Abstract

This chapter discusses how the UK planning system and local planning practice have responded to the ethnic, cultural, religious and demographic diversification of British society generated by 20th- and 21st-century waves of migration. Planning theorists and practitioners have advocated new forms of ‘planning for diversity’ since the 1980s, driven by a politics of recognition of difference. Such concerns have first been addressed through national legislative anti-discrimination and equality provisions. Local planning authorities have encouraged the participation of ethnic minority groups in planning processes and sought to address their specific needs, through both minority-targeted policies and area-based urban policies. Planners have also played a role in creating spaces of (multicultural) encounter. The chapter concludes by contrasting normative calls for ‘planning for diversity’ with the ambiguities, contradictory outcomes, dilemmas and challenges of doing so in practice. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Globalization is creating many new trade and growth opportunities, with services trade increasingly becoming an issue for export-oriented economies. Services are important to country trade strategies, because they represent activities in which countries may have a comparative advantage, and they are drivers of competitiveness for the whole economy. This paper uses data from the World Development Indicators, two new databases (the Export in Value-Added database from the Global Trade Analysis Project, and Trade in Services data), and firm-level data. The paper employs a wide range of indicators to analyze the trade competitiveness of the services sector in the Russian Federation. Since service exports are less than would be expected considering Russia's level of development, the study finds that the contribution of services to export diversification could be heightened significantly. The scale of Russian business services exports is relatively low, although exports of traditional services, like transport and travel, are performing well. Despite the relatively minor importance of exports of modern services, the category of other business services has in recent years been growing fast, and business services have strengthened their revealed comparative advantages. Yet Russia still has much potential for expanding trade in modern services. There is also potential to diversify services exports to other markets, such as France, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere in Asia, which today seems underexploited. Finally, although exports of direct services are low, services such as transport, distribution, finance, and other business services are making major contributions to other exports, in particular energy. Document type: Book

Abstract

Despite being a basic tool for decision-making about the implementation and operation of enterprises with potential negative impacts on the environment, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) still facechallenges to its consolidation as an effective tool for achieving sustainable development. This study seeks to evaluate the EIAs available in the digital platforms of both federal and state agencies, with afocus on their development (based on regulatory laws), as well as to understand the perspectives of the professionals involved in the drafting and assessment of EIAs. A total of 151 EIA were analyzed and 27 questionnaires were applied to professional EIA drafters and evaluators. EIAs display as their main positive features a predominant authorship by multidisciplinary teams, while their main deficiency liesin their impact evaluations (including the valuation, significance and analysis of cumulative and synergistic impacts). Survey participants pointed out as potential improvement areas the phases of design, preparation, evaluation and implementation of EIAs. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book