The subject of this thesis is the effectiveness of the specific instance procedure of National Contact Points (NCPs), operating in the context of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNE Guidelines) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This thesis aims to create …

The surge of smart city technology, thinking, publications and consultancy offerings is significant. This implies there is something seriously developing. But to what extent is this a new development? In this paper the case will be made that urban design has always had to include new technologies and …

In this chapter, we explore the possibility to use the living environment (of inpatient and outpatient care settings) for facilitating and encouraging the social inclusion of older adults in an increasingly smart society. We therefore pay attention to the spatial and smart design of emerging housing …

Non-ballistic hypersonic missiles are highly manoeuvrable weapons that move with a speed of Mach 5 or more. Russia, China, and the US are the frontrunners in developing those weapons. The combination of speed, accuracy, manoeuvrability, and range makes hypersonic missiles effective both against time-sensitive …

In recent literature, much attention has been paid to factors that affect nuclear deterrence and stability from the outside: new missile defence systems, non-nuclear (conventional) high-precision long-range weapons, the in fl uence of third and threshold nuclear states, space weapons, and — more recently …

Russian disinformation has thus far proven to be unconvincing for most Dutch target audiences. This is the conclusion of the present chapter. Information and disinformation have become effective weapons in international politics. This is part of a development where the weapons and concepts used in deterrence …

Crustumerium was an Iron Age settlement north of Rome, inhabited between 850 and 500 BC. On the basis of archaeological field surveys in the 1970’s a scenario for the development of the city and its countryside was proposed, which matches traditional models of city-state formation. However, little attention …

Large cities in the West respond to an ever-increasing shortage of affordable housing by accelerating the process of urban densification. Amsterdam, for instance, aims to increase its housing stock by 10 percent in the next 15 years as its population is expected to grow by 20 percent. As in other cities, …

A goal of K-12 science education is for learners to develop scientific literacy. However, realizing this goal is being complicated by the availability of abundant resources that vary strongly regarding their adherence to the Nature of Science principles, particularly regarding socio-scientific issues, …

Using a broad international comparative perspective spanning multiple countries across South America, Europe and Africa, contributors explore resident-led self-builing for low- and middle-income groups in urban areas. Although social, economic and urban prosperity differs across these contexts, there …