Nordregio has decided to pursue the issuing of an electronic, academic journal entitled The European Journal of Spatial Development.
The aim of the journal is to provide a scientific forum on spatial and environmental analyses, physical planning and regional development. The journal is edited by Nordregio staff members in co-operation with an editorial board, composed of distinguished members of the international academic community. All contributions will be subject to referees of recognised integrity and published articles will be included in standard data files providing contributions are cited using the journals title. Publication activity will be continuous, thus individual contributions need not be connected to thematic issues, as each article will be published immediately after passing the standard academic editorial review process. In order to guide readers over time, thematic code words will provide entries to topics of interest covered by the journal.
The meaning of scientific research as a societal institution is to accumulate knowledge. The nature of knowledge to be accumulated varies, however, according to whether a theoretical or practical interest in that knowledge is to be applied. Plainly expressed, academic research strives for the accumulation of theoretical knowledge, i.e. the elaboration and refinement of scientific concepts, theories and models, tested by empirical research. Policy-relevant applied research however devotes itself to the accumulation of practical knowledge of interest to decision makers, being simultaneously confronted with the (allegedly non-scientific) logic of politics.
Both science and politics do have one thing in common though, namely the need to focus on concepts of a general standing. In the dynamic realm of politics, aims are phrased according to the lowest common denominator among actors and interests. This is especially true of the world today, where politics, notably in the Nordic countries, has essentially been reduced to the facilitation of economic growth. Consequently, policy-relevant concepts tend to be very general and non-binding, thus affecting a constant need for further operational definitions. For politicians, concepts gain political kudos when successfully used for upgrading particular interests to the rank of common benefits. The concept of 'sustainable development' is for instance widely used though its operational definition remains fundamentally disputed.
Defining policy-related concepts in an operational manner sometimes leaves little remaining of the logical connection between the policy-relevant concept and an operational definition that addresses factual properties of reality. Making general definitions operational is therefore not a totally innocent activity as it implies effects that may influence actual interests and thereby the political process as a whole. Any researcher involved in international projects including comparative analysis will have experienced this dilemma. There may be agreement as to the importance of 'sustainable development', but here unanimity often ceases. In this situation a confident researcher would fall back on 'science', referring to the general concepts discussed in an analytical manner with reference to prevailing theoretical understandings of the subject matter. Consequently, the confident researcher would subsume his or her operational definition and research methods within the general context of knowledge embedded in theory, gaining the stamp of legitimacy that the scientific community produces.
A further problem associated with general concepts in the two spheres discussed above is that many of the same words are used synthetically in any political context and analytically in theoretical discussions. Academics as well as laypersons may therefore get confused and thus there seems to be a general need for conceptual clarification, not only for the sake of academic research, but also for the sake of applied research as well. It is here that our new journal seeks to fill a void in the currently available literature. The European Journal of Spatial Development will provide a forum for scrutinising policy-relevant concepts in the context of established academic disciplines, theoretical reflection and empirical testing. It will also critically comment on theoretical matters in the light of new empirical evidence.
The multi-disciplinary nature of Nordregio itself will be reflected in the new journal. 'Spatial development' is in its own right a tricky term with a multitude of alternative definitions and relevant issue areas. The multi-disciplinary character of the field should however be regarded as a strength in terms of any intellectual exercise, though it can also be a great source of confusion and perhaps even controversy. As long as the epistemological identity of 'spatial development' remains in flux, methodological and conceptual concerns are likely to remain with us. For those involved in charting these often-tumultuous waters, such a voyage can provide an unequalled journey of discovery! Indeed, such a journey is intended to be the very stuff of this journal.*
The logo of the journal includes a map issued in early 17th century. It is the quintessential world map of the period and includes the four elements and the four continents. The sun, moon and stars surround the map, while the mapmaker's own portrait is added to those of Caesar, Ptolemy and Mercator. The mapmaker himself, Judocus Hondius of Flanders (1563-1612), was a leading publisher of maps in his time. The intention of mapmakers then was to display not merely the world but the forces that shape and control reality as well. Strikingly absent are Christian motifs, replaced by a sense of Baroque theatre. Two distinct frames of reference are to be found, that is the classical tradition in which nature is personified by mythical images, and the political celebration of power. The current secular language of social science and the humanities is rooted in a legacy of the mythical past as well as being a 'representation of externals'. As with the 17th century maps, the spatial sciences of today create a sense of the world possessed, politically through exploration and conquest, and intellectually through spatial imagery. Are the attributes of our explorative journey sufficient enough?
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We expect to produce a journal that will set the stage for a lively international discussion, a small though significant part of which will consist of our own (Nordregio) contributions. We therefore cordially invite scholars from across the globe to proffer their contributions. Let science have relevance!
Christer Bengs
Editor-in-chief