Nicholas Low - Böcker

First Published in 1990. John Maynard Keynes once made the bold prediction that the three- hour work day would prevail for his grandchildren's generation. Seventy years later, the question of working time is as pertinent as it was at the inception of the 40-hour week. Not until now, however, has there been a global comparative analysis of working time laws, policies and actual working hours. Despite a century-long optimism about reduced working hours and some progress in legal measures limiting working hours, this book demonstrates that differences in actual working hours between industrialized and developing countries remain considerable – without any clear sign of hours being reduced. This study aims to offer some suggestions about how this gap can begin to be closed. most basic questions facing planning theory and practice today. The author argues that it is not plans that determine the shape of cities, but political processes. In the 1980s state planning came under siege; planners had to justify their existence to politicians, the business world and the public. Though planning must still be accountable, neither the complete domination of the market nor traditional post-war planning ideologies are wholly acceptable in the 1990s. A new agenda and a major rethinking of planning from first principles is required - but what form should this take? Showing that political theory provides the proper foundation for understanding planning practice, the book explores in turn assenting and dissenting planning paradigms. Exploration of the former begins with Weber and moves through pluralism, corporatism and neo-liberalism. Dissenting theory is organized around the work of Marx: orthodox neo-Marxism, Gramsci's 'philosophy of praxis', the critical theory of the Frankfurt School, and the work of Habermas. The author concludes with a presentation of an integrated political perspective upon planning and the state.

Justice, Society and Nature examines the moral response which the world must make to the ecological crisis if there is to be real change in the global society and economy to favour ecological integrity. From its base in the idea of the self, through principles of political justice, to the justice of global institutions, the authors trace the layered structure of the philosophy of justice as it applies to environmental and ecological issues. Philosophical ideas are treated in a straightforward and easily understandable way with reference to practical examples.Moving straight to the heart of pressing international and national concerns, the authors explore the issues of environment and development, fair treatment of humans and non-humans, and the justice of the social and economic systems which affect the health and safety of the peoples of the world. Current grass-roots concerns such as the environmental justice movement in the USA, and the ethics of the international regulation of development are examined in depth.The authors take debates beyond mere complaint about the injustice of the world economy, and suggest what should now be done to do justice to nature.

Justice, Society and Nature examines the moral response which the world must make to the ecological crisis if there is to be real change in the global society and economy to favour ecological integrity. From its base in the idea of the self, through principles of political justice, to the justice of global institutions, the authors trace the layered structure of the philosophy of justice as it applies to environmental and ecological issues. Philosophical ideas are treated in a straightforward and easily understandable way with reference to practical examples.Moving straight to the heart of pressing international and national concerns, the authors explore the issues of environment and development, fair treatment of humans and non-humans, and the justice of the social and economic systems which affect the health and safety of the peoples of the world. Current grass-roots concerns such as the environmental justice movement in the USA, and the ethics of the international regulation of development are examined in depth.The authors take debates beyond mere complaint about the injustice of the world economy, and suggest what should now be done to do justice to nature.

This book is about cities as engines of consumption of the world's environment, and the spread of policies to reduce their impact. It looks at these issues by examining the impact of the Rio Declaration and assesses the extent to which it has made a difference.Consuming Cities examines this impact using case studies from around the world including: the USA, Japan, Germany, the UK, China, India, Sweden, Poland, Australia and Indonesia The contributors all have direct experience of the urban environment and urban policies in the countries on which they write and offer an authoritative commentary which brings the urban 'consumption' dimension of sustainable development into focus.

This book is about cities as engines of consumption of the world's environment, and the spread of policies to reduce their impact. It looks at these issues by examining the impact of the Rio Declaration and assesses the extent to which it has made a difference.Consuming Cities examines this impact using case studies from around the world including: the USA, Japan, Germany, the UK, China, India, Sweden, Poland, Australia and Indonesia The contributors all have direct experience of the urban environment and urban policies in the countries on which they write and offer an authoritative commentary which brings the urban 'consumption' dimension of sustainable development into focus.

As global capitalism expands and reaches ever-further corners of the world, practical problems continue to escalate and repercussions become increasingly serious and irreversible. These practical problems carry with them equally important and ethical issues.Global Ethics and Environment explores these ethical issues from a range of perspectives and using a wide range of case studies. Chapters focus on: the impact of development in new industrial regions; the ethical relationship between human and non-human nature; the application of ethics in different cultural and institutional contexts; environmental injustice in the location of hazardous materials and processes; the ethics of the impact of a single event (Chernobyl) on the global community; the ethics of transitional institutions.This collection will both stimulate debate and provide an excellent resource for wide-ranging case study material and solid academic context.

As global capitalism expands and reaches ever-further corners of the world, practical problems continue to escalate and repercussions become increasingly serious and irreversible. These practical problems carry with them equally important and ethical issues.Global Ethics and Environment explores these ethical issues from a range of perspectives and using a wide range of case studies. Chapters focus on: the impact of development in new industrial regions; the ethical relationship between human and non-human nature; the application of ethics in different cultural and institutional contexts; environmental injustice in the location of hazardous materials and processes; the ethics of the impact of a single event (Chernobyl) on the global community; the ethics of transitional institutions.This collection will both stimulate debate and provide an excellent resource for wide-ranging case study material and solid academic context.

A team of city-building professionals explain in straightforward terms how the idea of ecological sustainability can be embodied in the everyday life of homes, communities and cities to make a better future.The book considers - and answers - three questions: What does the global agenda of sustainable development mean for the urban spaces where most people live, work and move? Can we keep what we love about suburban life and still save the environment? And what new methods of planning and building will be needed in the 21st century? Rejecting both economic and environmental orthodoxy, the book’s essential message is that the sustainable city can be built by a thousand well-directed small changes. It draws on practical case material from around the world and weaves together four critical aspects of urban life: housing, open space, workplaces and transport. A 'photographic essay' of 32 colour plates illustrates the ideas discussed.

Transforming Urban Transport confronts head-on the dilemma faced by a world addicted to automobility. It highlights the danger of continuing along the fossil-fuel path and gives viable technological alternatives which can be deployed to find a solution.Changes in urban mobility and transport require local institutional policy action. To support such action, the book explores new methods of governance of transport in dispersed and concentrated cities, new techniques for assessing transport needs, ways of improving childhood mobility, guidelines for political mobilization, and norms of knowledge sharing.Drawing together leading scholars from different disciplines in Australia, Japan and China, this book provides a unique fusion of Asian and Australasian perspectives and engages with the coming needs of transport planning practitioners in both high density and dispersed cities.Complete with a companion website with a wealth of supporting material around the topic, this is essential read for all students and practitioners of transport planning.Companion website: www.routledge.com/cw/Low

In a world seeking to tackle global environmental problems such as climate change, the importance of local and national institutional change to deal most effectively with these issues is critical. This book presents an investigation of the institutional barriers preventing the development of a new vision for urban transport compatible with these realities and in those terms 'sustainable'. Through an examination of transport planning in Australia, the book challenges conventional wisdom by showing, through original research, how 'car dependence' is as much an institutional as a technical phenomenon. The authors' case studies in three metropolitan cities show how transport policy has become institutionally fixated on a path dominated by private, road-based transport and how policy systems become encrusted around investment to accommodate private cars, erecting an impenetrable barrier against more sustainable mobility and accessibility solutions. Representing a new approach to understanding transport policy, this book brings sophisticated political-institutional analysis to what has traditionally been the domain of engineering and technology. The authors connect the empirical content to this theory and the issue of sustainability making the findings applicable to most cities of the developed world, and to fields beyond transport planning. A strategy and program of action is outlined to take advantage of changing public perceptions and aimed at creating a new vision for urban transport.

This book argues that social transformation is both necessary and possible if democracies are to respond effectively to the climate crisis without social collapse.Climate transformation and social transformation are intimately connected. Understanding how to address climate change requires a historical approach both to the climate and to our collective institutions of humanity. Drawing on the works of Karl Polanyi and Thomas Piketty, Nicholas Low traces the course of historic social transformations from Britain, Russia, and Australia to highlight key commonalities: social crisis, the widespread sense by those in power that ‘something has to change’, the shift in ideology, and the political champions that drove the change. Within its international scope, the book delves deeper into specific instances of inequality and poverty from Britain, the USA, Australia, and the Global South. It shows how these examples are connected with the current climate emergency. Finally, the author draws together all the evidence from past transformations to outline how a new social democratic transformation could generate a better future, creating the social solidarity necessary to cope with the climate crisis.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, environmental politics and policy, political ecology, environmental sociology, and environmental studies more broadly. Its argument is also highly relevant for political actors working towards social and economic transformation.

This book argues that social transformation is both necessary and possible if democracies are to respond effectively to the climate crisis without social collapse.Climate transformation and social transformation are intimately connected. Understanding how to address climate change requires a historical approach both to the climate and to our collective institutions of humanity. Drawing on the works of Karl Polanyi and Thomas Piketty, Nicholas Low traces the course of historic social transformations from Britain, Russia, and Australia to highlight key commonalities: social crisis, the widespread sense by those in power that ‘something has to change’, the shift in ideology, and the political champions that drove the change. Within its international scope, the book delves deeper into specific instances of inequality and poverty from Britain, the USA, Australia, and the Global South. It shows how these examples are connected with the current climate emergency. Finally, the author draws together all the evidence from past transformations to outline how a new social democratic transformation could generate a better future, creating the social solidarity necessary to cope with the climate crisis.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, environmental politics and policy, political ecology, environmental sociology, and environmental studies more broadly. Its argument is also highly relevant for political actors working towards social and economic transformation.

A team of city-building professionals explain in straightforward terms how the idea of ecological sustainability can be embodied in the everyday life of homes, communities and cities to make a better future.The book considers - and answers - three questions: What does the global agenda of sustainable development mean for the urban spaces where most people live, work and move? Can we keep what we love about suburban life and still save the environment? And what new methods of planning and building will be needed in the 21st century? Rejecting both economic and environmental orthodoxy, the book’s essential message is that the sustainable city can be built by a thousand well-directed small changes. It draws on practical case material from around the world and weaves together four critical aspects of urban life: housing, open space, workplaces and transport. A 'photographic essay' of 32 colour plates illustrates the ideas discussed.

In a world seeking to tackle global environmental problems such as climate change, the importance of local and national institutional change to deal most effectively with these issues is critical. This book presents an investigation of the institutional barriers preventing the development of a new vision for urban transport compatible with these realities and in those terms 'sustainable'. Through an examination of transport planning in Australia, the book challenges conventional wisdom by showing, through original research, how 'car dependence' is as much an institutional as a technical phenomenon. The authors' case studies in three metropolitan cities show how transport policy has become institutionally fixated on a path dominated by private, road-based transport and how policy systems become encrusted around investment to accommodate private cars, erecting an impenetrable barrier against more sustainable mobility and accessibility solutions. Representing a new approach to understanding transport policy, this book brings sophisticated political-institutional analysis to what has traditionally been the domain of engineering and technology. The authors connect the empirical content to this theory and the issue of sustainability making the findings applicable to most cities of the developed world, and to fields beyond transport planning. A strategy and program of action is outlined to take advantage of changing public perceptions and aimed at creating a new vision for urban transport.