Bridging the gap between the theory and practice of regional sustainability: a political–conceptual analysis

Year, pages: 2007, 49 - 64

The paper offers a perspective aiming to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of regional sustainability. It does so by conceptual and political analyses, which broadly divide the article into two parts. In the initial half, an analysis deals with the concepts of environment and compares and contrasts the notions of regions and landscapes. It nevertheless goes further in an attempt to transcend this alleged dichotomy. As a part of this mapping, the differences between human and physical geography are defined. Subsequently, notions of space and spatiality in human geography scholarship are being examined. The first half of the article concludes by tackling the question of what is landscape spatiality – or, can one speak about spatialities of landscapes? The second half of the article reflects on the practice of regional sustainability. At the beginning, the question of sustainability pillars is addressed. What follows is an initial profile of the Vysocina Region within which the authors gained empirical data from their participation in the process of environmental policy-making. It is in this context that the regional strategy for the Vysocina Region, specifically its environmental part is being analysed. Subsequently, an analysis of expert and political framework in the Vysocina Region is investigated and compared. Epistemic-community theoretical insights are compared with the authors’ hands-on experience. In conclusion, the summary of authors’ practical involvement in the Vysocina Region environmental policy-making in light of a wider theoretical-conceptual context is provided.

Hynek, A., Hynek, N. 2007. Bridging the gap between the theory and practice of regional sustainability: a political–conceptual analysis. In Geografický časopis, vol. 59, no.1, pp. 49-64. 0016-7193.

Hynek, A., Hynek, N. (2007). Bridging the gap between the theory and practice of regional sustainability: a political–conceptual analysis. Geografický časopis, 59(1), 49-64. 0016-7193.