This two-volume set addresses freedom of association, one of the central liberties associated with classical liberalism. The concept of freedom of association has been largely neglected by political and moral philosophers over the past several centuries, despite the fact that the freedom to associate with fellow citizens (and non-citizens) is an implication of almost every version of liberalism capaciously considered. These two volumes take freedom of association seriously both as a theoretical concept and as an integral part of any genuine liberal regime. This second volume considers freedom of association from an applied perspective. It considers the freedom of association in conversation with various theorists (including Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Tocqueville) and in the context of specific case studies.

This volume is the first to articulate ethical foundations of transhumanism from perspectives focused on transhuman flourishing, as opposed to utilitarian or deontological approaches. Transhumanism is typically framed as a quest for "transcending biological limitations" and "unlocking human potential"-and thus perceived to be at odds with ethical conceptions of a "good life" that are substantively defined in terms of "human nature." However, the concept of "human nature" is not a biological given but deeply bound up with metaphysical conceptions about what (trans)human futures are possible, desirable, and good. It invites ethical reflection on who we are, the value of embodiment and community to (trans)human existence, and who we might hope to become. The contributions collected in this volume offer a wide spectrum of visions for shaping the techno-progressive agenda of transhumanism in ethically grounded and socially responsible ways.

This two-volume set addresses freedom of association, one of the central liberties associated with classical liberalism. The concept of freedom of association has been largely neglected by political and moral philosophers over the past several centuries, despite the fact that the freedom to associate with fellow citizens (and non-citizens) is an implication of almost every version of liberalism capaciously considered. These two volumes take freedom of association seriously both as a theoretical concept and as an integral part of any genuine liberal regime. This first volume considers freedom of association from a theoretical perspective. It considers the freedom of association in conversation with negative liberty, moral pluralism, communitarianism, polycentric democracy, and republicanism.

This book presents a thorough examination of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted social life across four major European countries-France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. Drawing on high-quality longitudinal data, it investigates how personal, work, and political lives evolved during and after the pandemic, with particular focus on inequalities based on gender, age, and socio-economic status. The book offers unique insights into both short-term disruptions and longer-term resilience in society, highlighting changes in remote work, family life, and mental health. The book will appeal to scholars and students of sociology, political science, demography, and social policy seeking to understand the pandemic's complex social consequences.

As nationalist and populist movements gain traction worldwide, democracy faces growing threats. In many cases, large cities have emerged as strongholds of progressive and democratic values, pushing back against authoritarian pressures.

This timely book explores the evolving power struggle between cities and central governments, particularly in countries led by populist regimes. It examines key issues such as decentralization, financial autonomy and participatory governance, showing how cities are leading the fight against democratic backsliding. As local governments become "laboratories of democracy", this collection highlights their crucial role in protecting civil liberties and fostering political engagement in an era of rising extremism.

Based on a unique blending of sociology, history, anthropology, and philosophy, this book seeks to reinvigorate youth-centered sports along a path of inclusivity, play, and enjoyment. Beyond the Black Clubs represents a groundbreaking collaboration between leading global researchers as they unravel the intricate tapestry of youth sports in Japan. From Japan's opening to the West in the nineteenth century, the state-driven fusion of sports and education has given rise to a powerful apparatus of moral education, which has helped sustain social stability, order, and hierarchy. And yet, the current state of youth sports is unfortunately pockmarked by so-called "black clubs"-school sports clubs that allow practices such as hazing and corporal punishment, and which lead to many injuries and accidents. This meticulously researched book unveils the global undercurrents that have shaped youth sports in Japan and created the conditions for these black clubs to emerge and, by demanding the attention and action of fellow adults, lays the intellectual foundation for a brighter sports future for all Japanese youth as well as all youth athletes abroad.

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Images can play a key role in communication - but climate change imagery can be formulaic and narrow in perspective. Going beyond polar bears and wildfires, this book is a manifesto for opening up the visual discourse on climate.

Rather than portraying scenarios that can be remote from many people's lives, Saffron O'Neill shows how images can be powerful tools to engage viewers and enable them to connect different issues together. With engaging case studies and practical advice throughout, the book shows how visuals can represent climate change in more diverse, equitable, inclusive and responsible ways.

As our larger life-giving systems that sustain livelihoods continue to erode at an unprecedented rate, and urban complexities continue to increase, this book presents a refreshingly unconventional, creative, and radical meditation on urbanism and city living. Greg Mews proposes the idea of 'Flux Cities' and offers provocative new ways to inquire into non-linear relations to the city, through questions such as: How can we design from the heart? How to approach the real city and produce for (co)existence? How to navigate the intangible city? How to improve well-being through Flux Cities?

Full of agency, Mews presents deep and personal insights on informal settlements, public space, and the role of Do-It-Yourself Urbanism in enabling spatial justice and regenerative practices towards well-being. A compelling read for anyone willing to shake up the normative existential foundations of cities.

This book focuses on urban redevelopment and neighborhood gentrification in three global contexts: New York City (USA), London (UK) and Seoul (South Korea). It examines the processes and challenges that impact the various constituencies who live and work in these different global neighborhoods, in comparative contexts. In so doing, the authors explore the complexities wrought by our global economy through globalization and competition, and the rapid pace of urbanization, as they impact urban redevelopment and neighborhood gentrification in global cities. While all societies seek to advance, the volume's recurring question is cui bono, who benefits from modern day urban redevelopment and neighborhood gentrification, irrespective of geographical setting, and raises the question, 'but, where are the poor to live?'

With ever-decreasing affordability and availability of homes, the UK has a longstanding and complex housing crisis.

Rather than laying the blame on a particular group or cause, this book explains the root causes of our current housing situation and proposes useful ways forward. The author uses his experience of delivering housing policy in Greater Manchester to analyse the interlocking issues of demographic and social policy change, the financial and planning systems, the construction industry and the UK's recent change of government.

Key reading for housing researchers and policy makers, this book analyses recent reform plans and the feasibility of achieving an effective and accessible UK housing landscape.

The increasing frequency, scope, and magnitude of global extreme events affect humans and their animal co-inhabitants on our shared planet. This book features a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive text addressing human-animal interactions (HAIs) in the context of climate change, disasters, and other crises. This book presents international professionals' HAI-driven leading ideas, debates, approaches, and promising efforts, providing a range of perspectives across the entire disaster cycle from the Global South and North. Their knowledge, experience, and expertise contribute to a nuanced understanding of disaster-specific HAIs, shedding light on enhancing human-animal welfare, promoting trans-species justice, and building resilience. Students, researchers, educators, practitioners, policymakers, and others can apply this expertise to enhance human-animal welfare and resilience in the global disaster settings.

Chapter "Working Equids in Disasters: Local Concerns and Inspirations" is available open access under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The migration trajectories of over 122 million displaced people worldwide are increasingly shaping spatial developments and, at the same time, deeply shaped by spatial conditions. This introduction examines that mutual constitution of displacement and space as interrelated social structuring processes. Contributors from academia and practice present key concepts and findings of space-sensitive research on (forced) migration. Their multidisciplinary contributions address spatial formations, racism as a space-structuring factor, spaces of (non-)habitation, the diversity of actors involved in spatial productions, as well as the theoretical foundations and practical challenges of a space-sensitive approach to (forced) migration research. The volume is intended for academics, students and practitioners of urban and migration research, architecture, planning, social, cultural and health sciences as well as social work and public administration.

Available open access digitally under CC BY NC ND licence.

At a time when the annihilation of places to live and to imagine a future is unfolding-through the violent return of war, aggressive capitalism, and biopolitical projects of territorial control-this timely book explores the layered and ongoing displacements that shape much of the world today. Bringing together case studies from both the Global North and South, the contributors examine the deeply entangled relationship between displacement and the production of urban space in our time.

This perspective takes root in the everyday fragility of urban life, particularly in places marked by colonial legacies, racial capitalism, extractive economies and imperial infrastructures. It draws attention to the creative urban processes that arise in the aftermath of violence and the resourceful practices that continue to shape how cities are lived in, imagined and built.

This book considers young people's conceptions and experiences of social justice through key transitions in their lives. It examines the factors shaping and constraining young people's actions for a fairer society in a time when real world and virtual social spaces have become fragmented.

Considering questions of race, gender and class the collection includes globally diverse research perspectives, including those from Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil. The book offers inspiring insights on the approaches researchers, youth practitioners and young people are finding to challenge the injustices they face and be a positive force in promoting social justice.

London is a major global city which attracts a massive influx of capital while concentrating power and wealth in the hands of the few. Meanwhile, many communities suffer housing shortages, poverty and dispossession. How can its diverse communities fight back against exclusionary regeneration projects?

This accessible book tells the story of the Voice4Deptford campaign in Southeast London, which has taken radical democratic and creative action to resist the destructive influence of neoliberalism at the community level. It shows how top-down change is challenged and, together with case studies from across London, offers powerful ways forward for other urban communities globally.

"Evolution is by choice". This is not a passive truth, but a conscious commitment, one that lies at the heart of what I call the Advanced City. Coined and thoroughly introduced here in the book, this new concept is based on people-centric and data-informed processes to enhance our cities and communities for their future, and not for imagining future cities. This is not another model in the long line of urban prescriptions, nor a distant techno-utopia to be fantasized. It is a paradigm shift, an invitation to think, feel, and build differently. The 'Advanced City' is a lived revolution, a dynamic process grounded in values, purpose, and practice.

Too often, we romanticize the future city: glass towers, flying cars, machines and robots everywhere, data-driven dreams. But these visions distract us from the urgency of the present. They bypass the real work of transformation by projecting change onto an abstract tomorrow. The Advanced City asks something deeper: What kind of cities are we actively creating, today, here, and now? It is not about waiting for innovation to arrive. It is about choosing a different path, rooted in responsibility, equity, and long-view thinking.

This book is not about cities as machines, markets, or spectacles. It is about cities as ecosystems of meaning, struggle, creativity, and care. The Advanced City is a movement of re-engagement, for academics, for planners, for civic leaders, and for all who call the city home. It calls on us to be co-creators of our urban futures, not passive consumers of predesigned and predetermined solutions.

We need radical honesty about the failures of current systems, and the intellectual courage to reimagine what's possible. The advanced city resists the illusion of "smartness" and returns us to human truths: interdependence, justice, and purpose. It is about making change, not waiting for it. So, this is not a new product for urban branding, it is rather a process for transformation, a paradigm shift, and an "urban revolution". A call to co-create cities that are not merely advanced in function, but advanced in wisdom. Here, I also call for the development of 'Brother Cities' and 'Advanced Development Goals (ADGs)'.

If not now, when? If not us, who? Let the Advanced City be an urban revolution of now and the future to be lived; not later, but now - not for the future cities, but for the future of our cities and communities.

Every eighteen hours, the world puts up a nuclear power plant's-worth of solar panels. At the same time, combustion continues to melt the poles, poison our bodies and drive global inequality. It is no longer necessary: For the first time in 700,000 years, we know how to catch the sun's rays and convert them into energy.

In Here Comes the Sun, Bill McKibben tells the story of the spike in power from the sun and wind. McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy, which, if it accelerates, gives us a chance not just to limit climate change's damage but to reorder the world. Getting there means overcoming obstacles like Big Oil, but McKibben sees a chance for a new civilisation that looks to the sun as the star that fuels our world.

This book offers a contractarian reading of the European integration process that corroborates, complements and, on occasion, contests European integration theory. It argues that the social contract theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Rawls provide us with insufficiently exploited clues to the formation and justification of European supranational institutions and redistributive instruments. An advanced understanding of the normative foundations of European integration seems to be all the more important in times of multiple crises, differentiated integration and even disintegration - all accompanied and accelerated by the growth of Euroscepticism and anti-European parties.

This book delves into the critical issues arising from the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies on human consciousness and societal norms. It discusses job displacement, inequality, ecological impacts, and privacy concerns. It highlights the psychological effects of binge-watching and gaming, and the ways AI tools influence human sensitivity.

The volume balances the economic benefits of AI with potential job losses, scrutinizes ethical dilemmas like data theft and result manipulation. It revisits the insights of Gandhi and Marx to advocate for holistic societal solutions. The book provides an overview of technological developments over recent decades, presenting a global perspective on automation and the history and fundamentals of AI.

The book addresses the ethical dilemmas posed by AI, including its role in surveillance, data collection, and socio-economic imbalances. It offers well-defined policies to guide the development and use of ICT tools and examines the effects of AI across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, education, and entertainment. It highlights the need for skilled manpower to keep pace with emerging technologies. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the ethical implications of modern technology.