Urban Geography

A tese aqui apresentada diz respeito a uma “discussão filosófica acerca do tema do desenvolvimento”. Esta se caracterizou por uma abordagem que identificasse formalmente os limites dos esforços teóricos existentes sobre o desenvolvimento. Para isso, optou-se pela leitura fenomenológica dos sentidos e significados históricos e semânticos do desenvolvimento desde o pensamento de Heidegger. Com efeito, ela serviu para: diagnosticar os fundamentos do desenvolvimento econômico, denominada como a Questão do Desenvolvimento; e prognosticar uma nova compreensão do desenvolvimento a partir do próprio locus (o fenômeno do habitar) da conceitualidade ocidental, ou seja, rever os
fundamentos ontológicos para o desenvolvimento. O procedimento utilizado, a fim de descrever o desenvolvimento como um fenômeno, revelou duas estruturas (capítulos): uma ôntica, cujo diagnóstico é o desvelamento do fenômeno do desenraizamento; e uma
ontológica, desde a qual o desenvolvimento é intentado em sua possibilidade ontológica, qual seja o desenvolvimento local. Deste modo, a discussão ôntico-ontológica do fenômeno do desenvolvimento permitiu abrir os seguintes problemas, respectivamente: a crítica da ideia de sujeito moderno e o lugar do homem no desenvolvimento, o problema
do território (a matematização e a desterritorialização do local) e o problema da erradicação do desenvolvimento por meio da Economia global; e, diante disso, é possível teorizar uma superação do sentido moderno da Economia e recolocá-la, ontologicamente, desde um geodesenvolvimento. Por meio desta realocação, pensa-se ser possível projetar uma ontologia do desenvolvimento

As a city within a federal district, Washington, D.C. defies easy description, partially because “Washington” and “D.C.” are, cognitively, two distinct places. I explore the question of D.C.’s identity within the domineering presence of the federal government through its tangible heritage. After a literature review, I follow with a framework of D.C.’s political geography and the complexities and uncertainties of its identity. Next is a four-part case study of distinct D.C. identity markers, examining its low skyline and resultant cultural landscape, an exploration of the D.C. War Memorial on the National Mall, the D.C. flag and its symbolic importance, and the stone boundary markers that demarcate and define D.C. Despite the dominance of the state in D.C.’s everyday realities, Washingtonians manage to work within this marked federal-local tension. I argue that D.C.’s political geography is the principal factor in defining and understanding it as a place. To cope with their ambiguous status, Washingtonians exhibit and maintain identity markers in the landscape to help establish a heritage and identity for the District that they would otherwise not have. Further, I contend that scholars should devote due attention to the geographical context of federal districts to appreciate these atypical geographies.

(full open access book)
While the study of Assyria as ‘the world’s first empire’ has never been more popular, the events of the foundational early Neo-Assyrian period (935–745 BC) remain only poorly understood and explained. This book re-examines the historical question of Assyria’s expansion, presenting a novel reconstruction of the early Neo-Assyrian period with the latest data (including new Assyrian kings), detailed regional studies synthesising the newest historical and archaeological findings, and interpretative essays outlining new historical factors.

The resultant history is unprecedentedly complex, containing newly discovered succession conflicts, difficult compromises with neighbouring powers, local dynasties appointed to Assyrian governorships, self-serving high officials, and sudden reverses in policy. In place of circular structuralist arguments for the Neo-Assyrian expansion, it presents a new model emphasising internal political conflict, and competing visions for Assyria’s future. This book is intended for historians and archaeologists of Assyria, for whom it will provide a new basis for research, and also for scholars of neighbouring disciplines and laypersons interested in what happens to an ancient state before it becomes an empire.

In this contribution, we analyze residential segregation not just on the basis of dimenions of migration background and income but also according to educational level, class fractions, labor market status, and the employment sector . We use individual-level geocoded data for the entire population of the Metropolitan Area of Amsterdam to analyze residential orientations of households at eight different neighborhood types based on different levels of social mix, taking into account their employment sector, their age, educational attainment, income, type of contract, and migration background. We find that segregation based on income is relatively moderate but segregation on the basis of migration background and educational attainment level is relatively high. Multinomial regression models show that different class fractions are oriented to very different residential milieus. We conclude that a combination of dimensions of social positions yields a more nuanced and better conceptual framework for understanding the social geographies of urban areas.

In her inaugural lecture, Professor Dorien Manting states that the demographic life courses of people form an important explanation for a multitude of spatial developments. The prolonged period between young people leaving their parental home and the time the start their own family is a fitting example. This period is continually getting longer, compared to the timespan in the past. This has its consequences for spatial development, such as in the degree of urban growth and in the decline in car use among young adults.

Karabük was established as the main centre of iron steel industry of the industrializing Republic. Karabük, a neighbourhood consisting of 13 households connected to Öğlebeli Village at the time of its establishment, now has become a city with a population of more than one hundred thousand.

El continuo y sostenido avance que se ha producido en los ultimos anos en el sector de las microtecnologias y los microsistemas ha dado lugar a un creciente desarrollo de procesos altamente controlados, desarrollados en ambiente de sala limpia, cuya aplicacion se ha extendido a campos como el de la fabricacion de sensores. El atractivo de estas tecnicas radica en su repetibilidad, en la reduccion de consumos y en la miniaturizacion de los dispositivos asi fabricados. Si en este panorama se introduce la creciente demanda de dispositivos sensores tanto en ambitos industriales como domesticos, resulta comprensible la adopcion de las mencionadas tecnicas para llegar a la obtencion de los denominados microsensores, en alusion tanto a la miniaturizacion de los mismos como a las microtecnologias mediante las que se fabrican. Por otra parte, en el ambito de la llamada sociedad del bienestar, el uso creciente del gas natural en los hogares ha incrementado el riesgo tanto de explosiones por e...

This paper constructs defi nition of cultural-tourism in Malaysian context. Main source of reference is Tourism Industry Act, 1992 (both of its 1992 original and amended since January 2006 versions). Based on this Act, the paper suggests that cultural-tourism defi nition should be confi gured from two point of views, the demand and supply sides. It also suggest method on how to classify the cultural products.

The American federal government supported the creation and expansion of economically depressed urban residential areas where blacks live in segregation from whites. These ghettos face barriers to economic development including high unemployment, a low wage labor market, capital drain, and market dualism. Three popular ghetto economic development strategies are ghetto dispersal, corporate branch planting, and black capitalism. Black capitalism breaks the ghetto's economic barriers better than ghetto dispersal and corporate branch planting, but it will only be possible with significant support from whites and the federal government.

Police, Provocation, Politics is a vital contribution to the anthropology of violence, surveillance studies, and Middle Eastern politics. By situating Turkey’s internal security practices within global counterinsurgency strategies, Yonucu provides a nuanced understanding of how states maintain power through both overt repression and covert manipulation. This book is essential for scholars of political science, urban studies, and human rights, offering a compelling lens through which to view the complex interplay between state power and grassroots resistance.

Esta investigação teve como objetivo analisar as condições de conservação e estado dos Marcos Geodésicos, implantados pelo IBGE, localizados no município de Gurinhatã -MG. Deve-se enfatizar que os Marcos Geodésico são caracterizados por pontos materializados no terreno, cujas coordenadas são determinadas a partir das redes geodésicas, sendo de grande importância para o georreferenciamento em geral. Assim, metodologicamente elaborou-se uma revisão de literatura acerca do tema, seguida de coleta de dados por meio do site do IBGE, tabulação e análise de dados, bem como uma reambulação em todos os Marcos Geodésicos apontados pelo site do IBGE, a fim de verificar-se a existência e conservação dos mesmos. Como principais resultados deve-se apontar que grande parte dos Marcos Geodésicos não foram encontrados pelo fato de estarem destruídos. Os que foram localizados encontram-se em bom estado de preservação. Vale ressaltar a importância da rede geodésica brasileira para estudos de cunho cartográficos entre outros, como

The purposes of this study were to 1) develop an English training course for local wisdom inheritance of One Tambon (Village) One Product (OTOP) in Amphawa district, Samut Songkhram province, 2) compare the English achievement results of the participants before and after the English language training 3) study learners' English performance, including vocabulary and the communication about process of making Thai coconut palm sugar presentation with determine criteria, and 4) study learners' satisfaction with the training course. The sample participants were 10 OTOP entrepreneurs in Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram Province who were selected by voluntary selection and they were interested and applied for the training course and all of them hold a bachelor degree. The research instruments were questionnaire assessing learners' training needs, an academic achievement test, a performance evaluation form, and a satisfaction assessment form. The statistics for data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation and content analysis. The findings were as follows: 1) The developed an English course for Local Wisdom Inheritance of One Tambon (Village) One Product (OTOP) in Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram Province contains 9 components including conception of curriculum, principles, objectives, structures, activities, duration, teaching materials, evaluation and assessment, and expected outcomes, 2) the average scores from English achievement test after using the curriculum in English training course was higher than before testing. 3) learners' English performance, including vocabulary and the communication about process of making Thai coconut palm sugar presentation, was at the high level (83.33%) which was higher than determine criteria, and 4) learners' satisfaction with the English training course was at the highest level ( X = 4.70).

When a young fruit and vegetable vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid, a small city in central Tunisia, on December 17, 2010, he ignited demonstrations that helped topple the country’s autocratic ruler (Fahim 2011). The volatility of the economy of the street helps explain his desperate act: he might have conducted business without a permit, city officials confiscated his goods, they even slapped him, and, meanwhile, his debt grew, making him unable to bribe officials to overlook his vending. In fact, changing combinations of circumstances like these give street economies their ambiguous nature and complicate the explanatory power of worn-out analytical dichotomies like public–private, illegal–legal, and informal–formal. Focusing on economic, political, social, and cultural dynamics of street economies across the urban Global South,1 this volume showcases the embeddedness of street economies with cultural practices and norms shaping vendors’ life worlds and t...

Desde o final de 2011, quando da decisão de ingressar no curso de Mestrado em Geografia, diversas pessoas contribuíram para que fosse possível avançar da melhor forma nesta etapa de agregação e produção de conhecimentos. Em especial, agradeço: À professora Tânia Marques Strohaecker, pelo acolhimento, pela confiança depositada e pelas contribuições essenciais em todas as etapas do curso, principalmente na orientação dedicada e da mais alta qualidade; Aos professores do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia, pelos estímulos, provocações e partilha de conhecimentos; Aos colegas dos Programas de Pós-Graduação de Geografia e em Geociências, que promoveram momentos solidários, de inquietação e de amizade; Aos servidores e estagiários da Secretaria do POSGEA, pelo suporte e prontidão; Aos servidores da Biblioteca do Instituto de Geociências, pelo ótimo atendimento e pelas orientações e contribuições; Aos servidores da biblioteca da Supervisão de Documentação e Disseminação de Informações, da Unidade Estadual do IBGE no RS, pela presteza e pelo serviço qualificado; Aos servidores da Prefeitura Municipal de Viamão que, de forma transparente, oportunizaram o acesso às informações solicitadas; Aos moradores, trabalhadores e empresários do município de Viamão e, principalmente, do distrito de Águas Claras que, de alguma forma, dividiram seus conhecimentos, vivências e informações e contribuíram para os rumos da pesquisa; Aos colegas da Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental Afonso Guerreiro Lima, pelo apoio, compreensão e reconhecimento; À minha família em São Leopoldo, onde minha mãe, meus tios e minha madrinha sempre mantiveram suas vozes de incentivo; A Helena, companheira de toda a vida, pelos melhores momentos neste período, e à sua família. Nada é impossível de mudar Desconfiai do mais trivial, na aparência singelo. E examinai, sobretudo, o que parece habitual. Suplicamos expressamente: não aceiteis o que é de hábito como coisa natural. Pois em tempo de desordem sangrenta, de confusão organizada, de arbitrariedade consciente, de humanidade desumanizada, nada deve parecer natural. Nada deve parecer impossível de mudar.

In this review article, we intend to initiate a discussion on the possibilities of implementing the 15-minute city concept (FMC) in Slovak cities. Our research motivation is the relatively high potential of the idea to contribute to solving current problems of sustainable urban development to strengthen cities' resilience. It is not only about coping with the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic but also about the need for synergy of mitigation and adaptation measures in the context of climate change and the transition to a low-to the zero-carbon development paradigm. Last but not least, it can be pointed out that the 15-minute city model will also contribute to reducing inequalities between different parts of cities, which is one of the consequences of poorly regulated suburbanization processes. The paper is structured in several parts. In the introductory section, we look for common features of the concept and its theoretical framework within various traditions and paradigms of geographical thought. We then analyse its basic functions and dimensions that are considered when planning this concept in the current conditions of urban life. We also address specific applications in world metropolises while pointing out that the concept is not rigid and can still be adapted to local natural, historical, socioeconomic conditions and intraurban structures. In the last section, we present the first examples of implementing the 15-minute city ideas in Slovak cities.

Le present papier a pour objet la question du deficit de l’urbanite dans la ville algerienne. Si le deficit de celle-ci n’epargne aucun espace urbain, il est encore plus accentue dans les espaces peripheriques ou sont implantees la majeure partie des habitations collectives. En relevant les differents dysfonctionnements de ces espaces habites en matiere d’amenagement urbain et de « dispositifs materiels de l’urbanite », il met le doigt sur le deficit d’implication des principaux acteurs censes les prendre en charge et par consequent la mal-gouvernance urbaine. Mots clefs : Ville, L’habitat Social, L’urbanite, Gouvernance Urbaine, Acteurs De La Ville G M T Detect languageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHunga...

Een onderzoek naar de meetbaarheid van gentrificatie in Gent. Dit onderzoek, in opdracht van Stad Gent, vraagt de haalbaarheid van het meten van gentrificatie te onderzoeken. Dit valt uiteen in vier deelvragen : 1. Wat is het algemeen referentiekader van gentrification 1 en wat zijn de processen bij gentrification? 2. Wat zijn de algemene evoluties in demografische en SES samenstelling van Gent en zijn wijken? 3. Kunnen we met de huidig beschikbare data gentrificatie voldoende afbakenen in Gent? Graag een duidelijke 'ja' of 'neen', met de noodzakelijke argumentaties en/of nuances. 4. Kan er een meetinstrument worden opgemaakt voor het linken van gentrificatie, als (on)gewild effect, aan ingrepen op de ruimte via stadsvernieuwingsprojecten (in welke mate kan een wijziging van samenstelling toegewezen worden aan een ruimtelijk ingreep). Kan een algemeen instrument opgemaakt worden voor het evalueren van gentrification bij stadsvernieuwingsprojecten. Hebben we data om dit te meten, wat ontbreekt er in de data? Graag voorbeelden geven (dat mogen fictieve voorbeelden zijn). Deze nota is in grote lijnen opgebouwd in volgorde van deze onderzoeksvragen.

This paper is informed by the working insights of Jeni Pollard, Lila Kennelly and Donita Hulme who have been key to the Penrith Neighbourhood Renewal Program discussed throughout this study. Over 70 residents are members of Team Colyton, an initiative discussed at length throughout Walking with Communities. It is important to acknowledge their contribution to the learning and knowledge discussed in this paper. Rodney Greene, Community and Economic Development Director, Burnie City Council has contributed to the paper through an in-depth interview and the provision of reports.

The XXIX ISUF conference book explores the multifaceted theme of urban redevelopment and revitalisation through the lens of urban morphology. It underscores the growing relevance of urban rehabilitation, particularly in light of the principles of urban metabolism and circular economy. It addresses the theoretical and methodological intersections between urban morphology and urban rehabilitation, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the diverse challenges of urban renewal. Key themes include political, legal, and administrative conditions influencing urban transformations, and the social and cultural determinants affecting spatial redevelopment. The book also offers a comprehensive review of current theoretical and practical expertise, providing insights into economic, functional, infrastructural changes, and the impacts of climate change on urban strategies. It examines methodological advancements, ranging from traditional case studies to advanced digital tools like GIS and AI. The volume includes detailed analyses of political and economic systems' influence on urban renewal, case studies on social participation, and the impacts of migration and cultural diversity. Additionally, it discusses theoretical concepts linking urban morphology with urban renewal, exploring sustainability and climate change effects. Practical architectural and urban solutions are

En este artículo hablaremos del lado oscuro de la turistificación y gentrificación, que la regeneración urbana de la última década ha traído a la ciudad. Comprenderemos sus causas, consecuencias y problematizaremos algunas recomendaciones y medidas políticas que mitiguen los aspectos más negativos de la reestructuración urbana. La evolución del turismo en Lisboa muestra un fuerte patrón de crecimiento hasta 2019, una caída abrupta debido a la pandemia, seguida de una recuperación significativa a partir de 2022. Así, podemos describir la evolución del sector en tres fases distintas: 1) la

RESUMEN: El trabajo aborda la problemática de la estacionalidad del turismo, y su incidencia en Santander. Se trata de un tema siempre ligado al sector turístico, que supone una gran ventaja competitiva para aquellas empresas y ciudades que se anticipan y realizan una correcta planificación para evitarlo. Se plantea la visión de varios autores sobre el tema, junto con ejemplos de cómo han enfrentado este inconveniente otras ciudades consiguiendo resultados satisfactorios. Más a fondo, se realiza una comparativa con la ciudad de San Sebastián. Para concluir se sacarán una serie de conclusiones acerca de la situación en la que se encuentra Santander en lo referente a estacionalidad, y se proponen una serie de medidas encaminadas a eliminarla o minimizar su incidencia.ABSTRACT: This paper analyzes the issues related to the tourism seasonality and the impact of this phenomenon in the city of Santander (Spain). This topic is particularly linked to the tourism industry and constitutes a c...

The fast pace of urbanization is posing unprecedented challenges worldwide. Some of the major issues include: (1) Natural resources (e.g. productive land, water, forests) are diminishing, which not only affects food production but also other vital parts of human life, including overall resilience to climate change; (2) Unbalanced rural and urban development exacerbates rural to urban migration enhancing the pressure on both urban and rural areas; (3) Dietary changes comes with urbanization in part because increasing income in urban context reflects on increasing request of high-protein and natural resource-intensive food, while the urban poor relies more on processed and less nutritious foods that are more convenient and affordable. Obesity and related noncommunicable diseases are rising in many cities; (4) Food safety is strongly compromised by inadequate food production and supply chains in which food co-exists with non-food activities in urban and surrounding areas; (5) Urban poor population are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the global food market as was witnessed in the 2007-8 price shock. They are also heavily affected by natural or human disasters. On the other hand, many opportunities emerge in developing inclusive and sustainable food systems to meet the food needs of the urbanized populations and the growing cities. These opportunities lie both in the implementation and further development of key policies and technologies, and in building upon the increased understanding of trends in global food systems and their overall impacts. Improving small scale farmers' and small and medium enterprise private sector access to urban markets through alternate or diversified distribution systems such as e-commerce can contribute to a more balanced rural and urban development. New climate-smart technologies (that allow more efficient use of energy and natural resources) afforded by, and adapted to, small scale producers may become key for ensuring equal opportunities to participate in the food systems. Urban and peri-urban agriculture, involving technologies and novel business models such as hydroponics, vertical farming, vegetable gardens in residential subdivisions, and low cost/energy greenhouses, is increasingly gaining attention globally. These opportunities can create jobs for the marginalized population in both rural and urban areas. Despite the many evident issues affecting equal access to nutritious and safe food in many cities enabling an efficient, inclusive and sustainable food system is often not taken into consideration in urban development planning. In analyzing and addressing urban food security issues there is a need for taking a holistic, rather than sectoral and fragmented, and an inclusive rather than biased approach. Some of the recommendations we could offer to municipal authorities and decision makers to take advantage of these opportunities would include, inter alia, first to identify and measure "hot spots" in food insecurity, and "missing linkages" along the food value chain so as to develop evidence based and well informed intervention strategies and measures; to understand the prevailing food systems, formal and informal, servicing the society. Such a benchmarking process will enable municipal governments and local stakeholders to discern what is needed from what is urgent for investment and lay ground for effective policy making. This process cannot be conducted by only one sector. Inclusive governance is fundamental for success, and the research community can play a vital role in understanding urban food insecurity and the complexity of today's food systems, providing innovative ideas and well-tested findings and recommendations.

The fast pace of urbanization is posing unprecedented challenges worldwide. Some of the major issues include: (1) Natural resources (e.g. productive land, water, forests) are diminishing, which not only affects food production but also other vital parts of human life, including overall resilience to climate change; (2) Unbalanced rural and urban development exacerbates rural to urban migration enhancing the pressure on both urban and rural areas; (3) Dietary changes comes with urbanization in part because increasing income in urban context reflects on increasing request of high-protein and natural resource-intensive food, while the urban poor relies more on processed and less nutritious foods that are more convenient and affordable. Obesity and related noncommunicable diseases are rising in many cities; (4) Food safety is strongly compromised by inadequate food production and supply chains in which food co-exists with non-food activities in urban and surrounding areas; (5) Urban poor population are highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the global food market as was witnessed in the 2007-8 price shock. They are also heavily affected by natural or human disasters. On the other hand, many opportunities emerge in developing inclusive and sustainable food systems to meet the food needs of the urbanized populations and the growing cities. These opportunities lie both in the implementation and further development of key policies and technologies, and in building upon the increased understanding of trends in global food systems and their overall impacts. Improving small scale farmers' and small and medium enterprise private sector access to urban markets through alternate or diversified distribution systems such as e-commerce can contribute to a more balanced rural and urban development. New climate-smart technologies (that allow more efficient use of energy and natural resources) afforded by, and adapted to, small scale producers may become key for ensuring equal opportunities to participate in the food systems. Urban and peri-urban agriculture, involving technologies and novel business models such as hydroponics, vertical farming, vegetable gardens in residential subdivisions, and low cost/energy greenhouses, is increasingly gaining attention globally. These opportunities can create jobs for the marginalized population in both rural and urban areas. Despite the many evident issues affecting equal access to nutritious and safe food in many cities enabling an efficient, inclusive and sustainable food system is often not taken into consideration in urban development planning. In analyzing and addressing urban food security issues there is a need for taking a holistic, rather than sectoral and fragmented, and an inclusive rather than biased approach. Some of the recommendations we could offer to municipal authorities and decision makers to take advantage of these opportunities would include, inter alia, first to identify and measure "hot spots" in food insecurity, and "missing linkages" along the food value chain so as to develop evidence based and well informed intervention strategies and measures; to understand the prevailing food systems, formal and informal, servicing the society. Such a benchmarking process will enable municipal governments and local stakeholders to discern what is needed from what is urgent for investment and lay ground for effective policy making. This process cannot be conducted by only one sector. Inclusive governance is fundamental for success, and the research community can play a vital role in understanding urban food insecurity and the complexity of today's food systems, providing innovative ideas and well-tested findings and recommendations.

Discutimos resultados de una investigación cuantitativa y cualitativa sobre desplazamientos cotidianos de educandos entre y a través de los distritos de la ciudad fronteriza de Tacna, Perú. Delimitando nuestra investigación a un grupo de edad de entre 10 y 17 años, los desplazamientos de los educandos se orientan preferentemente hacia instituciones escolares ubicadas en el distrito urbano del Tacna Cercado, proviniendo desde otros distritos urbanos y rurales periféricos. Construyendo data mediante la combinación de técnicas como la encuesta y la entrevista en profundidad, los resultados sugieren que estos desplazamientos se componen de significaciones complejas, más allá de tratarse de traslados funcionales. Constatamos que dichas significaciones se vinculan a contextos sociales y espaciales fronterizos, mucho más extraescolares que escolares, en el sentido que la educación es comprendida como una adquisición de prácticas y saberes de forma biográfica entre y a través de la frontera. Estas prácticas y saberes adquiridos aparecen asociados con procesos familiares de migración interna por motivos comerciales, desde zonas rurales hacia contextos urbanos fronterizos. Abordamos estos resultados desde una perspectiva teórica que explora la relación entre educación y movilidad, entendiendo ambas como conjuntos de prácticas y significaciones complejas.

In the article, we address the issue of a metamodern shift in geographical thought, reflecting on the context of the current Anthropocene polycrisis, which encompasses a range of environmental, geopolitical, economic, and socio-cultural challenges of the present era. We start from the assumption that postmodern epistemological and methodological frameworks are insufficient for a comprehensive understanding and resolution of these challenges. In this context, we explore the potential of metamodernism as a new philosophical and scientific platform that oscillates between modernist rationalism and postmodern skepticism, allowing for the productive integration of these frameworks.
The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how metamodernism can contribute to the reinterpretation of geographical thought and to identify its potential as the fifth first-order discontinuity in the historical development of this discipline. In the theoretical and methodological section, we discuss discontinuities in scientific thought and apply the Latour-Barnes model to analyze the phases of mobilization and autonomization of metamodernism within academic discourse. We introduce key metamodernist concepts and principles - metarealism, zetetism, hylosemiotics, sublation, oscillation of scientific discourses, the paradoxical position of truth and grand narratives, dia/polylogical thinking, and the coexistence of layers of cultural evolution (Pipere, Mārtinsone, 2023, Storm, 2021), — and outline their applicability in geographical research. We employ qualitative, discourse-based, and historical-contextual methods to examine the metamodern shift in geographical thought, focusing on epistemological, ontological, and methodological transformations.
We reinterpret geography as a post-disciplinary and post-paradigmatic scientific discipline that oscillates between various ontological, epistemological, and methodological frameworks. In this context, we emphasize the necessity for an open, reflective, and pluralistic approach that facilitates the integration of diverse types of knowledge and methodological strategies. Understood through the lens of metamodernism, geography becomes a field of dynamic oscillation between the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technological interpretations of reality. This conceptualization of geography addresses the need for comprehensive, practice-oriented knowledge that can tackle contemporary global challenges, such as polycrisis. This aligns with zetetic epistemology, which prioritizes abductive reasoning (inference to the best explanation) over rigid deductive or inductive models. We introduce hylosemiotics as a methodological tool that enables researchers to analyze material-symbolic interactions in space and place. This approach integrates semiotic analysis with material studies, providing a novel framework for interpreting geographical landscapes.
In doing so, we aim to encourage discussions about applying metamodernist concepts in geographical thought while also acknowledging its limitations and potential risks. Moreover, we underscore the necessity for further theoretical and empirical reflection to refine methodological strategies and practical applications of the metamodernist framework in geographical research.

The interurban changed public transportation in the United States. The electric railroad was able to connect communities together, and transportation became affordable, feasible, and convenient. This article seeks to analyze this phenomenon from the perspective of the Village of Morton, Illinois and to question the true motives behind the interurban demise from both a national and local level.

In Police, Provocation, Politics, I explore the policing and resistance in Istanbul neighbourhoods, where racialized Kurdish and Alevi working-class communities have long resisted state oppression, racism and colonialism. I show how Cold War counterrevolutionary techniques still inform urban policing-not just in Turkey, but across the globe. Similar techniques were used by white settlers in South Africa during the antiapartheid movement, by the FBI against the Black Panthers in the United States, and by British security forces in Northern Ireland against the Irish Republican Army. The mechanics of policing, in other words, are both global and colonial. In Istanbul, I saw police officers encouraging violent activities of certain dissident groups even as they punished some peaceful activists. What could be the purpose behind these policing tactics? This kind of policing doesn't just aim for compliance. The tactics I saw seemed obviously and paradoxically unconcerned with crime prevention. Police, Provocation, Politics argues that policing isn't just about enforcing the law: it's also about managing, manipulating, and often dividing communities, especially those who oppose the established order, from within, to maintain control. In Istanbul, it's about keeping Kurdish and Alevi communities destabilized, ensuring that they remain fractured and making organized resistance very difficult. How do the police achieve this? One key strategy is by turning some segments of the communities into sources of insecurity for others within the same community. When insecurity originates from within, even racialized communities can feel the need for the state's security forces regardless of how oppositional they may otherwise be. That's why police presence in areas inhabited by dissident and oppressed populations goes beyond typical policing activities like patrols or arrests. Instead, police activity in Kurdish and Alevi neighbourhoods constitutes a system that doesn't just maintain order but, in some ways, intentionally disrupts it. It's an old strategy, one with roots in colonial and Cold War tactics: managing dissent is often about provoking internal conflict rather than stopping it outright. Despite these sophisticated strategies, I also saw incredible resilience. Neighbourhood residents had once tried to build a local socialist democracy in the 1970s, and the memory of that effort still fuels strong networks of support among young people in the neighbourhood. They founded a cooperative to help one another with university entrance exams; as a volunteer teacher at the cooperative, I saw the exciting educational activities they developed to help themselves transcend their class background. Similarly, many people remembered those who had lost their lives while fighting for justice. These "martyrs" serve as lasting symbols and as sources of "inspirational hauntings:" the memory of past struggles can motivate current and future generations to keep fighting against oppression.

es uno de los académicos más importantes dentro del campo de la geografía humana del siglo XX, su obra se centra principalmente en el estudio de la materialización urbana del capitalismo y en el imperialismo como forma de dominación a partir de los planteamientos de la teoría marxista. Razones para ser anticapitalistas es la transcripción y traducción al español de la exposición de David Harvey en la conferencia internacional "The Future is Public" organizada por el Trasnational Institute (TNI), en diciembre de 2019, en Ámsterdam. La edición del libro estuvo a cargo del Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO) en colaboración con el TNI y forma parte de la Biblioteca Masa Crítica, la cual reúne aportes de intelectuales de diversas tradiciones teóricas que permiten interpretar los dilemas de nuestro presente histórico. Precisamente, el autor se propone brindar algunas pistas sobre cuáles son los problemas actuales del capital, sus contradicciones y adaptaciones. El libro está estructurado en cinco capítulos, aunque esta división no fue hecha por Harvey en su exposición, sino que es propuesta por el editor y responde a ejes conceptuales.

Este é além de um trabalho de conclusão de mestrado, mas um esforço que marca a uma fase vivida, também o início de uma nova. Durante este período várias pessoas me apoiaram e foram a família que tive longe da minha cidade natal, que sem elas jamais conseguiria passar pelos desafios de uma pós-graduação em um país estrangeiro. Portanto, com carinho agradeço a D. Ana e D. Madalena, minhas primeiras amigas desde que cheguei em Portugal. Anabela e Luís, meus pais portugueses que sempre me compreenderam e estiveram comigo em todos os momentos. Sonia que faz parte da minha família portuguesa. E D. Teresa, minha senhoria, que até me emociona lembrar do apoio em tempos difíceis. Com carinho, também, agradeço a Denise e ao Tiago que mesmo antes de eu pensar em pedir ajuda, ofereceram e foram apoio incondicional durante a fase mais difícil deste trabalho. Sou muito grata ao Grupo Bíblico Universitário, por todo o apoio durante a caminhada. Quero agradecer muito a Ana Biscaia que sempre foi incentivadora e também sempre disponível para apoiar o projeto. Ao Professor Nuno Coelho pela motivação e compreensão diante das minhas dificuldades. E também ao Rodrigo Lacerda que sugeriu as bibliografias sobre documentários e dicas sobre maneira de fazer as gravações. Agradeço ao Professor Penousal Machado pelo apoio na fase de escolha dos temas. No início do trabalho tive o apoio do meu colega Gui Mota que disponibilizou tempo para me ajudar numa primeira gravação, antes das entrevistas. Também tive a ajuda do Tiago Madeira e da Cláudia na gravação da primeira entrevista. Obrigada ao meu colega Mauro Rodrigues que sempre foi muito solícito. Obrigada também ao Pedro .

Cilj je ovog rada kroz kulturnu geografiju pružiti novi pogled na pojmovne odrednice mjesta, prostora, spomen-mjesta, nemjesta i javnih prostora, koje se u danasnjem globalizacijskom i tranzicijskom drustvu sve vise preklapaju, otežavajuci tako jasnu klasifikaciju. Trgovacki centar, jednom tipican primjer Augeovog nemjesta, s popularizacijom kapitalizma i konzumerizma ulazi u sferu javnih događanja i iskoristavanja slobodnog vremena, cime stjece dodatne odrednice pogodne za analizu i istraživanje. Na primjeru Arene Centar Zagreb istražit ce se i predstaviti odrednice suvremenih trgovackih centara, u odnosu na one javnog prostora, mjesta i nemjesta.

The article develops the notion of affective verticality as a way of interrogating particular dynamics in affective arrangements in right-wing times. The gesture of elevation is key; it gives rise to a powerful claim to territory through affective presence, but also to grandeur and distinction. Concretely, the paper discusses the controversies surrounding two monuments recently installed in East Germany. In one case three buses were set up vertically in front of Dresden's Church of our Lady; in the other, 24 concrete slabs imitating the Berlin Holocaust Memorial were set up in the neighbouring garden of right-wing politician Björn Höcke in Bornhagen, Thuringia. Through the analysis of the local outrage and expressions of disgust in response to these implantations in a region branded 'Dark Germany', I propose affective verticality as an optics for reading particular dynamics in affective arrangements where the worry over decline and the longing for grandeur are especially enunciatedin short: a device for inquiring social and political enactments in right-wing times.

his chapter brings together two heterogeneous cases of non-domesticated pigs to theorise the notion of anticipatory vectors. In both cases, non-domesticated pigs conjure both epidemiological concerns (pigs as vectors for a range of non-zoonotic and zoonotic diseases) and imaginaries of pigs as harbingers of other kinds of social and demographic collapse. In Denmark, a fence constructed along the Danish–German border intended to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) to domestic pig farms provokes debates about the re-inscription of anti-immigrant nationalism in the wake of Europe’s migration crisis. In Texas, the rapid spread of feral hogs provokes often violent imaginaries that tie pigs to the threat of invasion by non-white Others. Non-domesticated pigs, in both cases, prompt responses that blur boundaries between biosecurity and biopolitics. Wild and feral pigs thus serve as vectors that concentrate anxieties about the future and mobilise often lethal responses to forestall it.

Rad donosi kratak pregled povijesti Portugala u 15. stoljeću i pregledom adekvatne literature te internetskih stranica nastoji odgovoriti na pitanje zašto je Portugal bio prvi od europskih država koji je pokrenuo geografska otkrića i zašto se baš u Europi pojavila potreba za geografskim istraživanjima, a ne, na primjer, u Kini. Pri tome se koristi komparacija Portugala s drugim europskim državama i Kine s Europom. Komparacija se vrši na temelju tehnoloških dostignuća, uloge vjere, trgovačkih djelatnosti, geografskog položaja i mitova o otvorenim morima. Također, autor se kratko osvrće na stanje u hrvatskim školskim udžbenicima u vezi s geografskim otkrićima i Portugalom

This interdisciplinary conference explores the making of urban and religious worlds in and beyond the African continent, demonstrating the importance of African cities for analysing global dynamics of urban-religious transformation. We use Stephan Lanz's (2016) term urban-religious to emphasise the mutually constitutive relationship between urban and religious spheres-that is, how they are deeply intertwined with and shaped by one another. The notion of worlds captures the multiple ways in which urban-religious life is configured and envisioned. There is no singular model or enactment of the urban-religious; people live and move through multiple, overlapping urban-religious worlds. Worldmaking underscores the ongoing, unfinished character of these worlds: they are continuously made and remade-not only by planners, developers, and state actors, but also through infrastructures, ecosystems, technologies, desires, and memories. This processual framing foregrounds how ordinary residents actively participate in urban-religious worldmaking through everyday practices. Rather than treating African urban-religious worlds as isolated or exceptional, we adopt a comparative approach to examine transregional connections and commonalities between urban-religious formations across and beyond the African continent. In doing so, we aim to develop new conceptual tools for understanding global processes of urban-religious transformation. This conference thus invites researchers to analyse urban-religious dynamics across and beyond Africa through comparative and processual lenses, thereby enriching both urban and religious studies alike.

Este artículo explora la posibilidad de utilizar las imágenes históricas de Google Street View (GSV) como fuente de información para el análisis evolutivo de la función y tipo de actividades económicas de los locales en planta baja. Para ello se parte de un eje comercial en el casco histórico de
Barcelona como caso de estudio con el objetivo de valorar la capacidad de la fuente en el análisis de los procesos de turistificación de la ciudad. Se partió de la hipótesis de que este proceso acentúa una dinámica de especialización del uso del suelo que orienta su entorno hacia actividades
de ocio y consumo turístico debido principalmente a su mayor rentabilidad. Los resultados constataron una serie de cambios en el ámbito estudiado, como la mayor concentración de las actividades de atractivo turístico, un incremento de la rotación de los locales y un retroceso del comercio cotidiano. El estudio permite concluir que, aunque la fuente de información presenta algunas limitaciones, ofrece información relevante de gran utilidad tanto por razones metodológicas como por disponibilidad de recursos para éste y otro tipo de análisis. Su uso ha permitido constatar que, para el caso de estudio, los procesos de transformación han supuesto el desplazamiento de las actividades de larga trayectoria histórica, la reducción de su diversidad y la aceleración de los procesos de renovación y sustitución. Además, estos cambios podrían acarrear otras consecuencias a explorar en las relaciones simbólicas con el espacio y a la realización de las tareas reproductivas de las personas residentes.

This article explores the use of historical images from Google Street View (GSV) as a source of information for the evolutionary analysis of the function and type of economic fabric. A commercial axis in the historic centre of Barcelona is used as a case study in order to assess the capacity of the source in the analysis of the processes of touristification of the city. On the basis of greater profitability, touristification might be triggering a dynamic of specialisation in the use of land that directs
its surroundings towards leisure activities and tourist consumption. The results showed a transformation in the area studied, such as a greater concentration of tourist attraction activities, an increase in the number of activity rotations and a decline in everyday commerce. The analysis concluded that, although the source of information has some limitations, it offers relevant information that is very useful both for methodological reasons and because of the lack of resources for this and other types of analysis. Its use to confirms that, in the case under study, the transformation process meant the displacement of traditional activities, the reduction of their diversity and the acceleration of the processes of renewal and replacement. In addition, these changes could lead to other consequences to be explored such the symbolic relationships with space or the importance of daily commerce.

Sericulture is an agro-based labour intensive activity, which plays a significant role in the development of rural economy in India. Karnataka is the leading producer of silk in India, which contributes for about 50 per cent of the mulberry raw silk production in the country. In Karnataka, the silk production is concentrated in the southern region comprising Bangalore-Urban, Bangalore-Rural, Ramanagaram, Chikkaballapura, Kolar and Tumkur districts. The speedy urbanisation and the possible fall out of implementation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the surrounding areas of Bangalore in the recent years have led to diversion of land and labour for non-agricultural uses. Changes in the climate, pressure on the availability of water etc. are the other factors adversely affecting sericulture development in the southern region. In this context, the study was taken up to analyse the impact of urbanisation on productivity, profitability and expansion of sericulture in the peri-urban areas...

Montréal has a long history of promoting cultural tourism, based on its cityscape and atmosphere, a wide range of activities, events and festivals and the bilingual nature of the city. Montréal sees itself as a 'cultural metropolis' with a relatively high level of creative industries employment, particularly in video gaming, digital arts, augmented and immersive virtual reality, computer-generated special effects. These have been used to boost tourism, with events and festivals being a motivation for a third of all visitors. The city has well-established governance structures for culture and tourism, and has been able to combine these sectors effectively over the years. Cultural tourism has also been spread through the city by the creation of 'cultural neighbourhoods'. Montréal was also one of the first cities to actively promote creative tourism through the Guide to Creative Montréal, offering tours through the City's cutting-edge arts scene.

Woher kommt der Investor? Der Wortherkunft nach vom ‚Gewand' Wir verfolgen hier den Investor und sein Kommen durch verschiedene Kontexte. Das passt gut zum Investor, denn der Kontextwechsel ist in diesem Wort schon angelegt. Beim Investieren geht es ums Anlegen von Geld; näher an der Wortherkunft formuliert, geht es um ein ‚Einkleiden', gemäß dem lateinischen investire, von vestis für Gewand. Ein Investor gibt also Geldern, Mitteln, einem Engagement eine neue Form, eine Festform als Einbettung der (flüssigen oder virtuellen) Mittel, in diesem Sinn einen neuen Kontext. Da zeichnet sich also schon eine Affinität ab zwischen einerseits dem Investment als etwas, das über das rein (Finanz-)Ökonomische hinaus eine Einkleidung ist, und anderseits einem Wechsel in der Formgebung, in der Rahmung, auch in der ‚Inszenierung'. Investition kommt von vestis, Gewand. Weiße Westen, das spielt auch in unseren Überlegungen eine Rolle, eine Doppelrolle: zum einen als Plural-Ausdruck, der die Reputation, das öffentliche Image, zumal auch das von Investoren, betrifft, damit auch deren Inszenierung durch PR und deren moralische Bewertung; zum anderen aber auch als Singular-Ausdruck, denn der weiße Westen ist, wo die meisten unserer Referenzen platziert sind, wiewohl sie geopolitisch und ‚rassifizierter' Weise in Verbindung stehen mit anderen Orten und Gruppen, auf die sich weiße westliche Gewalt auswirkt. Westen als (Himmels-) Richtung hat eine andere Wortherkunft als die Weste, das Gewand (das ‚gewendete', edle Tuch), auch eine andere Herkunft als jene Wendungen/Versionen, die sich vom lateinischen vertere für ‚wenden' ableiten-von dem wiederum der Wert kommt: das Gewendete als ein Gegenüber im Sinn von ‚Gegenwert'. 1 Investor, Gewand, Wandel: Dass es mit dem Investor als einer ikonischen Figur der modernen, wesentlich vom Kapital und seinen Flüssen mit umgetriebenen, Geschichte etwas auf sich hat, davon zeugen schließlich auch kanonische Beispiele einer Theoretisierung von Geschichte, in der diese als ein Machtprozess verstanden ist, bei dem Wandel, Einkleidung und Investition Hand in Hand gehen. Das ist z. B. so in Michel Foucaults Vergleich der genealogischen Geschicht-der Geschichte, die in eine Vergangenheit investiert, indem sie sich diese aneignet-mit einem Karneval, bei dem eine Gegenwart sich jeweils neu einkleidet, kostümiert. 2 Oder schon früher in Karl Marx' Mischung aus Analyse und Ärger angesichts dessen, dass die politische Geschichte sich nicht an Gesetzmäßigkeiten der ‚Produktivwirtschaft' und ihrer Ordnungsabfolgen hält, sondern uns stattdessen die Macht im Staat und in der Gesellschaft als etwas präsentiert, bei dem wesentlich die Spekulation von Investoren-"Finanzaristokratie"-am Werk ist. 3

Gentrification, or the class-based restructuring of cities, is a process that has accrued a considerable historical depth and a wide geographical compass. But despite the existence of what is otherwise an increasingly rich literature, little has been written about connections between schools and the middle-class make-over of inner city districts. This paper addresses that lacuna. It does so in the specific context of the search by well-off middle class parents for places for their children in leading state schools in the inner city of Nanjing, one of China's largest urban centres, and it examines a process that we call here jiaoyufication. Jiaoyufication involves the purchase of an apartment in the catchment zone of a leading elementary school at an inflated price. Gentrifying parents generally spend nine years (covering the period of elementary and junior middle schooling) in their apartment before selling it on to a new gentrifying family at a virtually guaranteed good price without even any need for refurbishment. Jiaoyufication is made possible as a result of the commodification of housing alongside the increasingly strict application of a catchment zone policy of school enrolment. We show in this paper how jiaoyufication has led to the displacement of an earlier generation of mainly working class residents. We argue that the result has been a shift from an education system based on hierarchy and connections to one based on territory and wealth, but at the same time a strangely atypical sclerosis in the physical structure of inner city neighbourhoods. We see this as a variant form of gentrification.

The paper uses an introduction to the comparative study of Japanese and Chinese cities to make a case for a regional approach to thinking about cities in East Asia. In so doing it argues for contextually sensitive comparative urbanism as a platform for a broader understanding of trends towards global convergence. It outlines three different types of comparative urbanism and sets out a basic framework for the study of urban change in the larger cities of China and Japan. Its central argument is that the close relationship between the state and capital in the two countries has conditioned the rapid and dynamic nature of urban change. [Key words: comparative urbanism; Japanese cities; Chinese cities; developmental state; region.] This paper is a call for a regional approach to urban studies, one that is theoretically grounded and contextually rich. 1 My starting point lies in what I perceive as a failure to integrate the study of urban change in Japan into a regional and an international comparative context. The questions I raise here connect Japanese to Chinese cities and anchor them in the East Asian region. They relate not only to Japanese and Chinese cities and their regional context but also to wider questions of convergence and difference-the extent to which claims can be made for an urban convergence orchestrated by global capital. My principal argument is that a comparative study of urban change in Japan and China is mutually beneficial, and enhances the study of urban spaces in the East Asian region and beyond. China, with its Communist polity and its market economy, has its cities more often bundled into a conceptual basket alongside those of post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe, but nearly always with a caveat: generalizations that might make sense in the European context apply with difficulty to China (Wu et al., 2010). If it can be argued, however, that there is a common pattern to urban change in Central and Eastern Europe, why might the same not be possible for East Asia, that is to say China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, territories bound together not only by a shared culture (political culture, culture of writing, religious culture), but more importantly in this context by patterns of influence, empire, and investment? This regional context offers a sounder comparative focus for the understanding of urban change in China and lifts the study of Japanese cities out of the trap of uniqueness into which it sometimes falls. At the same time, it offers the chance to draw on lessons from work on CEE cities in establishing the salience of path-dependent approaches within a broader neoliberal urban canvas . What follows is very much an invitation to further study and one that focuses on the two leading countries in the region, while conscious of the need to consider Korea and Taiwan and their cities in the same regional picture. As I hope to show, there is much to be gained from a specific comparative focus on Japanese and Chinese urbanism. These are issues with a strong resonance in recent literature that links debates in urban studies and develops the idea of ordinary cities to encompass postcolonial concepts of cosmopolitan urbanism . The literature is animated by a sense that urban studies is innately comparative and that this needs to be recognized, but

In this combination of different articles dealing with process of social innovation and metropolitan development using the example of Quito (Ecuador), one aspect in particular will be emphasized: Local urban knowledge, focused on the municipal government of Quito. As such, only methods and results from the fields of economics and geography already covered in other studies will be further elaborated. In this case we suppose, that  the appropriate combination of different existing knowledge, methods, and concepts in a new form can also produce a social innovation. This is usually a multidisciplinary approach in the field of research, and above this, can include different areas of work, such as services and research. This does not necessarily rely on an external stimulus or the use of cutting-edge technology.  The “local” aspect is of fundamental importance, be it in terms of knowledge, institutions, territorial conditions, and processes of use.
There is undoubtedly extensive local knowledge for innovative development of metropolitan areas.  Local knowledge here is not only linked to the universities. Such local knowledge must exist in other parts of local society. Ultimately, this can only be explained by a process of assembling existing specific local knowledge in this new context - a complex and very demanding perspective of social innovation.  The place for this development must have been in the management level of local government.
This local knowledge takes on an additional quality through the combination of  European theoretical concepts, resulting in positive interrelationships: the theoretical concepts can be updated and aligned to new issues, the particular Latin American / Ecuadorian project knowledge can be better systematized, and progress on the ground becomes clearer and can be communicated.
The social value of local knowledge is given an economic perspective at both levels. New location structures form the basis for initiating regional urban development cycles. This type of “complementary knowledge” could in itself represent a regional policy value.  These would then be aspects of “location competition” (Standortwettbewerb) that can be controlled by the municipality itself in an increasingly globalized world.

Lorsque l'on vient de Tunis et qu'ayant traversé le Haut-Tell, on laisse derrière soi Maktar, on aborde une large ouverture transversale à la Dorsale tunisienne : c'est le fossé tectonique de Sbiba qui est parcouru en son fond par l'Oued el Hatab. Une ligne noire, droite passe par Rohia, rejoint Sbiba puis descend vers le Sud à droite du Mghila, c'est la route Tunis-Sbeitla. Nous voici dans les Hautes steppes. C'est le printemps mais au souk de Sbiba les hommes portent encore le burnous ; malgré le temps clair la température est fraîche et un vent glacial du Nord couche le blé en herbe, fait frémir les oliviers et les amandiers des vergers. Les Hautes-steppes ne se réchauffent qu'en Avril. Quelques nuées qui débordent lentement le Tioucha annoncent une averse, elle est comme toutes les pluies à Sbiba violente et courte, le ciel se dégage rapidement. L'été, la chaleur écrase la terre et les hommes, le temps ne se rafraîchit pas avant octobre avec les premières pluies d'automne. la bordure nord-ouest de ce vaste ensemble que l'on appelle "le Centre et le Sud Tunisien" et se trouve éloignée des principaux centres économiques : Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, même Kairouan, la capitale, aujourd'hui endormie, du centre est distante d'une centaine de kilomètres (ce qui signifie 3 à 4 heures de transports en car ou en camion). La situation économique locale est solidaire de celle du "centre tunisien", des hautes-steppes auxquelles elle se rattache. Sbiba est également indissociable du relief qui l'entoure : vastes surfaces planes, favorables à l'agriculture, qui constituent le fond du fossé d'effondrement, et, ouverture transversale dans la Dorsale qui a été dans le passé un passage important. Mais aujourd'hui cette situation tectonique qui a contribué à son épanouissement dans les premiers siècles de la Tunisie musulmane, est à l'origine d'une situation d'enclavement dans la mesure où le passage vers le nord, et le nord-ouest est fermé : tout juste une route de moyenne importance qui relie Sbeitla au sud à Maktar au nord en passant par Sbiba. Le village rayonne sur la délégation dont il est le centre, celle-ci comptait en Mai 1975 22 084 habitants dont 1 944 dans la commune. La population se répartit en de nombreux douars de taille très variable 1 . La délégation couvre près de 50 000 ha, la densité de la population, supérieure à 40 habitants au km2, est forte dans une région ou les ressources agricoles restent modestes. La région de Sbiba, comme une grande partie des hautes-steppes, est caractérisée jusqu'à la colonisation par l'absence de villes et de villages, de tissu urbain. Ainsi Charles Monchicourt note en 1913 : "... depuis 1890, Sbiba ayant vu se construire deux douzaines de maisons..." 2 , Habib Attia 3 souligne pour sa part que seuls "quelques rares îlots de vie villageoise ont pu se maintenir à travers les siècles autour de sources permanentes (Fériana, Sbiba...) et dans les villages perchés de tradition berbère des massifs de Gafsa (Sened, Ayacha, etc.)" 4 . Ce n'est qu'après l'indépendance que le nombre des villes augmente et qu'elles se développent rapidement. Ce sont les bédouins qui occupent la steppe et à Sbiba, le arch (tribu) des Majeur, lequel se déploie sur la partie septentrionale des hautessteppes, de Sbeitla à Rohia. Absence de tissu urbain donc, liée à la « bédouinisation de la steppe à partir du XIème siècle et qui s'est traduite par la substitution d'une société pastorale à une société paysanne et urbaine. Villes, routes, travaux d'aménagement hydraulique qui servaient de support à la vie sédentaire ont complètement disparu. »