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Highlights • The VRIO model is used to be applied to the regions. • The perception of RIS3 by regional stakeholders. • The individual and institutional stakeholders' interests of each region about RIS3. • The study contributes to an innovative framework which helps policy-makers assessing and measuring the regional performance. Abstract This study aims at assessing stakeholder perceptions regarding the suitability of smart/intelligent specialisation strategies defined for their framework regions. We adopted a quantitative methodology through questionnaire surveys of the different stakeholders in Portuguese regions in keeping with the VRIO model applied to the regions. The study results emphasise that stakeholder perceptions of the appropriateness of the smart specialisation strategies defined for their framework regions does not coincide with the intelligent specialisation strategies defined by their policy makers. This study attempts to contribute to an innovative framework which helps policy-makers assessing and measuring the regional performance. The study furthermore proposes measures to bridge the gaps found in the regional smart specialisation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community energy planning has attracted wide attention in China as the implementation of China’s low-carbon city policies. Meanwhile the rapid development of energy science and technology has shifted buildings and communities from energy consumers to prosumers, which lead to more difficulties in configuring the energy technology portfolio. This study es-tablishes an optimal decision-making model for community energy planning and develops an online tool called District EnErgy Planning(DEEP). Based on DEEP, the impact of energy price and equipment cost on optimization results, and the corresponding operational strategies are discussed through case study and scenario analysis. The results show that, when natural gas price exceeds 2yuan/m 3 the gas-based solutions become economically uncompetitive. The technologies are propitious when equipment prices are reduced by 50%, 50%, 80% for CHP facilities, PV panels and electric battery, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societies are committing themselves to sustainable development by attempting to improve environmental quality, social equity, and economic welfare. As such, there continues a plea for holistic development assessment across scales; however there remains no ideal technique for achieving sustainability on neither regional nor local scale. This paper approaches this problem by constructing a multi-metric assessment system for evaluating development patterns across the Republic of Moldova. The objectives of this study were: (1) to produce a local multi-metric index that captures the three major dimensions of sustainable development for Moldova; (2) to quantitatively evaluate the interrelatedness of sub-metrics used for creating the local composite index of sustainable development; and (3) to visualize and interpret spatial patterns of sustainable development across Moldova. A local sustainable development index (LSDI) was produced using household and property composition indicators from a 2005 demographic and health survey for the Republic of Moldova. Total sample size and aggregated spatial reference was 11,066 households and 399 geographic locations, respectively. The LSDI used a 15 sub-metric optimum, equal weighting, 1–5 ordinal scale standardization, and additive construction. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was used to evaluate sub-metric quantitative relationships, and local Moran's I -test to interpret geographic patterns of sustainable development. Results revealed that a wealth sub-index had greatest collinearity with other sub-metrics. Geographically, Moldova's improved sustainability levels were found in large urban areas, suggesting needed prioritization of development resources to the hinterland. For regional sustainable development assessments, this approach provides the transferability to other locally referenced datasets throughout the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing has assumed a prominent position in current regional planning and development. There is, however, no coherent body of knowledge on how designing contributes to, alters or influences planning processes. Our essay explores a leading example: the contributions of designing to Dutch regional planning and development, and identifies topics for scholarly research that will improve the understanding of design approaches in planning and advance regional design practice. We interviewed stakeholders involved in Dutch regional planning practice and identified eleven contributions of designing: four to the content and seven to the process of planning. An exploration of scholarly literature in landscape architecture and urban design added more depth and understanding to these contributions. We conclude that the long-term scope of regional design means its impacts must also be evaluated over the long term. Moreover, stakeholder involvement in a design process draws attention to the political aspects of designing and the need to develop skills to balance multiple interests. Finally, as designing and planning are never the same in different situations, empirical research and design experiments in different planning settings can reveal which characteristics determine the potential of designing in different planning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-economic regionalization (EER) is to divide an area into geographical zones. Each zone is linked to the others based on the eco-economic similarity and disparity. In this study, models of EER of the Chinese Loess Plateau were constructed. Data on 22 selected indicators were gathered for the 282 administrative counties. Then they were analyzed through an approach of PCA integrated with CA and GIS. In the generated model, the plateau was assigned to 4 belts and 18 eco-economic zones. The relationship among the subdivisions was able to represent the real situation. It demonstrates the division scheme is very comprehensive, concise and applicable. The work has established a novel methodological framework for EER of large-scale area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 2007, in England, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published Waste Strategy 2007 for England. To help drive the required behaviour change for increased sustainable practice the Government in England signalled up in the Strategy the intention to launch a Zero Waste Places (ZWP) initiative to develop innovative and exemplary practice. By inviting places (including cities, towns and rural communities) to bid for ZWP status, the successful applicants were then expected to become exemplars of good environmental practice on all waste issues. The ZWP programme commenced in October 2008 with the selection of 6 distinct places based upon an application by a partnership containing a Local Authority or in one case a Regional Development Agency. The places ranged in size from the very small (one street of 201 properties) to a Region of England (5 million population). These 6 were chosen from an initial list of 12 applicants via a rigorous selection process against fixed criteria that were designed to support Zero Waste practice. The funding was £70,258 and the mean was £11,709. The overall assessment suggests that the Local Authorities and their project partners rose to the challenge of zero waste and in most cases met or even exceeded their objectives (meeting at least 80% of aims and planned actions) and achieved high value for money in terms of Government funded initiatives. Evaluation suggested that there is a requirement to link, in the future, ZWP initiatives with other recent developments such as Transition Towns, Eco-Town and Total Place developments within Local Authorities. A Certificated Standard for ZWP was developed and is perceived as being both useful and valuable and it is hoped that it will spur a large number of new ZWP applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Institutions of Higher Education have to cope with an array of challenges in the 21st century including globalization of teaching, research and outreach activities; additionally there are dramatic increases in competition for students, staff and funding sources. Meanwhile, local and regional involvement in regional sustainable development is increasing in importance as well. This latter process is driven by the mandates from many sources for academic involvement in working on the multi-faceted issues pertaining to Sustainable Development (SD). This requires concerted action not only at the global, but also at the local and regional levels. This article provides an overview of this special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production on the Roles of Academia in Regional Sustainable Development Initiatives. The essence of the 11 articles contained in this special issue is summarized and contextualized within the rapidly evolving academic efforts on SD. Recommendations are made of ways for academia to help their regions to make more rapid progress toward SD via involvement of their faculty, students and staff in Regional SD programs and processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: This paper assesses the current rural development practice against the main trends in recent rural development thinking, based on evidence from four country case studies. While much progress has been made in understanding the need to look beyond only agriculture for the promotion of productive activities in rural areas, and the “institutional vacuum” consistently identified in the rural non-farm (RNF) literature is gradually being filled, much remains to be done. One aspect on which more research is particularly needed is the development of better mechanisms to promote productive investment rather than just social investment and to assess the appropriate level—community, regional, and national—at which to do this. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new regionalism has been much documented and researched for metropolitan areas; this article documents that there is a new rural regionalism as well. In the United States, these groups appear most likely to emerge in areas that are challenged by outcomes characterizing globalization''s effects on the rural condition: namely, exurban or metropolitan sprawl and the resulting landscape fragmentation, often in combination with extreme pressure on the profitability of small farms or other resource uses. This research asks: what impetus is behind rural regional efforts; and what sort of processes of institutionalization do these groups utilize? The paper builds on theory developed by the new regional geographers over the last twenty years, most notably Anne Gilbert and Anssi Paasi, and applies the theoretical framework to three North American case studies in what can be classified as ad hoc rural initiatives in contested landscapes, initiated by local or grassroots actors to foster a specific conceptualization of region. While specific programming varies for different groups, rural regionalism addressed the balance between and interconnections of landscape and land use change, social networks, economic viability, and impacts of global industry. Central to the case studies are actors'' efforts to create a regional identity, including forming institutions, defining regional boundaries, and identifying social/symbolic shapes for the region. The research discusses the importance of viewing regionalization through the lens of agency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: In this study, we present evidence from Mexico regarding the weak effectiveness of federal transfers and low absorption capacity of sub-national governments in poor areas, when political opportunistic behavior is present. We show that the distribution of conditional transfers is discretionary, due to a monitoring problem, and deficiency in institutional frameworks. This may be the cause for opportunistic behavior by political elites. The results suggest that more funds are distributed to areas with more voters. In addition, localities with a higher number of swing voters also receive more resources. These results show that the poorest populations receive the least amount of money from the community-based development funds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics and problems of social housing estates in South Korea, and to explore sustainable community development issues. In order to examine the social housing situation, a survey of the three social housing communities in Seoul was conducted. The survey evidence demonstrates that there is a growing stigma against the poor and social exclusion. This kind of social bias is likely to escalate the construction of social housing estates, which the poor concentrates in. Residents recognized that mixing public and private housing would be an issue and problematic. Public housing was thought to have a negative impact on the neighborhood. It is important to examine why these kinds of social problems arise. Applying the concept of social sustainability to low-income communities in urban Korea requires mobilizing residents and their governments to strengthen all forms of community capital. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Opponents of the Scenic Review Ordinance for controlling the visual effects of development in the Lake Tahoe Basin argue that the regulations do not meaningfully reflect general public attitudes. In part to address this concern, Tahoe''s federally mandated regional authority commissioned a study to assess public perception of the scenic resource. The 392 survey respondents were comprised of tourists, members of local environmental groups, and lakefront property owners. Survey results, based on responses to both photographs and written questions, show substantial agreement across different stakeholder groups including those most vocally opposed to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). Although the magnitude of preferences differed somewhat, all groups preferred development that included more nature (particularly trees), was not “run down”, was less visually bulky, and contrasted less with the environment (e.g., darker colors and without large expanses of windows). These findings lend credibility to TRPA''s Scenic Ordinance criteria, which encourage developers and homeowners to break up visible structural mass of their construction and reduce the perceived contrast of structures with their surroundings. Study implications are discussed in terms of the future of TRPA efforts and in terms of the effectiveness of studies such as these in bridging the gap between planning and successful policy implementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For more than half a century, there have been government programs and international organizations devoted to socially engineering development. As evidenced by the recent United Nation''s Millennium Project report, surprisingly little has been learned as to why that mode of development assistance is ineffective. This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to explaining the old idea that the best form of assistance is to help people help themselves but that this cannot be “engineered” as is amply evidenced by over a half-century of failures. There is a conundrum: how can the helpers supply help that furthers rather than overrides or undercuts the goal of the doers helping themselves? Otherwise, it is actually “unhelpful help.” The overriding and undercutting forms of unhelpful help are analyzed and strategies for autonomy-respecting help are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sierra Leone is currently emerging from a brutal civil war that lasted most of the 1990s, and now has the dubious distinction of being ranked among the world''s poorest countries. As thousands of displaced people move back to their villages, a large proportion of the predominantly farm-based rural population are growing food crops for the first time in a decade. Alluvial diamond mining makes an important contribution to the national economy, though some would argue that Sierra Leone''s diamonds are a ‘resource curse’. Drawing upon research undertaken in the 1970s and also in the post-conflict period, the paper provides a longitudinal perspective on the complex links between the farming and mining sectors. Recent field research in Sierra Leone''s Eastern Province, indicates that many links between farming and diamond mining have actually been maintained despite severe dislocation. These links could play a key role in rejuvenating market-oriented food production, providing the much-needed impetus for post-war rural development. In charting a future development trajectory, the paper recognizes the urgent need for an effective management scheme for both mining and marketing diamonds, given the potentially destabilizing effect on the country of the uncontrolled exploitation of this valuable resource. In this context, a recent community-based, integrated management initiative adopted by one local NGO, the Peace Diamond Alliance, is examined. If meaningful rural development is to be achieved among desperately poor communities, development strategies must be based on a detailed understanding of the nature of inter-locking livelihoods in the agricultural and mining sectors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Critical to the success of community development is the degree to which citizens contribute their resources. The paper develops regression models to examine the effects of household and community characteristics on household contributions of time and money to three types of participatory community development efforts: governance, social welfare, and environmental infrastructure. Households with indicators of lower socio-economic status generally contributed less time and money to community development. Integration into social networks was also a strong predictor of the amount of time a household contributed. Because most of the community development efforts analyzed rely on reciprocity, where participants contribute resources in order to receive benefits, the findings raise doubts about the extent to which these efforts help the poor and socially excluded. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines whether the land consolidation (LC) practised since the 1950s in Galicia, N.W. Spain, has had the desired effects. To achieve this aim, we have adopted the methodology drawn up by the European Union for evaluation of its socioeconomic programmes, and we have adapted it as required by the subject matter and by the long-term historical perspective of this study. Our results suggest that, during the study period, LC has in general made a positive contribution to slowing rural depopulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the core commitments of rural development is to ensure social integration whereby all people get the opportunity to realise their full human potential. Despite this, there is still poor regard given to how people live and work in rural areas and how economic and social policies impact on their quality of life. Using the example of the Republic of Ireland, this paper explores how rural development policies are being undermined by other policy instruments (specifically transport) which have a contradictory impact and, rather than relieve rural disadvantage, further compound the exclusion of some sectors of rural society. Assessing rural development and transport policy instruments; trends emerging from the most recent 2002 Census Data; and case study evidence relating to the rural transport initiative (RTI) in the Republic of Ireland, this paper confirms the lack of integrated policy thinking and in some circumstances the exacerbation of further rural disadvantage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper argues that the notion of distance ought to be re-conceptualized and promoted to the theoretical foreground of sociological analyses of rural economic action. Using research in rural British Columbia, Canada, I argue that current changes in rural political economy (for instance, the restructuring of industrial resource production, the promotion of local economic diversification, and advances in communications and transportation infrastructures) mean that the “performance” of connections between local and extra-local economic spaces are increasingly significant to economic relationships and exchange in rural settings. In re-conceptualizing the role of distance in a Post-Fordist rural economy, I borrow two key insights from actor-network theory: the notion of hybridity, and the strong influence that ‘hybridized’ networks have on (rural) actors. Rather than being a static fact, I argue that distance is itself a hybrid actor that ‘behaves’ differently according to the particular configuration of its natural, technological, and social dimensions. Thinking about distance in this manner makes a novel contribution to understanding rural development, as it asserts that the capacity to organize and configure distance (as opposed to simply acting ‘at a distance’) is a key source of power and variance in rural economies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The bulk of rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity and are under-served by any other form of modern infrastructure. The cost of infrastructure to mainly scattered communities has been perennially cited as largely to blame. Quite often rural networks are overdesigned, resulting in under utilization and, therefore, costly overheads. One reason often cited for the overspecification is anticipation of load growth. In most sub-Sahara African rural areas, however, economic growth rates are low, and a designer has no justification in specifying an infrastructure capacity exceeding more than a few percent of existing consumer requirements. This paper proposes methods that critically look at the geometry of small grid network designs to address the construction challenges in rural sub-Saharan Africa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The pattern of urban development strongly affects sustainability—energy and water use, food production, waste generation and disposal, biodiversity and equal opportunity. So regional planning must be a tool in achieving sustainability. The traditional urban pattern was a cluster of activities that people do together (city downtowns and neighborhood centers) surrounded by residences in a density gradient. That remains the most sustainable pattern. After World War II, the automobile promoted a pattern of scattered activities and spread out residences. Most other countries resisted the spread and scattered pattern, though without complete success; the US has only begun to recentralize. Three strategies are proposed to recentralize: pricing goods and services to reflect sustainable needs, improving the magnetism of cities and legislating enforceable regional plans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: This study examines the recent dynamics in the rapidly growing handmade paper industry in Nepal. The paper argues that the industry is sustainable from social responsibility as well as natural resources and economic perspectives. Five principle sources of socially responsible practices are identified: (1) traditional commitment to community development, (2) fair trade codes of conduct, (3) corporate social responsibility, (4) the industry’s business service organization (Nepal Handmade Paper Association), and (5) the general policy and legal framework. The paper concludes with a discussion of this industry as a case study of “positive deviance” and with lessons for contemporary innovation systems theory and for development policy and practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper explores the importance of specialised networks in shaping local/regional responses to the deepening crisis of conventional agriculture in the EU, as well as potentially creating a more sustainable platform for rural development. The emphasis will be on the problem-solving aspects of network creation and maintenance within a broader and not necessarily supportive competitive and regulatory environment. This involves examining, both over time and space, how networks function to shape knowledge and create a competitive willingness to innovate to achieve mutually beneficial goals. Through a process which we call ecological entrepreneurship, key actors facilitate sustainable development in the countryside by a combination of fragmentation, specialisation and quality building strategies. We empirically explore these evolutionary and spatial factors through two farming-centred networks—an organic farming network in the UK: the Graig Farm Producer Group; and a regional quality brand in the Netherlands: the Waddengroup Foundation. The analysis of these two networks is used to examine in-depth the significance and construction of the social and spatial milieu for providing the individual and collective capabilities to establish viable problem-solving responses. This raises questions of: (i) how such networks are and can be sustained over time; (ii) the extent to which there are common evolutionary pathways which reproduce and embed problem-solving network building; (iii) how different spatial relations are engendered and (iv) whether such ‘local’ projects can advance to wider counter-movements in the context of the prevailing political economy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objectives of Scottish rural development policy are moving towards economic, social and environmental sustainability, promoted through local community empowerment. The new challenges raised and future data needs were considered using three scenarios. Workshop discussions was held with participants from all levels of rural development. The possible re-orientation of data availability and provision were investigated. The need for accessible and appropriate forms of data to lift current constraints on rural community empowerment and participation in local development, and to support rural communities’ decision-making and strategic planning were highlighted. Issues of ownership, confidentiality, access, quality, consistency and funding were raised, alongside communities’ training and education needs in information handling and interpretation. The implications for participatory rural development via community data infrastructure provision are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

By issuing its Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations has declared its intention to alleviate poverty and hunger at a global scale over the next decade. But, the perspectives and policies to achieve those goals have not addressed the failures of previous development efforts of this kind. Nor have the plans to meet the Millennium Development Goals paid sufficient attention to the costs of rural development for wild nature. This paper points up the absence of a new analytical framework for sustainability and an action program in favor of a poverty- and conservation-oriented rural development program to ensure that the benefits of multilateral development plans accrue to the truly poor and to the future of wild nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental footprint analysis is used to examine the sustainability of cities by placing them in their broader geographic context. The 18th century (Georgian) city of Bath in the South West of England is adopted as a case study to illustrate the urban development process. It is found to exhibit an environmental footprint that is greater than its surrounding bioregion and some 20 times larger than its own land area. Cities only survive because of human, material, and communications networks with their hinterlands or bioregions. It is therefore argued that sustainability assessment can only be realistically applied for the purpose of land-use planning in this wider geophysical perspective. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article explores the concept of regional planning for US coastal programs by comparing the approaches and contents of 15 ‘regional coastal plans.’ The selected regional plans varied widely in scope and content, and utilized few available land use planning tools and techniques to influence regional development patterns. The differing approaches to regional planning in part reflected the varying institutional arrangements adopted by state coastal programs. It is argued that regional planning should play a more central role in coastal management, and that federal guidelines for the preparation of Special Area Management Plans should be developed to support enhanced regional planning through the Coastal Zone Management Act. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper examines the relevance of the "strength of weak ties" model (Granovetter 1973) in devising community development strategies for urban neighborhoods. The policy implications of this model for activities designed to promote neighborhood identification and cohesion are outlined, and Granovetter's specific assumptions about the structure and functioning of urban neighborhood social networks are assessed in light of existing research. Little support is found for the presumed absence of bridging weak ties among urban neighbors, or for the assumption that strong ties create an obstacle to effective political mobilization in working-class neighborhoods. An alternative model of local-level integration is suggested, which retains Granovetter's concept of dense clusters of network ties linked by "local bridges", but re-examines the role of weak ties in effecting such bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]