Date and time
Key Dates and Deadlines:
Special Session submission: 14th January 2027
Special Session abstract: 21st January 2027
General pool abstract submission: 28th January 2027
Conference bursary application: 29th January 2027
Early Career Plenary Speaker: 29th January
The Regional Studies Association’s Annual Conference 2027 #RSA27 is being held in partnership with the Department of Geography at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. This four-day conference brings together academics and policymakers to exchange news, views and research findings from the fields of regional studies and regional science and economic development, policy and planning. There will be representation from around 55 different global territories as we gather both established experts and early career researchers in the vibrant city of Madrid.
The conference will feature hundreds of presentations, high-profile plenary speakers, a number of specially convened sessions, workshops, professional development and networking sessions, walking tours and field trips. The social programme will include the conference dinner and a reception, side events, exhibitor stalls and post-conference tours to explore Madrid and its metropolitan region.
The RSA Annual Conference 2027 will serve as a global arena to bridge knowledge across disciplines, fostering exchange among scholars, policymakers, and regional stakeholders. This dialogue welcomes the contribution of new technologies and innovative research to address current challenges. Madrid’s prominent position as a metropolitan hub, and its historical legacy as a strategic gateway and a crossroad between territories and cultures, align naturally with the conference’s goals. RSA2027 invites participants to contribute through individual papers, sessions, and networking that generates discussion and debate over regional, urban, metropolitan, and rural futures.
Conference themes
| Globalisation, Value Chains & Trade | Touristification, Overtourism and Sustainable Tourism |
| Transport, Mobilities, Logistics, and Infrastructure | Housing, Financialization and Affordability |
| Regional Innovation and Technological Change | Social Inequalities, Race, Gender and Spatial Segregation |
| Digitalization, AI and Big Data | Informality, Peripheries and Spatial justice |
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation Systems | Planning Urban, Rural and Regional Future |
| Demography, Mobility, Migration and Labour | University Missions and Civic Action |
| Agglomeration, Networks and Clusters | Politics, Governance, Leadership and Institutional Change |
| Regions, Culture and Creativity | Climate Resilience, Adaptation and Regeneration Urban Strategies |
| Sustainability Transitions, Circular economy, Just Transition | Regional Inequalities, Development Traps, EU Cohesion Policy |
| Geopolitics and North-South Relations | Regional and Urban Development in the Global South |
| Populism, Nationalism, Regionalism and Democracy | Healthy Cities and Wellbeing |
Special Sessions
We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to submit session proposals for inclusion in the upcoming conference programme. We offer two types of Sessions:
Open Session – the session organiser proposes the topic and provides a short description/call for submissions. Anyone interested can submit their abstract for this session.
Closed Session – the session organiser proposes the complete session including all speakers. Other delegates may not submit their abstracts for this session. Please note that all speakers need to register to be able to present.
We particularly welcome sessions that are interdisciplinary, internationally collaborative, and align with the conference’s themes. This is a great opportunity to bring together voices around a shared topic and foster meaningful dialogue. Please submit your session through the portal here: https://www.regionalstudies.org/2027-rsa-annual-conference-special-session-submission/
Academic Organisers
Simón Sánchez-Moral, Cándida Gago, Roberto Díez-Pisonero, Ana Condeso and David García
Department of Geography, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain