Walled Territories

Walls are identifying marks in space, made by humans; they are expressions of sovereignty, of power and independence. The walls recall us the existence of borders. Borders express the controlling of space. The defence of borders (limit of the territory, of an empire or a State) was quite usually made by walls during the long history of the humanity from the China’s Great Wall or Greek City-States through the Berlin Wall till the today’s constructed walls in Eastern Europe. However, walls exist in different forms, in different places, and in different ages on our Earth.

One can find many theories about the borders in the relevant literature. The common point about the existing conceptions of borders is its functions: separation, connection, filter function. The time of wall constructions is always the sign the strengthening of the separation function; while the demolition of the wall can show the coherence of territories, togetherness of different nations, natural, social, or economic spaces.

Fundamental social, economic and geopolitical transformations have taken place in the past decades on all territorial level. The year of 2015 seems to be crucial from wall constructions process in Europe caused by the migrant crisis, but the vote for Brexit in 2016 also has launched a wall building process in a figurative sense. The list of unsolved questions and walls arise from day to day in many case of the world: Why walls in Mediterranean, Pakistan, Palestine, Korea, US, English Channel exist and how we can manage these urgent issues?

The special issue wishes to work with the elements of this long-run dynamics. We are waiting for all empirical analysis independently of place or time; and theory which can help the understanding of the complex dynamics process around the walls.

The authors are kindly invited to send their full papers till 25th of August 2017 to the editor of the special issue. The authors of selected papers will be asked to submit their work for the regular review process of the journal  (Regional Science Policy & Practice - RSPP). 

Special Issue Editor:

Andrea Székely, Associate Professor (University of Szeged)

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Spatial and Social Justice

The last few decades have seen the world experience a decrease in between-country income inequality accompanied by an increase in within-country income inequality. This is associated with the rapid development of emerging economies. There is also pronounced variation in inequality between regions within countries. High inequality has raised the issue of social justice in many countries.

Theories explaining the increase in income inequality, particularly in emerging countries, can be found in the literature.  One of the early theories was Kuznets Hypothesis arguing that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth and income inequality. Another area of the literature has focused on social injustice as the cause of income inequality. The central argument proposes that lack of equal access to education, medical service, and energy among others, induces inequality within countries.

This special issue wishes to discuss the elements that explain the increase or decrease in income inequality. We are calling for all empirical analyses, independent of place or time, which can help the understanding of the complex issues of income inequality.

Authors are kindly invited to send their 500-1,000 words abstract by the 15th of June 2017 to the editor of this special issue. It would be appreciated if the authors of selected papers could present their abstracts in the Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) International Institute in Manado, Indonesia, on 17-18 July 2017.  There will be up to two special sessions dedicated for this special issue.  We expect to receive the full papers by 31st of October 2017. The authors of these selected papers will have to work for the regular review process of the journal  (Regional Science Policy & Practice - RSPP).

Coordinator of this Special Issue Editor:

Budy P. Resosudarmo (Associate Professor at the Australian National University)

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