Methodological issues in socio-economic development

Abstract

"This set of three volumes is not just a compilation of essays in honour of Professor Ashok Kumar Dutt, it personifies his life as a person and a professional. Prof. Dutt has established his international credentials as the leading exponent of urban and regional planning and has enriched both its theory and practice by his brilliant ideas and practical insights. His contributions in the areas of urban, social, cultural, medical, population, economic and development geography as well as in urban and regional development planning in India and abroad are very extensive and praiseworthy. These volumes reflect the spirit of Prof. Dutt's work and philosophy.

Volume one, containing thirty-two papers, provides an understanding of urban structure and problems ranging from national to the local level. Explaining the patterns and processes of urban network and systems in China, India and Korea, it discusses at length the evolution and characteristics of regional urbanization in Africa, India and Ohio. It also extends discussion on the characteristic features and infrastructural problems of different city sizes.

Volume two, having twenty-eight papers, deals with social and cultural aspects drawn from experiences of many countries. It provides glimpse of innovative ideas in the field of gender and migration, castes and political system, folk cultural and sacred landscapes, dissemination of language and linguistic regionalism, diet and disease, and health ecology and healthcare systems.

Volume Three, consisting of twenty-eight papers, examines the different aspects of regional planning. Emerging issues like global warming and climate change, balanced regional development, new economic geography, community-based conservation, role of trans-national corporations, environmental sustainability and sustainable agriculture, joint forest management, integrated watershed and common land management are analyzed and documented. An introduction on the theory and methods of regional planning based on cross-cultural experiences, policy practices and sector-specific issues across the global to local scale has also been provided.