6 Urban-Rural Interrelations—A Challenge for Sustainable Land …
119
debate about gaps between theory and practice in the field of spatial development
and land use planning, addressed by a number of scientists (Alexander 2010, 2015;
Taylor 2016; Sanyal 2000; Thomson 2000; Vogelij 2014). On the one hand, scientists
state that theories are needed to broaden planners’ minds (Diller and Thaler 2017);
on the other hand, theoretical approaches are thought to be too far from practical
planners’ working reality, and unhelpful in their daily tasks (Sanyal 2000; Hellmich
et al. 2017).
A further development and linkage with governance approaches (such as urbanrural partnerships, DV 2013) should not only include governance modes (Rydin 2007)
and their application. It also requires a first reference to the objectives to be pursued
and the underlying values and norms. This also comprises the presentation of value
conflicts and the distribution of benefits and costs. Thus, interregional cooperation
and exchange are generally thought to increase prosperity, especially economically,
due to achieving comparative cost advantages. At the same time, this may be accompanied by negative environmental impacts that cause spatially one-sided pressures.
Such one-sided pressures are now frequently criticised in the discussion about environmental justice. Although there are some parallels between the development of
approaches in environmental justice and land use science (especially telecoupling
research), adoption of the normative dimension of environmental justice is a major
methodological challenge, and could politicise telecoupling research (Corbera et al.
2019).
Nonetheless, the authors wish to go one step further, and see the need for a
societal and scientific debate about spatial interrelations (and, in particular, urbanrural interrelations) in the broader context of spatial justice, which goes beyond the
environmental dimension. In Germany, for example, initial approaches exist in the
form of political and scientific discourses on equal living conditions or in the context
of research projects on a just urban-rural equilibrium (see www.regerecht.de). A new
cross-regional debate on globally accepted values such as justice (Höffe 1989) could
change the framework conditions for global and regional governance.
Acknowledgments Thanks to Jana Zscheischler, Annegret Repp and Sarah Keutmann for
developing the topic and for contributing to previous versions of this chapter.
References
Adger, W. N., Eakin, H., & Winkels, A. (2009). Nested and teleconnected vulnerabilities to
environmental change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(3), 150–157.
Agyeman, J., Schlosberg, D., Craven, L., & Matthews, C. (2016). Trends and directions in environmental justice: From inequity to everyday life, community, and just sustainabilities. Annual
Review of Environment and Resources, 41(1), 321–340. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ110615-090052.
Akkoyunlu, S. (2015). The potential of rural-urban linkages for sustainable development and trade.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Policy, 4(2), 20–40. https://doi.org/
10.18488/journal.26/2015.4.2/26.2.20.40.
119
debate about gaps between theory and practice in the field of spatial development
and land use planning, addressed by a number of scientists (Alexander 2010, 2015;
Taylor 2016; Sanyal 2000; Thomson 2000; Vogelij 2014). On the one hand, scientists
state that theories are needed to broaden planners’ minds (Diller and Thaler 2017);
on the other hand, theoretical approaches are thought to be too far from practical
planners’ working reality, and unhelpful in their daily tasks (Sanyal 2000; Hellmich
et al. 2017).
A further development and linkage with governance approaches (such as urbanrural partnerships, DV 2013) should not only include governance modes (Rydin 2007)
and their application. It also requires a first reference to the objectives to be pursued
and the underlying values and norms. This also comprises the presentation of value
conflicts and the distribution of benefits and costs. Thus, interregional cooperation
and exchange are generally thought to increase prosperity, especially economically,
due to achieving comparative cost advantages. At the same time, this may be accompanied by negative environmental impacts that cause spatially one-sided pressures.
Such one-sided pressures are now frequently criticised in the discussion about environmental justice. Although there are some parallels between the development of
approaches in environmental justice and land use science (especially telecoupling
research), adoption of the normative dimension of environmental justice is a major
methodological challenge, and could politicise telecoupling research (Corbera et al.
2019).
Nonetheless, the authors wish to go one step further, and see the need for a
societal and scientific debate about spatial interrelations (and, in particular, urbanrural interrelations) in the broader context of spatial justice, which goes beyond the
environmental dimension. In Germany, for example, initial approaches exist in the
form of political and scientific discourses on equal living conditions or in the context
of research projects on a just urban-rural equilibrium (see www.regerecht.de). A new
cross-regional debate on globally accepted values such as justice (Höffe 1989) could
change the framework conditions for global and regional governance.
Acknowledgments Thanks to Jana Zscheischler, Annegret Repp and Sarah Keutmann for
developing the topic and for contributing to previous versions of this chapter.
References
Adger, W. N., Eakin, H., & Winkels, A. (2009). Nested and teleconnected vulnerabilities to
environmental change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(3), 150–157.
Agyeman, J., Schlosberg, D., Craven, L., & Matthews, C. (2016). Trends and directions in environmental justice: From inequity to everyday life, community, and just sustainabilities. Annual
Review of Environment and Resources, 41(1), 321–340. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ110615-090052.
Akkoyunlu, S. (2015). The potential of rural-urban linkages for sustainable development and trade.
International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Policy, 4(2), 20–40. https://doi.org/
10.18488/journal.26/2015.4.2/26.2.20.40.