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Human Ecology
Geographical research - Past and present
Ever since its foundation, the geography department has focused on both fundamental and applied research, and geography’s development at the department can be seen as the result of a successful interplay between the two.
Theoretical renewal and method development in the so-called ‘Lund school’ has triggered international interest and at times turned the department into one of the key geography schools in the world.Â
Contemporary social issues that are typically dealt with by geographers are rural depopulation and urban growth – a twin process that constitutes ‘urbanisation’. Research questions here include industrial location, service industries and administration, land use, environmental issues and resource management, and new conditions for transport and communication, both in Sweden and abroad.
Theories that have been historically influential in the department include ‘migration theory’, ‘localization theory’, ‘central place theory’, ‘innovation theory’, ‘interaction theory’, and the so-called ‘time-geography’ approach – pioneered by the late Torsten Hägerstrand. Of specific geographical interest is cartography, and in relation to that the statistical methods used for ‘chorology’, and Geographical Information Systems.
Against the background of this rich knowledge tradition, a range of new theoretical approaches have been implemented, as will be clear from research project descriptions on this site. Meanwhile, the world around us is changing at unprecedented speed. New technology, changing political circumstances, increasing mobility of goods, capital, people, services and ideas have drastically changed labour market access, living conditions and land use patterns. In the wake of these fundamental shifts, research directions are changing as well.
Globalisation and other geopolitical changes pose new challenges for research, including Third World issues. The fall of the Berlin Wall and EU enlargement created new interest in Europe’s political and economic geography. Transborder co-operation around the Baltic Sea and Oresound between Denmark and Sweden have drawn particular attention from Lund geographers. Paradoxically, in an age of globalisation, localities and regions have gained primary interest from researchers. It has become clear that local knowledge and social and institutional resources have become vital in an era of growing international competition.
Have a look at our research environments and current research projects if you want to find out more about geographical research in Lund.