The Changing Space Economy of City-Regions
The Changing Space Economy of City-Regions

Author: Koech Cheruiyot

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-10-30

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 3319674838

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This book addresses the South African Space Economy and its stark disparities and dualisms through an assessment of the Gauteng City-Region – the largest economic agglomeration in the country and on a continent bedevilled by a myriad of development challenges. The book’s focus on understanding the overall character of Gauteng City-Region’s Space Economy – through data mining/analysis and mapping – comprehensively supplements the Space Economy literature on the region. It covers the disparities exacerbated by an overlay of apartheid planning ideology and top-down regional development based on selective encouragement of manufacturing investments in growth points or poles and how implementation of past policies intended to cure these disparities have yielded mixed results. This book further offers the Gauteng City-Region as a microcosm of the national economy in the form of evident significant placed-based variations in the intensity and character of economic structure that on the one hand enjoys massive agglomeration economies, while on the other, has high levels of poverty and large numbers of people living below the Minimum Living Level. This book should appeal to urban studies specialists, economists and development studies researchers in the Global South.

Dealing with Complexity
Dealing with Complexity

Author: Robert L. Flood

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-09

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1475722354

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Contents 11. 2. 2. Four Main Areas of Dispute 247 11. 2. 3. Summary . . . 248 11. 3. Making Sense of the Issues . . 248 11. 3. 1. Introduction . . . . 248 11. 3. 2. The Scientific Approach 248 11. 3. 3. Science and Matters of Society . 249 11. 3. 4. Summary . 251 11. 4. Tying It All Together . . . . 251 11. 4. 1. Introduction . . . . 251 11. 4. 2. A Unifying Framework 251 11. 4. 3. Critical Systems Thinking 253 11. 4. 4. Summary 254 11. 5. Conclusion 254 Questions . . . 255 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Chapter One SYSTEMS Origin and Evolution, Terms and Concepts 1. 1. INTRODUCTION We start this book with Theme A (see Figure P. I in the Preface), which aims to develop an essential and fundamental understanding of systems science. So, what is systems science? When asked to explain what systems science is all about, many systems scientists are confronted with a rather daunting task. The discipline tends to be presented and understood in a fragmented way and very few people hold an overview understanding of the subject matter, while also having sufficient in-depth competence in many and broad-ranging subject areas where the ideas are used. Indeed, it was precisely this difficulty that identified the need for a comprehensive well-documented account such as is presented here in Dealing with Complexity.

Smart Technologies for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development
Smart Technologies for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development

Author: Mohan Lal Kolhe

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2019-07-02

Total Pages: 781

ISBN-13: 9811361487

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This book comprises select proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Technologies for Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development (ICSTEESD 2018). The chapters are broadly divided into three focus areas, viz. energy, environment, and sustainable development, and discusses the relevance and applications of smart technologies in these fields. A wide variety of topics such as renewable energy, energy conservation and management, energy policy and planning, environmental management, marine environment, green building, smart cities, smart transportation are covered in this book. Researchers and professionals from varied engineering backgrounds contribute chapters with an aim to provide economically viable solutions to sustainable development challenges. The book will prove useful for academics, professionals, and policy makers interested in sustainable development.

Principles of Environmental Sciences
Principles of Environmental Sciences

Author: Jan J. Boersema

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-12-12

Total Pages: 537

ISBN-13: 1402091583

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International experts provide a comprehensive picture of the principles, concepts and methods that are applicable to problems originating from the interaction between the living/non-living environment and mankind. Both the analysis of such problems and the way solutions to environmental problems may work in specific societal contexts are addressed. Disciplinary approaches are discussed but there is a focus on multi- and interdisciplinary methods. A large number of practical examples and case studies are presented. There is special emphasis on modelling and integrated assessment. This book is different because it stresses the societal, cultural and historical dimensions of environmental problems. The main objective is to improve the ability to analyse and conceptualise environmental problems in context and to make readers aware of the value and scope of different methods. Ideal as a course text for students, this book will also be of interest to researchers and consultants in the environmental sciences.

Progresses in Artificial Intelligence and Neural Systems
Progresses in Artificial Intelligence and Neural Systems

Author: Anna Esposito

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-07-09

Total Pages: 588

ISBN-13: 981155093X

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This book provides an overview of the current advances in artificial intelligence and neural nets. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods have shown great capabilities in modelling, prediction and recognition tasks supporting human–machine interaction. At the same time, the issue of emotion has gained increasing attention due to its relevance in achieving human-like interaction with machines. The real challenge is taking advantage of the emotional characterization of humans’ interactions to make computers interfacing with them emotionally and socially credible. The book assesses how and to what extent current sophisticated computational intelligence tools might support the multidisciplinary research on the characterization of appropriate system reactions to human emotions and expressions in interactive scenarios. Discussing the latest recent research trends, innovative approaches and future challenges in AI from interdisciplinary perspectives, it is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in academia and industry.