the Sabarmati river basin. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in identifying highly suitable locations for water harvesting structures, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of water security in the region.

Critical physical geographies of air, atmosphere, and climate

The material condition of the earth's atmosphere exerts a significant influence on how humans live and die. Therefore, understanding how and why atmospheric processes unevenly impact communities, because of the changing material condition of air, provides an opportunity to address current and future climate risks through interdisciplinary perspectives. Using critical physical geography as a framework, this review provides perspective on how physical geographers may interact more closely with human geographers in addressing social-environmental issues related to the state of the earth's atmosphere and climate, and related processes in other earth systems. Climatic and atmospheric variability and change disproportionately impact populations already disadvantaged within this capitalist social formation. Using labor policy, flooding, wildfires, and incarceration as materially grounded examples where atmospheric inequities are experienced by everyday people, we demonstrate how taking a critical physical geography approach to the earth's air might highlight disciplinary synergies and build stronger cross-geography relationships. These examples demonstrate the interconnectedness of the atmosphere with other earth systems, both environmental and social, and how these connections co-produce atmospheric inequities experienced by human populations.

Performance of predictive algorithms in estimating the risk of being a zero-dose child in India, Mali and Nigeria

IntroductionMany children in low-income and middle-income countries fail to receive any routine vaccinations. There is little evidence on how to effectively and efficiently identify and target such ‘zero-dose’ (ZD) children.MethodsWe...

Application of landslide susceptibility towards urbanization suitability zonation in mountainous settings

Amplified susceptibility to landslides poses challenges to sustainable and equitable urban development. Thus, in this study, we introduce an artificial intelligence and geographic information system-based approach, urbanization suitability zonation (USZ), for spatial assessment of land suitability for urbanization, which accounts multiple factors, including a focus on landslide susceptibility. Further, the proposed USZ is tailored to assess health of current urbanization patterns, depicting the driving factors behind it by establishing a best-case urbanization suitability (BUS) and weighted urbanization suitability (WUS). The BUS portrays a hypothetically ideal land suitability scenario as a function of equally weighted factors, while the WUS portrays land suitability changes when factors are weighted hierarchically. An examination of current development against the BUS provides idealness of current urbanization patterns. The WUS aids in assessing the significance of factors in influencing the current urbanization pattern, and checks its resemblance with the BUS. The mountainous Indian township of Mussoorie is selected as the study area to exercise the USZ by considering seven factors with different weights, and subsequently generated a BUS map and 7 WUS maps (WUS–I to VII), which all display urbanization suitability distribution in five different classes. The BUS map shows that ∼98 % of current development falls in higher-suitability areas, indicating its preferability. Among the different WUS maps, the WUS-II aligns best with the BUS and current built-up, with slope gradient and transportation connectivity as key factors, and according to it, high-suitability areas are generally the central and south-facing slopes, while north-facing slopes are unsuitable, in general.

Kesulitan Belajar Peserta Didik dalam Materi Konsep Dasar Ilmu Geografi di SMA

The basic concept material of geography is the first material that must be mastered by high school (SMA) students, but in reality in schools, especially students of SMAN 1 Wongsorejo, students still have difficulty understanding the basic concepts of geography. This research is to describe the difficulties and factors that cause students to have difficulty understanding the material. The research was qualitative in nature with data analysis using the Miles and Huberman model, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The research subjects consisted of 10 students of class X MIPA/IPS and two geography teachers. Data collection techniques in this study were through observation, interviews, documentation, and recap of students' daily test results. The results showed that SMAN 1 Wongsorejo students experienced difficulties in sub-material concepts, principles, geographic approaches, which were most dominant in principles and geographic approaches. The factors that cause learning difficulties are external factors and internal factors. External factors in the form of learning methods that are less attractive, the teacher does not reflect on learning, the abstract character of basic geography material, high demands for an independent curriculum, teaching materials and media used are less contextual and do not make use of geospatial information. While the internal factors are independence, cooperation, attention, and poor study habits. In improving the quality of learning on these materials, teachers need to conduct classroom action research, carry out peer tutoring, collaborate with colleagues, guidance and counseling teachers, and parents, carry out learning innovations and improve their professionalism

Climate Change and its Impact on Human Health: A Medical Geography Perspective

This research discusses the impact of climate change on human health using a medical geography approach. Climate change affects health through extreme heatwaves, changing patterns of infectious disease spread and intensification of natural disasters. A medical geography perspective provides insight into how geographical factors such as climate, topography and population distribution affect vulnerability to these impacts. The importance of understanding medical geography in meeting these challenges and the need for global cooperation to address the impacts of climate change on human health are emphasized. The article underscores the need for appropriate mitigation measures to protect future human health in the face of increasingly apparent climate change.

Contentious heritage spaces in post-communist Bulgaria: Contesting two monuments in Sofia

This article examines public attitudes towards communist monuments as part of the contentious heritage of totalitarianism in post-communist Bulgaria from the 1990s to the present. Its main goals are, first, to analyse the place of political monuments as political subjects of social change during the Bulgarian transition from a totalitarian to a democratic society; second, to study the monuments as ‘realms of memory’ within the changes of collective memory in the post-communist period. The research combines the approaches of political (social) anthropology, cultural anthropology and historical geography. Exploring political subcultures, it investigates ex-communist and anti-communist activities regarding the future of totalitarian monuments. The research is focused on two urban landmarks in Sofia: the Mausoleum of the communist leader Georgi Dimitrov, and the Monument to the Soviet Army.

Constructing Students Environmental Sensitivity Through Literacy

Sensitivity to the environment is an ability that must be possessed by students to be able to find alternative solutions that are right for solving environmental problems. Therefore, the study aims to develop a SETS-based environmental geography textbook using the ADDIE development model and environmental geography course students as respondents. Data was collected using validation sheets and FGD narratives by experts to maintain textbook quality and descriptive analysis. Using a geographical approach, environmental geography textbooks were developed on the basis of SETS. The textbook contains topic sub-chapters, illustrations in tables and graphs, assignments, and activity-based exercises. Based on SETS, practical steps are used to develop environmental geography textbooks, including presenting contextual science materials; presenting local, national, and international environmental issues; presenting examples of the use of technology in overcoming environmental problems; describing the impact of technology use on the environment and society; and designing evaluations of problem-based textbooks with student activities including SETS elements and involving a geographic approach. This textbook is intended to be used by lecturers of Indonesian environmental geography and subsequent studies as reference material.

Preserving the Authenticity of ST25 Rice (Oryza sativa) from the Mekong Delta: A Multivariate Geographical Characterization Approach

The research centers around ST25, a recently acclaimed rice variety lauded as Vietnam’s premier offering. However, its ability to substantiate its origin is impeded by the rampant proliferation of counterfeit derivatives within the market. A distinctive methodology is posited herein, intertwining the attributes of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses, augmented using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The primary objective is to meticulously ascertain the unadulterated geographic provenance of the ST25 rice cultivar. The findings unequivocally underscore the emergence of a conspicuous taxonomy within the ST25 rice samples sourced from Soc Trang, underpinned by the utilization of both FTIR and ICP-MS datasets. Remarkably, the discernment of eight elemental constituents (27Al, 59Co, 44Ca, 57Fe, 60Ni, 63Cu, 93Nb, and 98Mo) has been adjudicated as pivotal in ascribing geospatial classification. The ramifications of this proposed modality encompass not only the authentication of the subject rice variety but also extend to the validation of similar grain types. Functioning as a potent deterrent against the omnipresent specter of food counterfeiting within the market milieu, this methodology occupies a pivotal niche.

PAtCH: Proactive Approach to Circumvent Holes in Wireless Sensor Networks.

The occurrence of hole regions in Wireless Sensor Networks is a significant challenge when applying a greedy technique in a geographic routing approach. The local minimum phenomenon is commonly attributed to physical obstacles, energy depletion of the nodes, failures in communication between neighbors, or even the incorrect deployment of the nodes in the sensing field. To address the problem of hole regions, most approaches choose to abandon the traditional greedy forwarding mechanism to temporarily adopt the well-known perimeter routing scheme applied to nearby nodes or along the edge of a region of a hole. However, this mechanism does not satisfy the network load balance requirement, because it imposes too much traffic to the nodes in the hole's edge, making them overloaded when compared to other network nodes more distant from holes. In this work, we propose a novel location-free geographic routing technique called PAtCH (Proactive Approach to Circumvent Holes in Wireless Sensor Network) to avoid routing holes in WSNs. Our solution can circumvent hole regions and create routing paths toward the destination. We consider that our sink has a higher communication range, and the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is used to assist the construction of the routing paths. Our results show the efficiency achieved by our proposed solution in scenarios with hole regions, also maintaining all the benefits of a classic greedy forwarding technique.

Intercity networks and urban performance: a geographical text mining approach

ABSTRACT Compared to the burgeoning literature discussing the importance of agglomeration externalities for development, limited attention has been given to network externalities. This is largely due to limited data availability. We propose a general measure to proxy city network externalities based on toponym co-occurrences that indicate the relatedness between cities. This paper extracts intercity relationships based on the co-occurrence of Chinese place names on 2.5 billion webpages. We calculate and map absolute and relative network positions, which we use to explain urban labour productivity. We found that a stronger embeddedness in networks of cities is significantly and positively associated with urban productivity. Smaller cities benefit comparatively more from being well embedded in city networks, suggesting that these relations can compensate for a lack of agglomeration externalities. We also compare the importance for urban performance of city network externalities vis-à-vis agglomeration externalities. City network externalities turn out to be more important in explaining urban performance than agglomeration externalities. This calls for new theorizing on a relational approach to urban and regional development. Rather than stimulating further concentration of urbanization, our findings suggest that fostering relationships between cities is a viable alternative urban development strategy. We conclude with suggestions for a research agenda that delves deeper into city network externalities.

Planning Integrated Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Conventional Vehicle Delivery Operations under Restricted Airspace: A Mixed Nested Genetic Algorithm and Geographic Information System-Assisted Optimization Approach

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as “drones”, as a supplementary mode for last-mile deliveries has been a research focus for some years now. Motivation lies in the reduced dependency on Conventional Vehicles (CVs) and fossil fuels and in serving remote areas and underprivileged populations. We are building a flexible, modular framework for integrated CV-UAV parcel delivery operations planning that is responsive to infrastructure and demand and offers an open and practical tool for future adaptations. The entire model and solution methodology are practical tools for decision making and strategic planning, with novelties such as the variable Launch Site types for Launch and Recovery Operations (LAROs), the tailored Assignment and Routing Optimization nested GA, the consideration of airspace restrictions of any shape and size, the inclusion of GIS tools in the process, the modularity of the platform, and most importantly, the inclusion of all the above in a single, comprehensive, and holistic approach. Because of the need for safe UAV deployment sites and the high presence of restricted airspace zones in urban environments, the intended field of application is assumed to be the delivery of small packages in rural and under-connected areas, the execution of inter-city deliveries, and the expansion of a city’s original service range. A single CV is equipped onboard with UAVs, while special locations, such as Remote Depots (RDs) with UAVs and Virtual Hubs (VHs) for UAV deployment facilitation, are introduced. The framework considers the presence of Restricted Zones (RZs) for UAV flights. Part of the methodology is implemented in a GIS environment, taking advantage of modern tools for spatial analysis and optimal path planning. We have designed a tailored nested GA method for solving the occurring mode assignment and vehicle routing optimization problems and have implemented our workflow on a devised case study with benchmark characteristics. Our model responds well to unfavorable network types and demand locations, while the presence of RZs notably affects the expected solution and should be considered in the decision-making process.