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The article lists the previous winners and the 2007 winner of the Wiley-Blackwell Area Prize which was announced at the RGS-IBG Annual General Meeting on June 2008 at the RGS-IBG headquarters in London, England including Jessica Graybill, Clare Herrick, and Pauline Couper.

The built heritage of most cities is heterogeneous, hybrid and multiple. However, certain heritage objects and meanings are invariably privileged over others in place-making strategies. In this paper we are interested in the production of local heritage and design discourses and their impact on the regulation of conservation and change in the built environment. Using the example of the legacy of post-war (i.e. 1950s and 1960s) modernist development in Manchester, England, the paper explores the performative work of place narratives in conservation policy. The contested heritage value of post-war modernist development in the UK is particularly relevant, given the difficulties posed by aspects of 1950s and 1960s design set against increased pressures for conservation. Accordingly, the conservation of aspects of 1950s/1960s urbanism can be fiercely resisted by urban leaders. Empirically, we examine the ways in which post-war heritage has been selectively incorporated into the dominant design and heritage narratives of the city of Manchester. Looking beyond Manchester, the paper contributes to conceptual debates about the situated politics of heritage and the institutional work performed by heritage discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between political hierarchy and the complex webs of political organization associated with urban governance. Deploying the concept of meta-governance and a study of urban policy reform in the West Midlands region of England, this paper claims that state and governmental hierarchies continue to have a crucial role in coordinating the activities of governance regimes in the UK. This paper concludes by considering the effects of hierarchical power on the systems of political participation and representation that are associated with urban governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous geographical research on organic farming suggests a process of aggregation at the regional scale and spatial clustering at the local level, the latter in response to a neighbourhood effect and different socio-cultural factors. However, little research has been conducted on the geographical distribution of organic farming in a UK context. Using both secondary and primary data, this paper examines geographical aspects of organic farming in England and Wales. At a regional scale, three major concentrations of organic production are found to the south and west of a line drawn between Bangor in north Wales and Brighton in south-east England (the Brighton-Bangor line). One of these concentrations occurs in the counties of East and West Sussex in south-east England. Yet, within these two counties the pattern of organic farming is quite random and there is little evidence of spatial clustering, a neighbourhood effect or the influence of socio-cultural factors. Instead, many of the farms have converted from conventional farming since 1990 and are driven by a strong economic imperative, which encourages the use of national as well as local outlets to both sell their produce and purchase necessary inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares two types of purpose-built recreational space - indoor climbing walls and outdoor fishing ponds - using participant observation and interviews with climbers and anglers in England. We show how these notionally 'indoor' and 'outdoor' spaces have strong similarities in terms of how they are used and perceived. We draw on literature about consumption and technology to demonstrate changing expectations and social norms about using each space. We also compare walls and ponds with supermarkets to highlight how this consumerist interpretation is used in a moral ordering of leisure behaviour. We therefore take a very different approach from research that emphasises sensation, risk and embodiment in outdoor leisure and adventure tourism. Instead, we show how such spaces reflect modernist domestication and control, problematising the indoor/outdoor dualism and emphasising the multiple experiences of environmental leisure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a plethora of literature in the last few years attempting to conceptualise how the (international) firm operates in the notion of what has been termed ‘buzz’. In this paper, we aim to highlight how the use of social network analysis (SNA) can provide a nuanced view of ‘buzz’, through a focus on London's advertising industry. In this case study, we use the data on interlocking board members of the advertising companies in London, and visualise their network maps through sociograms. This method of analysis, under-utilised in the economic geography literature, highlights the intensity of connections between companies and particular individuals. It shows the paths of knowledge flow within the industry, and can highlight the key ‘gatekeepers’ within what is already known to be a highly networked and socialised industry. This is a specific conceptualisation of interaction and provides a quantitative conception of what has hitherto been largely evaluated through qualitative means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minority ethnic populations in England and Wales have been increasing steadily as a share of the total population since the 1991 Census. In this paper, we are interested in how internal migration has changed as a possible consequence. Our analysis focuses on the movements between 12 area groups, as defined by the Office for National Statistics, and addresses the following three research questions: (1) how has internal migration in England and Wales evolved from 1991 to 2004; (2) what are the main differences in the movements between the White (majority) population and the ethnic minority population; and (3) how do migration patterns differ when ethnicity, education and employment statuses are considered together? The data come from the 1991 to 2004 National Health Service Central Registers, the 1999–2004 patient registers and the 2001 Census. We find strong stability in the migration patterns of the total population over time. However, large differences appear when the flows are disaggregated by ethnicity and further by education and employment. Education level is an important factor influencing the migration patterns for the White population, whereas employment status is a much more important factor for the ethnic minority population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Licensing Act (2003) was enacted in England and Wales against the backdrop of media concern about ‘binge Britain’ and violent town centres avoided by ‘social drinkers’. This paper responds to these concerns by asking how to create more inclusive urban centres at night. Findings from focus groups found it was not alcohol consumption or a reluctance to partake in urban life that was detracting residents. Using the notion of ‘comfort’, the paper instead reveals a strong desire for varied late-night experiences ranging from quiet local venues, to active streets and live venues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoking is an important and topical health issue in the UK. In Leeds, the target is to reduce smoking prevalence by 9 per cent by 2010. However, a key unknown is the likely distribution of smokers across the city. This paper aims to estimate individual smoking rates using microsimulation and hence evaluate the performance of established stop smoking services, e.g. how well do they serve local areas and to what extent does attendance vary between service point locations? Location-allocation modelling is employed to test various location scenarios and provide insight into where to optimally place centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from debates in economic geography on relational and organisational proximity as a substitute for geographical proximity, the paper explores characteristics of knowledge transfer in London's recorded music industry through an examination of organisational connections on local and global scales. The paper demonstrates that knowledge transfer within the industry occurs simultaneously across multiple geographical scales, with certain organisational connections facilitating the transfer of tacit knowledge across organisational boundaries. However, the paper argues that these connections do not offer the same scope for trust as is afforded by frequent face-to-face contact and therefore offer only a partial substitute for geographical proximity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word ‘dwelling’, to dwell, supposes engagement, in the sense that those who dwell are seen to engage with others and, in doing so, contribute to social capital and cohesion expressed in the forming of ‘community’. Second home buying may be viewed as a course of action severing the process–product link between dwelling and community, as a brake on the community building process. In this paper, I contrast the view of dwelling as process – and its coupling with the ‘traditional’ place–community – with alternative notions of dwelling, and argue that the prevailing view is largely concerned with public and collective dwelling (and ‘productive interaction’), and underplays the importance of private dwelling, and hence the self-identity and orientation – key aspects of dwelling – that flow from the use of private property, including the use of second homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the building that presently houses the Imperial War Museum, investigating the transformation of the archetypal ‘mad space’ of the Bethlem Royal Hospital into what has been described as the ‘biggest boy’s bedroom in London’. Following recent concerns in human geography with Imperial cities, it highlights the differing ways in which this transformation embodies a number of themes of degeneration and regeneration in early twentieth-century Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses geographical trends in relative poverty in England and Wales over the last century by comparing key quantitative indicators from key dates. The comparison is made possible by interpolating all the datasets onto a single standardized geography. Results suggest rising inequality in spite of the decline in absolute poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impact and dissemination strategies are key subjects for debate within geography and academia more broadly. Drawing on our experiences of a qualitative study in Hull, where we worked with 46 children and young people to explore their experiences of long-term flood recovery, we describe and evaluate the evolution of a creative methodology for disseminating research results in tandem with non-academic audiences. Reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of this process, we draw three key conclusions: first, we highlight the importance of reciprocity in research. Second, we outline the role of dissemination in providing a means by which other topics can be discussed and explored. Crucially, we also argue that the impact agenda, though controversial, has the potential to provide positive benefits for those interested in working with rather than on research participants, provided researchers are attentive to developing appropriate processes and tools for dissemination. This is particularly the case for those working in children's geographies, where it is suggested that impact could pave the way for a more radical form of research that is able to address 'bigger issues' and audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore the impacts of the training programmes offered to lone mothers with young children on the Government's ‘New Deal for Lone Parents’ in one local labour market: West London. Our research suggests that regulatory workfare policies are (re)producing and reinforcing gendered inequalities in the labour market by encouraging lone mothers to undertake training in feminised occupational areas such as childcare. We will argue that in a local economy such as West London where more childcare workers are desperately needed to enable other more highly skilled workers to take up employment opportunities, such training programmes may be doing little more than exacerbating the already gendered and class-based polarisation of the labour market – embedding low-skilled, poorly qualified lone mothers into low-paid jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birmingham has embarked on a brave attempt to broaden its planning ethos and incorporate elements of the city's diverse cultural population. A key feature of this new ethos is a re-scripting of its ethnic minorities as an asset rather than a problem. In this paper, I track the characterization of Birmingham's ethnic minorities through the newspaper archive and mobilize a politics of difference as a critical reading strategy. In so doing, I suggest the narrative form on Birmingham's ethnic minorities has persistently made apparent forms of co-existence which flag up a discontinuity between ‘diversity’ and the characterization of its ethnic minorities as an asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater mills historically were found throughout England serving a wide variety of uses. The decline in the need for water power over the last 100 years saw a reduction in the number of operational mills. Despite this decline, the associated river structures were rarely removed and many of these have exceeded their design life and have failed or are now starting to fail, with important geomorphological implications for the river. This paper investigates the geomorphological impacts of mills and their structures on English rivers, and considers their legacy for the contemporary management of these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How much does the 2001 census tell us about the changes in people's life in British cities and regions since 1991? This paper attempts to answer this question by telling the stories of two British northern cities: Leeds and Sheffield. In particular, the paper investigates and compares socio-economic change in these cities on the basis of actual 1991 and 2001 census data as well as estimated non-census data. A static spatial microsimulation model is used to combine the outputs of the 1991 and 2001 censuses of UK population with data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data. In particular, selected Small Area Statistics (SAS) tables from the 1991 and 2001 censuses are used as constraints in the spatial microsimulation modelling exercise, which aims to reweight BHPS household records so that they satisfy these constraints. The paper briefly discusses the change in these census variables across different localities of the two cities. It is then shown how the changes in these variables affect the simulation of non-census variables. Further, the microsimulation model is used to estimate the trends in income inequalities and child poverty between and within the two cities. Finally, the paper discusses the implication of the research findings for policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a preliminary analysis of unitary authority level data from the 2001 census of population on the spatial (and, where available, temporal) patterns in proportions of Welsh speakers in Wales. In so doing we draw attention to the advantages (and limitations) of the census as a source of information on the state of the Welsh language. Although a 2 per cent increase in the percentage of Welsh speakers between 1991 and 2001 has been welcomed, several commentators have drawn attention to the change in the nature of the question asked at the 2001 census which may account for some of this increase. In this paper, we assess what is, and is not, possible to discern from the census, draw attention to other potential sources of information on the language and make some preliminary recommendations for those agencies concerned with monitoring trends in the future, both with regard to the need for more detailed language use surveys and the nature of the question included in subsequent censuses that would permit a more useful comparison of spatial and temporal trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international prominence of Young British art (YBa) in the 1990s gave London a contemporary art movement to match its role as one of the world's key centres of art exchange. Examining the rise of YBa in retrospect, this paper is concerned with the difference place makes in helping to shape the (hi)story of art. It is argued that London's established role as an international art centre was crucial in providing the density of networks, associations and facilities necessary to sustain an international art movement. At the same time, YBa's success can be linked to London's changing status as a cultural capital, as well as profound changes in the business of contemporary art. Attention is drawn to the ways in which the international art world is dominated by networks formed within and across a limited number of world art cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on the ‘entrepreneurial turn’ literatures to examine the current redevelopment of East Manchester. It makes three contributions to our existing empirical and theoretical understanding of what is termed here ‘entrepreneurial urbanism’. First, attention is drawn to the spatially selective nature of entrepreneurial urbanism within cities; second, it argues that entrepreneurial urbanism actually demands a qualitative shift in the state's role in urban redevelopment and third, using the example of East Manchester, these two theoretical issues are explored empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birmingham is re–inventing itself through a strategy of prestige city centre regeneration. Drawing on the theoretical lenses of transnationalism and postcolonialism, we sketch one alternative vision of Birmingham’s economic place in the world. Through a focus on ‘ethnic diversity’, and the subsequent distinctiveness of the city’s economy, this paper re–visions Birmingham as a ‘global’ city. Reflecting on a ‘politics of scale’, we highlight a ‘globalization from below’ that draws on the city’s residents and their histories [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable debate has occurred over whether ‘global cities’ are witnessing polarization of their labour forces into highly paid professionals and low paid personal service workers. This paper offers evidence on paid domestic labour in London, some of which occurs in the informal sector, and considers its potential significance for the polarization debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public access to environmental information received much attention in the last decade. Recent developments promote access to this information through public telecommunication networks. This paper describes a Web-based survey that explored the requirements and needs of likely users of public environmental information systems for London: educated middle-class members of the public, with high interest in environmental issues and computer literacy. The survey demonstrated current information consumption patterns and the reasons to gather and use such information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results from exploratory research which set out to investigate London children's perceptions and uses of river environments. Mainly qualitative, multi-method research was carried out in four primary schools with children aged 9-11, focusing on two rivers near to the schools. Rivers were found to be marginal to the children's everyday lives and outdoor play, being perceived as polluted, neglected, and initially dangerous places. However, when experienced on visits observed as part of the research, some of these perceptions changed and rivers were also found to afford many special activities and experiences for the children. The visits were generally seen to have a positive effect on the children's perceptions of rivers, at least in the short term. This suggests that, if managed appropriately, rivers could be potentially rewarding play areas for children. Moreover, children could provide valuable input for river managers in suggesting ways of improving suitable local rivers for increased recreational uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides new insights into girls' use of recreational spaces within rural areas. We draw upon data from in-depth discussion work with 10-14 year old girls undertaken in rural Northamptonshire to show how conflict between adults and children, rival groups of children, and boys and girls influences the social ownership of recreational spaces. In contrast to the rural childhood myth, we disclose geographies of anxiety, tension and disharmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the current interest in neighbourhood-based policy in England and considers the extent to which the output geography developed for the 2001 census helps to meet the need for neighbourhood-based data. The characteristics of the new census output geography are presented, and the difficulties of creating meaningful neighbourhood geographies from statistical reporting units reviewed. The new geography will provide a much improved basis for the consolidation of data from official administrative sources, but additional challenges are also discussed in relation to the future of census data collection and publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper compares ethnic change and diversity across two recent decades using common group and area definitions. Ethnic minority groups are shown to be growing rapidly at 41 per cent between 1981 and 1991 and 39 per cent between 1991 and 2001. Some groups have grown swiftly (Black Africans, Bangladeshis), while others have seen moderate expansion (Indians, Other Asians). The White population has hardly grown and the White British population has probably declined. Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) populations remain concentrated in metropolitan areas in 2001 as in 1991 and 1981. Whereas between 1981 and 1991, BEM groups were concentrating into metropolitan areas, between 1991 and 2001 deconcentration began for most groups. The London region stands out as highly dominant, housing more than 50 per cent of BEM populations as a whole in 1991 and 2001. However, between 1991 and 2001, BEM groups grew outside their core areas. The consequence of BEM population growth and spread has been a dramatic increase in ethnic diversity in all regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar geometry is used to accurately date the four paintings of Waterloo Bridge and one painting of Charing Cross Bridge, from Monet's London Series, that have the sun clearly visible within the image. Monet reworked the ‘enveloppe’ within these images on subsequent days when the sun was in a similar position but did not change the position of the sun. Letters to Monet's wife and contemporary weather data verify the probable dates. This confirms that Monet painted what he saw and that we can cautiously use his London Series as a pictorial ‘weather diary’ of typical Victorian London fogs. Monet painted these images from the Savoy Hotel during stays in 1900 and/or 1901 and the fifth floor balcony he used has now been located for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity has become a major public health challenge. Whilst it is accepted that the aetiology of obesity is complex, there is very little that targets the home environment and specifically looks at the family setting and how this influences children's eating behaviours. This research aimed to redress the balance by alerting people to the importance of the family environment as a contributory factor for childhood obesity. Using a grounded theory approach, ‘Ordering of eating’ highlights the importance of the family setting and demonstrates how micro and macro order influences the development of children's eating behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers transport both organic and inorganic carbon from their sources to the sea. Results of ~800 organic and inorganic analyses from various British rivers of contrasting size and land use are presented here: (1) the headwater River Tern, a rural river of 852 km2 catchment; (2) the Ouseburn, a small urban 55 km2 catchment; (3) the River Tyne, a larger river system of ~3000 km2 catchment; (4) a spatial survey from 205 sample sites on ~60 rivers from SW England. We found that, with the exception of peat-rich headwaters, DIC concentration is always greater than DOC. DIC is primarily in the form HCO3− , with DIC concentrations highest in highly urbanised catchments, typically greater than those observed in catchments with carbonate bedrock, demonstrating a significant and previously unrecognised anthropogenic inorganic carbon input to urban rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine flooding, particularly that associated with North Sea storm surges, has posed a recurrent threat to human use of the Thames Estuary and its shorelines. During the later Middle Ages a growing frequency of surges placed increasing burdens upon the resources of coastal communities. This is reflected in expenditure upon sea-walls and related defences and in the frequent issuing of commissions of sewers, the mechanism by which the Crown intervened in matters of flood prevention and drainage. In the era of labour shortages initiated by the Black Death of 1349, the defence of some reclaimed marshlands around the Estuary and tidal river was abandoned in a precursor of managed retreat or realignment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the findings of a survey of disabled students in the Geography Earth and Environmental Science subjects in six universities in England. The issues which the survey explored, according to its fieldwork were presented. The charts depicting the responses by disability category and the barriers faced by disabled students with regard to field work were presented.

Focuses on the need to reconnect university and school geography in England. Contribution made by Alastair Bonnett of School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, England, to the debate over the problems facing geography in higher education; Implications of trends in school geography for future undergraduate recruitment; Concern over the condition of school geography in England.

Decisions about infant feeding are commonly viewed as an issue of personal choice made in the light of information about the benefits of breastfeeding. A pilot study of first-time parents’ decisions and experiences in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, suggests that local cultural contexts, in particular how men and women are seen to be parenting in different spaces, have a profound influence on infant feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on an examination of two geodemographic classification systems based on an analysis of 1991 census variables, for districts, wards and census enumeration districts in England and Wales. We also review the associations among the variables examined, the extent to which certain underlying components might account for the overall variation and the types of areas that are least typical. The results show that small areas are different in many different ways; a few dimensions cannot provide enough information to describe an area fully. Diversity on most scales remains even after geodemographic classification, emphasizing the advantages of task-specific classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations include: Ian Livingstone, London: a sustainable city?, p.77 Michael Parkinson, Key challenges for European cities: achieving competitiveness, cohesion and sustainability, p.78 Chris Hamnett, London’s housing, p.80 Sarah Curtis, Health in London, p.84 Martin Frost, London's transport—investing for sustainability, p.92 Chris Birks, Mike Owen and Brian Arkell, London's water resources: threat or opportunity, p.92 Sean D Beevers, David C Carslaw and Gary W Fuller, London's air quality: nitrogen dioxide and particles (PM10) in London's air—present and future, p.97 Adam D Read, Where there's muck there's brass—the ‘cost’ of London's waste?, p.103 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]