This special issue highlights the growing trend in applied economics research of the use and analysis of subjective concepts, such as quality of life. It contains five studies that highlight the broad range of research currently in vogue, including the valuation of protected areas, a living...

C<sc>urry</sc> N. and W<sc>ebber</sc> D. J. Economic performance in rural England, <italic>Regional Studies</italic>. Measuring rural economic performance is obscured by the simultaneous use of two spatial platforms: the ‘city-region’ and the ‘rural definition’. The characteristics of these spatial platforms for measuring...

As the first country to give women the right to vote (in 1893), New Zealand (NZ) has often been viewed as a leader in the global movement towards gender equality. This paper aims to assess trends in overall well-being for NZ women, by pulling together a range of statistical indicators across...