2022 RSA Winter Conference

Abstract submission deadline: 10th August 2022

The Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2022 offers a timely opportunity to discuss and debate important issues, to rethink the key theories, concepts and methods, and to explore futures for regions and cities. The organisers seek papers and special sessions that critically evaluate any aspect of regions in transition, particularly those that:

• Break new ground by identifying new fields of enquiry
• Propose new concepts and methods
• Examine the consequences of and challenges to sustainability transitions (especially on the linkages between the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental)
• Propose new policy solutions for local and regional policy and planning practitioners
• Collaborative, comparative or interdisciplinary papers are especially welcome
• Session proposals experimenting with new formats for the debate and engagement of the audience are encouraged

Broad theme and key agendas include, but are not limited to:

• Regional opportunities and challenges for sustainability transitions
• Regional innovation and the pursuit of better regional futures
• Industry 4.0 and changing geographies of knowledge and economic flaws
• Role of universities and research institutions for new regional economies
• Regional impacts and responses to COVID-19
• Geographies of migration and socio-economic integration
• Rethinking EU Cohesion Policy, territorial dimensions of EU policies
• Knowledge transfer and practices in regional policy
• Regional planning, populism, demographic and economic shifts
• Transitions in regional and local development policy
• Innovations in citizen empowerment and promotion of spatial justice at local and regional scale
• Governance rescaling, socio-economic and environmental challenges
• Circular economy and spatial development
• Climate change impacts and policies for regions and cities
• Geographies of trade and foreign direct investment

Submission Details:
Please submit your abstract (up to 250 words and text only) through the RSA conference portal, Abstracts will be considered and reviewed by the Conference Programme Committee against the criteria of
originality, interest, subject balance and geographical spread.

Abstract submission deadline is 10th August 2022.

For special sessions submission additional criteria for assessment of proposals include gender balance between the speakers and innovation online and offline means to engage the audience in a debate with the speakers. Special session submission deadline 10th July 2022.

Currently in the UK there are no government COVID restrictions and at this time we are intending to run this conference face to face with a hybrid element, we reserve the right to pivot to online if the UK government advice is updated.