Name of event: 7th Global Conference on Economic Geography
The Global Conference on Economic Geography (GCEG) is one of the largest international conferences in the field, providing an excellent forum for knowledge exchange and discussion of today’s great challenges. This year, it took place from June 4 to 8, 2025, in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. Organized by Clark University, home of one of the most impactful Schools of Geography worldwide, the 7th GCEG brought together scholars from around the globe to discuss current pressing challenges. The conference focused on three central themes: governance, sustainability, and justice, aiming to develop a cutting-edge research agenda that will contribute to investigating the drivers of socio-economic change, the economic geography of places in multi-scalar and multi-dimensional contexts, and strategies for a more sustainable and inclusive world.
At the 7th GCEG, I had the opportunity to present my PhD research in the session titled “Geographies of Inequalities that Matter,” organized by Jürgen Essletzbichler (Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations) and Sébastien Breau (McGill University, Department of Geography). My work is concerned with the spatial dimensions of subjective well-being (SWB) with emphasis on the role of urban green spaces (UGSs). By examining how these key infrastructures of urban landscapes affect urban dwellers’ well-being, the research contributes to the growing discourse on the geography of well-being and happiness and the ‘beyond GDP’ movement. Moreover, it has the potential to directly inform urban policy and guide planners in creating healthier, more livable cities that enhance quality of life and well-being. The presentation was divided into two parts. Initially, I introduced a proposed framework for studying the effect of UGSs on individuals’ SWB. The framework recognizes the complexity of urban systems and structures information into manageable, interrelated components. This work was published a few months ago in Discover Cities, co-authored with Athanasios Kalogeresis, Dionysis Latinopoulos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Spatial Planning and Development), and Dimitris Ballas (Groningen University, Faculty of Spatial Sciences). In the second part of the presentation, I showcased the framework’s application in the case study of Thessaloniki, a city characterized by high urban density, as well as limited accessibility to and fragmented distribution of green spaces. This work-in-progress explores intra-urban well-being disparities, introducing the dimension of quality into the discussion over inequality in UGS accessibility, as well as the concept of spatial granularity in the role of exposure to urban greenery with regards to SWB.
The RSA Travel Grant was instrumental in my participation in the 7th GCEG. Attending this conference allowed me to engage with leading scholars and receive valuable feedback on my research. Furthermore, it was a professionally enriching experience that strengthened my academic profile and enhanced the visibility of my research within a global network. This was an invaluable experience, the added value of which exceeded my expectations. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Regional Studies Association for awarding me the RSA Travel Grant, and prompt everyone to explore the numerous