Legal geography, geography, and the research‐policy nexus

Abstract

This commentary concentrates on an area to which legal geography may be especially able to contribute, the research-policy nexus. The pursuit of relevance that characterised geography in the 1970s has re-emerged as a concern with growing demands for evidence-based policy. Geographers have long engaged with the policy arena and legal geography offers another opportunity to enhance this contribution. There are, however, barriers and tensions between researchers and policy makers which need to be acknowledged and addressed.

Insights from Antipodean legal geography: Building an environmental legal geography scholarship

“…In this way, the conceptualisation of an ‘environmental legal geography’ has important implications for how we, in academia, think through the impact of our research. Policy-relevant research about pressing real-world concerns is a hallmark of legal geography scholarship (Bartel, 2016). In this paper, we detail why acknowledging the work of ALG scholars’ matter to any holistic assessment of progress in this field because contemporary policy issues associated with climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental problems underpin much ALG scholarship and have clear linkages to broader societal impacts.…”

Festschrift initiative: Celebrating Emeritus Professor Ruth Fincher AM

“…Finally, in an exhaustive and impressive review of "legal geography, geography, and the research-policy nexus" Robyn Bartel (2016) has emphasised Fincher's contributions to social justice and equity debates, and social and economic policy, which leaves open a pathway to one final set of observations and questions.…”