In the context of regionalism and regionalisation, the notion of a region holds sway. Discussions around the topic of how spatial entities defined as ‘regions’ form, evolve, develop, become institutionalised and sometimes stabilized have been active and profound over the last forty years. Moreover, rich and diverse literature provides different conceptualizations and problematisation of regions that have been changing over time. ‘Heterogeneous relations’ that stretch over boundaries and are not territorially fixed have been accorded an increased attention in the regional studies. This research investigates the region building process in the Alpine region and analyses different agenda-settings pursued by various stakeholders in the Alpine region. The study employs qualitative methods to analyse processes of region building by applying Paasi’s institutionalisation theory. The findings show the regional dynamics in the case under investigation and claims that the Alpine region has being transformed from a closed, bounded, territorially fixed entity to a relational one, based on not territorially fixed heterogeneous relations. This transformation leads from a relatively ‘fixed’ Alpine region (as defined by Alpine Convention) to a more fluid, unbounded and ‘fuzzy’ space – the Alpine macro-region, which is being developing.

The economic and political restructuring of the 1980s whose main aim was to integrate Turkey to the global economic network via constructing &ldquo / global cities&rdquo / initiated not only new architectural programs such as grand shopping malls, office towers, world trade centers, five-star hotels but also new housing patterns all of which played an important role in shaping the urban character. As a result of these new architectural programs Ankara&rsquo / s urban landscape has been reterritorialized according to the logic of capital. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of the emerging residential programs on Ankara&rsquo / s urban transformation since 2000. Specifically, this research critically concentrates on the process of transformation of a low rise-low density residential area into a high rise-high density residence through construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of the same site initiating a &ldquo / re-scaled&rdquo / urban landscape. With this respect, this study endeavours to deal with the case of destructing the TBMM Milletvekili Lojmanlari for constructing Park Oran Konutlari.

Between the local and the global: climate, local governments, networks The notion of an ongoing global warming is shared by a large number of researchers and decision-makers around the world. Through the act of signing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change a majority of the world's naitons have accepted the idea of human induced climate change, and to develop national climate change mitigation programmes. The Kyoto protocol later quantified the commitments made by the nations. The issue of climate change has become a political issue of its own. In the European Union as well as in Sweden and other nations, climate mitigation goals, programmes and strategies are developed. This is also the situation on the local level, for example in Swedish municipalities, which is the context of this study. Local goverment is an important actor in climate mitigation, both as a political organization in its own right and as an arena involving actors from different sectors in society. Climate change mitigation measures conducted by local governments re partly shaped by national grant programmes. The study shows, however, that the local context - the palce - with its natural prerequisites, economic structures and composition of actors, is just as decisive for how the local climate policies are developed and implemented. It also shows that although responsibility for the environment is an important driving force in local climate mitigation there are at least two other dirving forces; local and regional development and the symbolic valute of being in the forefront of climate change mitigation. Another arena where actors in climate change mitigation meet is the network. Together wiht actors from different sectors and levels many municipalities participate in various networks, with local to global extension. The fact that the netsorks like climate change in inself transcends political and administrative borders, is alsö addressed theoretically in the study, focusing upon the concepts of re-scaling, multilevel governance and network governance, which constitute the theoretichal fram of the thesis.