Highlights by Simon Huston
There seems to be a crisis in education and research. The education landscape looks fragmented, ... more There seems to be a crisis in education and research. The education landscape looks fragmented, expensive and yet fails millions. A common perception is that, armed with cultural and social capital, the ‘sharp elbows of the middle classes’ game a commodified system to amass credentials. The media rails against learning institutions that inflate grades to cover up failings. Some academics game the system or churn out indigestible papers of negligible practical social impact. In an effort to unravel some of these issues and sketch the future of education and research, the study conducted a preliminary exploratory thematic investigation. First, it chose six credible institutions in the field. A brief review of associated web content chose prominent ‘sound bites’. In Phase II, the author identified relevant journal articles, initially using the search term <Future education research>. The review as neither structured nor systematic but, rather, focused. Finally, in Phase III, the inquiry creatively and interactively grouped the collected secondary martial into themes, underpinned by reflection on decades of embedded teaching experience in a dozen schools or colleges and seven universities. The convenience sampling and judgemental analysis generated ten themes from recent seminal discourse on the future of education and research: TENSION PARADOX, ECOSYSTEM ENRICHMENT, PHRONESIS vs. COMMODIFICATION, ACCESS vs. ELITE CREDENTIALISATION, STRATEGIC COLLABORATION, NURTURING EMOTIONAL & SOCIAL WELLBEING, FUNDING/RECONFIGURING CAPITALISM, JUDICIOUS TECHNOLOGY, INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE, DEMOCRATISING DIALOGUE. The most salient dimensions were PHRONESIS vs. COMMODIFICATION and STRATEGIC COLLABORATION. In effect, much recent managerialist educational reform (notwithstanding its transformative gloss) seems, actually, fundamentally misguided. Second, impactful research in, for example, deep tech, resilience or health calls for strategic interdisciplinary collaboration.
Every year the global financial system sends trillions of dollars to finance environmental destru... more Every year the global financial system sends trillions of dollars to finance environmental destruction, but the climate crisis forces change. Notwithstanding vested interests and the unrecognised paradox of adopting environmental business strategies, the implementation of sustainability accounting and reporting (SAR) is imperative to catalyse economic transition away from fossil-fuel and plastic configurations to more sustainable ones. The research proceeded sequentially. First, it scanned the backdrop to the SAR problem and identified key associated institutions and a corpus of recent literature. An initial review to disentangle its conflicting threads generated three themes of 'climate crisis' and 'conservative' or more 'radical' SAR reform paradigms. Iteratively harnessing this thematic lens, the investigation reexamined the SAR literature corpus. It detected fragmented SAR responses to the climate crisis. Accordingly, the research reformulated its first theme to 'dystopic climate crisis fragmentation' but only refined the other two conservative or radical themes to take account of materiality and the split between Anglo-Saxon (IFRS, SSAB) or global and continental institutions (UN, EU, GRI). Conservatives defend incremental standard improvements but retain a single materiality investor-focus. Radicals seek to implement double materiality with a broader spectrum of stakeholders in mind. Both approaches have theoretical as well as pragmatic advantages and disadvantages, so the SAR contention rumbles on. Whilst the standard setting landscape is evolving, division, paradox and contention remain. Given vested interests in the destructive status quo, it would be naïve to expect a harmonious SAR Ithaca to emerge anytime soon. Yet the challenges impel urgent action.
The Coronavirus pandemic has raised questions about public health system fragility or lack of hea... more The Coronavirus pandemic has raised questions about public health system fragility or lack of health phronesis (practical wisdom). The UK is one of the unhealthiest developed nations on the planet with over 35% of its population projected to be obese by 2025. Notwithstanding, local sports infrastructure is patchy, raising the spectre of ‘accumulation by dispossession’. To investigate English obesity problem and its eu̯daemonic impediments the study ignored lines of inquiry involving confectionary vested interests. Instead, it focused on bathing amenities that, since antiquity, signal civilisation. The phronetic bathing health research involved five sequential phases. First, the health issue was identified (1) and then bathing facilities put into historical context (2a). A structured literature review of contemporary facilities and health associations (2b) provided the backdrop for subsequent nomothetical (3a-e) and idiographic investigations (4a-c). The mixed research strands were finally synthesised (5). Statistical analysis of English local area standardised mortality (2013-2017) found a significant association with pool sparsity, controlling for deprivation, obesity and other environmental factors (3a-b). Longitudinal time series modelling of English swimming pool construction data since the Victorian era found that, recently, it has become erratic and diverges from its GDP and population growth fundamentals (3c-e). Idiosyncratically, the study considered three case studies, looking for qualitative insights (4). The closure of Bromley Lido in 1983 raises suspicions that short-termism or agency issues usurped public health phronesis (4a). In Cirencester, mistrust lingers about the privileged beneficiaries of local leisure service outsourcing (4b). An exemplary German pool complex in Ludenscheid illuminates comparative UK public bathing infrastructure deficiencies and intimates paradigm myopia or managerialist neglect (4c). Although the study is preliminary with acknowledged limitations, the literature reviews, nomothetic analyses and case studies impel phronetic deliberations to re-calibrate investment towards ecological public health and resilience in post-COVID ‘doughnut’ economy.
Pandemics and military catastrophes illustrate systems fragility and impel strategic reflection. ... more Pandemics and military catastrophes illustrate systems fragility and impel strategic reflection. The French Indochina War (FIW) from 1946-1954 furnishes useful insights with resonance for current infectious, climatic, pollution, economic and security challenges. Five strategic themes structured an analysis of historical literature. The reasons for the French failure in 1954 involved fundamental regime illegitimacy, political equivocation, intelligence shortcomings, strategic and operational failures but also the determination, strength and adaptability of the Việt Minh (VM). In 1945, France had re-occupied Vietnam to re-assert its global credentials. Later, Cold War logic and American aid sustained “La sale guerre”. However, the conflict merely delayed and bloodied an inevitable post-colonial regime shift. To maintain American aid flows yet retain French regional influence, the commander of the Expeditionary Corps, Henri Navarre, adopted an offensive stance. He sought to crush the VM, breathe life into the moribund French Union (L’Union française) and block Giáp’s feints on Laos. In November 1954, he inserted a fortified camp at remote Diên Biên Phú (DBP). However, Navarre ignored the lessons of Hòa Bình (1950-51), Nghĩa Lộ (1951). He misread Nà Sản (1952) and underestimated VM capabilities. Operationally, the distance of DBP from Hanoi stretched the French aero-logistical system to its limits. Navarre also diverted resources to sideshow – Opération Atlante. Giáp realised Navarre had taken the bait and sealed off the besieged camp with five divisions, including an artillery one. On 13th March, the VM attacked and conquered the garrison after 56 days on the evening of 7-8th May 1954. Navarre’s gamble had spectacularly backfired. Militarily, the French Expeditionary Corps might have recovered even considering the bloodbath at Mang Yang Pass almost seven weeks later. However, the psychological blow unmasked regime financial and political bankruptcy. Power drained away to the Americans or the communists. Whilst French Indochina perpetuated an iniquitous social structure, tainted by racism, symbolic and physical violence, it arguably it also protected minorities, spurned dictatorship and transferred culture and technology.
The most striking finding that emerges from this investigation is the incredible transformation of the geography of Vietnam since 1948. Then, tigers and elephant roamed in jungles, 160km North West of Saigon, near Phan Thiết. Today, suburbia encroaches on depleted coffee plantations and desiccated scrub. Aside from concerns over the long-term ecological trajectories under anthropogenic pressures in ostensibly communist or capitalist inspired systems and, notwithstanding today’s very different context, the detailed investigation into aspects of the War provides strategic metaphors involving fiscal re-calibration, governance hierarchy or incentive regulations, hubristic corrections and ecological transformation.
Space and Culture 18:3 August 2015, Jul 3, 2015
Despite a burgeoning literature, the role of bohemians in the urban milieu and in initiatives tow... more Despite a burgeoning literature, the role of bohemians in the urban milieu and in initiatives toward regeneration remains contested. To expedite productive enquiry, we present a thorough literature review, a short commentary on bohemian phenomena and suggested readings. Since qualitative sources dominate the field, the review is structured, rather than fully systematic in the scientific sense. It consists of four steps: extraction and refining of references; screening; sorting; and retention for analysis. After discarding irrelevant and incidental papers, three strands remained for subsequent analysis: ‘bohemian’, ‘bohemian + creative-city’ and ‘smart regeneration’. The first is static or historically contextualised, situated best in the humanities. The last two strands are dynamic and dissect, descriptively or analytically, productive bohemians. Wherever and whenever they emerge, these radical artists test existing limits or incite regenerative action.
Journal papers by Simon Huston
Journal of Property Research, 2017
The dissemination of robust asset price data can help to improve market efficiency, resource allo... more The dissemination of robust asset price data can help to improve market efficiency, resource allocation and investment analysis. Land prices influence housing affordability, food security and the carbon infrastructure. Yet price and return histories for farmland in England are fragmented. To provide perspective, a long farmland price series is needed to improve transparency and bring the asset class into line with commercial and residential real estate. After reviewing the historical backdrop and considering methodology, this research uses a chain-linking approach to construct a long-term farmland price series for England. It then adjusts the series for inflation to examine real land prices. The resulting two-century English farmland prices series contributes to farmland market analysis. Notwithstanding some concerns with long-run chain component heterogeneity, the combined series helps us to understand English average farmland price dynamics. As measured by the geometric mean, English land price real capital returns have been positive over more than two centuries. Farmland real price growth was 0.33 per cent annually from 1781 to 2013 and 0.71 per cent from 1801 to 2013. The series contributes to an understanding of land price dynamics.
Journal of Property Investment & Finance, 2014
Purpose – The paper aims to discuss the major and auxiliary types of cycles found in the literatu... more Purpose – The paper aims to discuss the major and auxiliary types of cycles found in the literature. Design/methodology/approach – The existence of cycles within economy and its sub-sectors has been studied for a number of years. In the wake of the recent cyclical downturn, interest in cycles has increased. To mitigate future risks, scholars and investors seek new insights for a better understanding of the cyclical phenomenon. The paper presents systematic review of the existing copious cyclical literature. It then discusses general characteristics and the key forces that produce these cycles. Findings – The study finds four major and eight auxiliary cycles. It suggests that each cycle has its own distinct empirical periodicity and theoretical underpinnings. The longer the cycles are the greater controversy which surrounds them. Practical implications – Cycles are monumental to a proper understanding of complex property market dynamics. Their existence implies that economies, whilst...
Urban Policy and Research , 2014
Development of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) precincts in the Australian
context has been h... more Development of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) precincts in the Australian
context has been hindered by several obstacles. The main challenges to be addressed are land amalgamation issues around train stations and the lack of governance arrangements to facilitate the delivery of TODs. This article identifies the main factors contributing to the effective delivery of three Australian TODs. The article is based on the analysis of case studies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Based on semi-directed interviews with urban stakeholders (planners at the council level and state level, and developers) for each case study and on the analysis of official planning
documents, we analyse the governance arrangements, the planning frameworks and the financial mechanisms that have facilitated the delivery of the case study TODs. We also survey stakeholders to assess the general TOD delivery process and outcomes on different criteria, to better inform TOD policymaking. We find that large sites in single ownership and special state government measures to facilitate development approvals have been critical factors in TOD success.
Sustainability, 2018
Sustainable development calls for the wise use of groundwater resources. Of particular concern is... more Sustainable development calls for the wise use of groundwater resources. Of particular concern is saline intrusion into productive agricultural land, which is contiguous with densely populated coastal settlements. To reverse saline intrusion in such coastal regions, information about the groundwater depth in terms of its spatio-temporal variability is essential. Using survey data from 2004 to 2007, the research revealed the temporal variation characteristics of groundwater depth in the Contemporary Yellow River Delta. It explored the temporal stability characteristics of groundwater depth by using the coefficient of variation, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and average relative deviation and standard deviation, and confirmed that the representative point reflected the average groundwater depth of the study area. Results showed that spatial variation of the groundwater depth in the study area was medium, but the variation coefficient of groundwater depth showed the seasonal changes. The spatial variation coefficient was largest in the dry season; the other months were relatively stable. The groundwater depth in the study area had strong temporal stability. The correlation between the Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the time lags showed that the spatial pattern of groundwater depth in the study area was similar across two or three years but the similarity weakened beyond this period. The representative points of the whole area showed a good linear correlation, and were spatially concentrated. In different years or time periods, the representative points were not the same but belonged to the medium groundwater depth grade in the area. The study provides useful guidance for Yellow River irrigation, preventing saline intrusion and the restoration of saline-alkali soils. It offers a theoretical basis for identifying regional satellite groundwater depth monitoring points.
Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Mar 30, 2012
Many global cities are poorly configured to cope with population shifts, climate change and peak ... more Many global cities are poorly configured to cope with population shifts, climate change and peak oil. Transport-oriented development (TOD) could help reconfigure cities towards sustainability. TOD projects have dual logistical and place-enhancement functions however, and this ambiguity carries over to form and extent. The allocation, coordination and construction of multiple projects to revamp, connect and beautify can be contentious, complex and expensive. Planning regimes are usually conservative, and have competing ...
International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 2008
ABSTRACT
Middle Eastern Studies, 2011
... It largely avoided the interventionist mistakes of Lingah, in Iran, or those of its neighbour... more ... It largely avoided the interventionist mistakes of Lingah, in Iran, or those of its neighbour,Sharjah.2 2. C. Davidson, Dubai: The Vulnerability ... Particularly salient idiosyncrasies are theShari&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;a legal tradition although Shari&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;a Court jurisdiction Dubai is limited to all those matters not ...
In this paper we investigate the first stages of one of the largest regional regeneration project... more In this paper we investigate the first stages of one of the largest regional regeneration projects in Australia. Although small by Asian standards, the Icon Project is an office and retail project, leased to the state government which is slated to catalyse revitalisation of Ipswich's CBD. Ipswich Queensland is rapidly-growing city about 40 kilometres from Brisbane on the Bremer River. Once, due to its navigable access and surface coal, it was a candidate for Queensland's state capital. But, as traditional industries folded in the 1970s, Ipswich declined economically and socially. The burning of Reids Department Store in 1985, the ill-considered Kern development, suburban retail leakage and a recession accelerated CBD decline. Recently, despite the GFC and floods, the rapid expansion of hydrocarbon prospecting in its western hinterland has lifted confidence in Ipswich's future. Here, we sketch the backdrop to Ipswich's growth and reflect on conflicts in planning between short-term economic goals and broader sustainable development.
21St Annual European Real Estate Society Conference in Bucharest Romania, 2014
In this paper we investigate the first stages of one of the largest regional regeneration project... more In this paper we investigate the first stages of one of the largest regional regeneration projects in Australia. Although small by Asian standards, the Icon Project is an office and retail project, leased to the state government which is slated to catalyse revitalisation of Ipswich's CBD. Ipswich Queensland is rapidly-growing city about 40 kilometres from Brisbane on the Bremer River. Once, due to its navigable access and surface coal, it was a candidate for Queensland's state capital. But, as traditional industries folded in the 1970s, Ipswich declined economically and socially. The burning of Reids Department Store in 1985, the ill-considered Kern development, suburban retail leakage and a recession accelerated CBD decline. Recently, despite the GFC and floods, the rapid expansion of hydrocarbon prospecting in its western hinterland has lifted confidence in Ipswich's future. Here, we sketch the backdrop to Ipswich's growth and reflect on conflicts in planning between short-term economic goals and broader sustainable development.
Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, 2012
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Abstract Understanding the dynamics of price premiums is important for property developers, Value... more Abstract Understanding the dynamics of price premiums is important for property developers, Valuers and investors. This paper assumes two types premium are relevant. First a premium based on current neighbourhood quality and second one based on the conjectured future evolution of neighbourhood quality. Premium neighbourhood quality fundamentals are geospatial. However, neighbourhood information price premiums can become divorced from these geospatial drivers. Property market players may nevertheless ...
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Highlights by Simon Huston
The most striking finding that emerges from this investigation is the incredible transformation of the geography of Vietnam since 1948. Then, tigers and elephant roamed in jungles, 160km North West of Saigon, near Phan Thiết. Today, suburbia encroaches on depleted coffee plantations and desiccated scrub. Aside from concerns over the long-term ecological trajectories under anthropogenic pressures in ostensibly communist or capitalist inspired systems and, notwithstanding today’s very different context, the detailed investigation into aspects of the War provides strategic metaphors involving fiscal re-calibration, governance hierarchy or incentive regulations, hubristic corrections and ecological transformation.
Journal papers by Simon Huston
context has been hindered by several obstacles. The main challenges to be addressed are land amalgamation issues around train stations and the lack of governance arrangements to facilitate the delivery of TODs. This article identifies the main factors contributing to the effective delivery of three Australian TODs. The article is based on the analysis of case studies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Based on semi-directed interviews with urban stakeholders (planners at the council level and state level, and developers) for each case study and on the analysis of official planning
documents, we analyse the governance arrangements, the planning frameworks and the financial mechanisms that have facilitated the delivery of the case study TODs. We also survey stakeholders to assess the general TOD delivery process and outcomes on different criteria, to better inform TOD policymaking. We find that large sites in single ownership and special state government measures to facilitate development approvals have been critical factors in TOD success.
The most striking finding that emerges from this investigation is the incredible transformation of the geography of Vietnam since 1948. Then, tigers and elephant roamed in jungles, 160km North West of Saigon, near Phan Thiết. Today, suburbia encroaches on depleted coffee plantations and desiccated scrub. Aside from concerns over the long-term ecological trajectories under anthropogenic pressures in ostensibly communist or capitalist inspired systems and, notwithstanding today’s very different context, the detailed investigation into aspects of the War provides strategic metaphors involving fiscal re-calibration, governance hierarchy or incentive regulations, hubristic corrections and ecological transformation.
context has been hindered by several obstacles. The main challenges to be addressed are land amalgamation issues around train stations and the lack of governance arrangements to facilitate the delivery of TODs. This article identifies the main factors contributing to the effective delivery of three Australian TODs. The article is based on the analysis of case studies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Based on semi-directed interviews with urban stakeholders (planners at the council level and state level, and developers) for each case study and on the analysis of official planning
documents, we analyse the governance arrangements, the planning frameworks and the financial mechanisms that have facilitated the delivery of the case study TODs. We also survey stakeholders to assess the general TOD delivery process and outcomes on different criteria, to better inform TOD policymaking. We find that large sites in single ownership and special state government measures to facilitate development approvals have been critical factors in TOD success.
Notwithstanding technological hubris, fads and fashion, the study of antiquity remains relevant. 'In history lies all the secrets of statecraft' Winston Churchill.
Notwithstanding issues around long-run chain component heterogeneity, the combined series illuminates English average farmland price dynamics and changing land market fortunes. For more than two centuries English land price real capital returns were positive. Farmland real price growth was 0.33 per cent annually from 1781 to 2013 and 0.71 per cent from 1801 to 2013 as measured by the geometric mean. The series provides prima facie support for land investment, even when ignoring spatial peri-urban opportunities, rental income or tax advantages.
We examine the growth patterns and development trends of vertical mixed use developments in Australia with a focus on Brisbane, looking for evidence that the vertical mixed-use model can help realise sustainable futures for Australian cities.
We also reviewed existing urban policies, codes and regulations. Here, our results indicate a slow but growing trend towards the development of VMUs within Brisbane CBD as a result of statutory policies which encourage the integration of mixed use zones within activity centres. Using Hoppenbrouwer and Louw’s (2005) framework we identified and profiled thirteen VMUs. Our results strongly suggest the rampant presence of single function vertical structures (86% of 418) within Brisbane CBD. Only 1.7% of the vertical structures identified accommodated three and 11.9% two uses. Based on these findings, we develop policy recommendations to facilitate the implementation of the VMU model in the Australian context.