Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP)

Call for Papers Special Issue: Understanding Spatial Disparities in the Global South: Evidence and Policy Implications

International Conference on Sustainable Regional Development

International Conference on Sustainable Regional Development

Dear colleagues,

Prior to the official launch of the Conference, we would like to highlight some important details:

1. The Conference will take place in October.
2. In order to simplify procedures, the preliminary abstract submission round has been eliminated. Full papers or extended abstracts will therefore be the documents evaluated by the Scientific Committee.
3. The submission deadline has been brought forward to 12 June. This will allow decisions to be communicated by 30 June at the latest, enabling participants to organise travel and registration before 15 July (prior to the summer holidays).
4. The virtual participation option will be maintained in order to encourage international participation, although in-person attendance will be promoted as the preferred format.
5. Regarding the Early Career Researcher Award “Juan Ramón Cuadrado,” eligibility is open to any non-PhD researcher, regardless of age, as well as to researchers who have defended their PhD within the three years prior to the date of the Conference.
6. As a new feature in this edition, 10 full conference fee waivers are being offered to early career researchers who submit a paper as a candidate for the “Juan Ramón Cuadrado” Award, with the aim of fostering participation and supporting emerging talent in the field of Regional Science.

The Spanish Regional Science Association (AECR), together with the Catalan Regional Science Association (ACCR), cordially invite you to participate in the 50th International Conference on Regional Science, which will take place from 21 to 23 October 2026 at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), in Barcelona.

This edition is particularly significant, marking five decades of uninterrupted scientific exchange, debate, and community building in the field of Regional Science. Barcelona—the city where AECR was founded more than fifty years ago—provides a highly symbolic setting that connects the Association’s origins with present and future challenges.

As in previous editions, the Conference will serve as a multidisciplinary forum bringing together academics, professionals, and experts involved in the design and evaluation of public policies to discuss the latest advances in regional and territorial analysis. The scientific programme will include plenary lectures, panel discussions, special sessions, and parallel paper sessions. It remains the main annual meeting in Spain devoted to the study and discussion of regional and territorial issues, with a strong international outlook.

The theme chosen for this commemorative edition is: “AI-Driven Territories for a Sustainable Future: 50 Years Building Knowledge for Regional Development.”

In line with this theme, the Conference will revolve around two closely interconnected and highly topical areas: sustainability—understood from a broad and multidisciplinary perspective—and artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Discussions will address how digitalisation and AI are reshaping territories, economies, and societies, as well as the role of regions, cities, and rural areas in promoting more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development models.

We warmly encourage you to participate in this special 50th anniversary edition, which offers a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks, and collectively reflect on the achievements and future challenges of Regional Science.

It will be a pleasure to welcome you to Barcelona.

As in previous editions, submissions reporting results from ongoing research projects for which a full paper is not yet available will be accepted. In such cases, the Scientific Committee will require the submission of an extended abstract of at least 1,500 words in order to consider acceptance. Templates and further information about the Conference are available on the Conference website.

Papers that are original and authored by non-PhD researchers, regardless of age, or by researchers who have defended their PhD within the three years prior to the date of the Conference, and that are presented within the parallel sessions in the corresponding special session of the 50th Meeting of Regional Studies, will be eligible for the Juan Ramón Cuadrado Early Career Researcher Award. The Award will be granted by the Scientific Committee. The authors of the winning paper will receive an official certificate.

PhD candidates in the early stages of their doctoral research and research-oriented master’s students will benefit from a reduced registration fee, allowing them to attend the parallel sessions of the Conference and participate in the special sessions for early career researchers. In these sessions, they will have the opportunity to deliver a brief presentation of their research ideas.

The Organising Committee and the Scientific Committee also invite you to propose a Special Session for the Conference. Proposals may be submitted from today until 15 May and will be disseminated as they are received and approved by both Committees. Proposals should include the session title, the name(s) of the coordinator(s), and a brief summary of the content, and must be sent to the Conference Secretariat at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It is recommended to secure at least four contributions per special session. In the event of a high number of submissions, papers may be distributed across different time slots in accordance with the coordinators’ criteria.

Kind regards. We look forward to welcoming you to Barcelona,

The Organising Committee

Call for Papers for Special Issue in Regional Science Policy & Practice (RSPP)

Title: "Impacts of War in Ukraine: Perspectives and Challenges"

Guest Editor: Dr Kateryna Zabarina - University of Warsaw; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This special issue aims to collect articles on perspectives and challenges coming from ongoing war. Unlike the previous RSPP Special Issue "Ukraine: geopolitical realities and regional development perspectives" dedicated to understanding a way Ukraine went starting in 1991 without focusing on full-scale war, this issue will address the economic, social, environmental, psychological and geopolitical impacts, providing a platform for in-depth analysis and discussion. By featuring diverse perspectives and rigorous analyses, it aims to foster a deeper understanding of the multifacetedness of the war phenomena and provide a foundation for building more resilient and peaceful futures.

Special issue information:

The war in Ukraine has led to various consequences, reshaping all aspects of everyday life. This special issue aims to explore these changes, bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives to deepen our understanding of the conflict's far-reaching effects. Contributions will address themes such as displacement and resilience, economic disruptions, social transformations, ecological damage, and shifts in international relations, with a particular attention to spatial dimension.

By examining these aspects, this issue seeks not only to provide critical analyses but also to offer valuable guidance for policymakers, academics, and practitioners in crafting strategies for rebuilding, reconciliation, and future conflict prevention.

Keywords: Impact of war, challenges and perspectives, multidisciplinary perspective.

Manuscript submission information:

We kindly invite contributions on topics related (but not limited) to:

• Challenges and perspectives for various industries
• Social and Cultural aspects (i.e. education, migration, culture etc.)
• Effects of war on environment
• Geopolitical implications
• Psychological issues
• Policy evaluation (i.e. challenges and possibilities of joining the EU)

All manuscripts will be submitted via the Regional Science Policy & Practice online submission system (https://www.editorialmanager.com/rspp/). Authors should indicate in the cover letter that the paper is submitted for consideration for publication in this special issue “Impacts of War in Ukraine: Perspectives and Challenges”, otherwise, your submission will be handled as a regular manuscript.

Submissions extended deadline: March 31st, 2026

Related literature:

Maruniak, E., Lisovskyi, S., & Rudenko, L. (2023). The spatial dimension of the war effects in Ukraine: An agenda for country recovery. Europa XXI, 44.

Biagini, E. (1993). Spatial dimensions of conflict. GeoJournal, 31, 119-128.

Hinterleitner, M., & Sager, F. (2022). Policy’s role in democratic conflict management. Policy Sciences, 55(2), 239-254.

Bjorkdahl, A., & Buckley-Zistel, S. (Eds.). (2016). Spatialising peace and conflict: Mapping the production of places, sites and scales of violence. Springer.

Articles

Book Reviews

Dear members of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI),

As Editor-in-Chief of Global Challenges and Regional Science (GCRS) - the newest academic initiative of the European Regional Science Association (ERSA), published by Elsevier - I am writing to share some exciting updates regarding the journal’s trajectory and to remind you of an upcoming submission milestone.

Exceptional Early Impact

Since our launch in early 2025, GCRS has achieved remarkable academic standards. Our latest internal metrics indicate that the journal is already performing at levels comparable to those of long-established and highly regarded titles in our field, such as Papers in Regional Science (PiRS) and Regional Science Policy and Practice (RSPP).

As shown in the table below, our Immediacy Index of 1.53 currently leads this group, reflecting the rapid resonance and timeliness of the research we are publishing.

GCRS provides a significantly faster editorial process, with an average of 100 days from submission to acceptance, ensuring that your research reaches the global community promptly.

Furthermore, based on our strong initial performance indicators and rigorous peer-review standards, we are on a firm path toward indexation. We anticipate that Global Challenges and Regional Science will be included in Scopus within two years of its launch. This achievement will further solidify the journal's visibility and ensure that your research achieves the international recognition it deserves.

Distinguished Contributors

We are proud to feature works from some of the most prominent voices in Regional Science. Our most downloaded papers include contributions from esteemed scholars such as:

• Daniel Arribas-Bel, Camilla Lenzi, Hans Westlund, and Daniel A. Griffith;
• Roberta Capello, Geoffrey Hewings, Andrea Conte, and James Murphy;
• Anabela Santos, Simona Ciappei, George Petrakos, and Eduardo A. Haddad;
• Ugo Fratesi, Jens Suedekum, Moisés Obaco, Sandy Dall’erba, and Amitrajeet A. Batabyal.

The research published in our initial volumes reflects the multidisciplinary nature of our mission, focusing on key Global Challenges faced by Regional Science, including:

• Regional Policy & Global Outreach: Influencing policy to enhance collective responses to global disparities and social justice.
• Regional Innovation & Resilience: Exploring innovation systems, IPR dynamics, and firm-level resilience.
• Urban Dynamics & Spatial Analytics: Utilizing big data and high-resolution geographic analysis to track regional growth.
• Sustainability & Environment: Analyzing the environmental Kuznets curve and the impact of climate change through spatial lenses.

Last Chance for APC Waivers: May 31st

To support the scholarly dialogue on pressing global issues, we are currently offering a 100% discount on Article Publishing Charges (APC).

Please note that this full waiver is valid only for articles submitted by May 31, 2026. After this date, the standard APC of USD 1,800 will apply. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to publish your high-quality, rigorous research in a high-impact, Open Access format at no cost.

You can find the full submission guidelines and our Open Access policy on our website: ? GCRS Submission Portal on ScienceDirect

We look forward to receiving your innovative work and continuing to build GCRS as a cornerstone of our discipline.

Warm regards,

The most downladed articles in the last 90 days are

An analysis of agricultural crop residue burning and urban air pollution in New Delhi, India, by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Hamid Beladi. September 2025

Measuring regional economic transformation: Which European regions are leading the competitiveness and sustainability challenge? Anabela Santos, Andrea Conte. December 2025

Housing deprivation in rapidly urbanizing regions: evidence from functional urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Danny Granda, ... Jorge Urrutia-Mosquera. December 2025

A second spatial autocorrelation mechanism: Geographic hierarchies and urban systems. Daniel A. Griffith, ... Arturo Kerlim Villarino. December 2025

Place-based policies – How to do them and why. Jens Suedekum. March 2025

Navigating coastal resilience: Exploring population density and coastal distance dynamics along the gold coast. James Murphy, ... Daniel Arribas-Bel. September 2025

The great challenge for local labour markets. Lovely and lousy jobs in the digital era. Roberta Capello, ... Camilla Lenzi. September 2025

Deluge of costs: Navigating the economic impacts of flooding in Egyptian port cities. Eduardo A. Haddad, ... Hogeun Park. September 2025

Dear RSAI members,

I hope this email finds you well.

The RSAI Fellows Award is given every year to a "distinguished scholars with a proven and recognized research record in the field of regional science during a considerable part of their scientific career".

If you have someone in mind that suits this description, please do not hesitate in nominating him/her to this Award, as ANY RSAI member in good standing can do it (except the RSAI Fellows themselves).

A standard Nomination Form for RSAI Fellows should include the following items:

• Factual bio-data on candidate, including a proof for RSAI membership
• Professional career of candidate (max. 100 words)
• Substantive contribution to regional science (max. 200 words)
• Path-breaking publications on regional science (max. 5)
• Signs of international scientific recognition (max. 50 words)
• Reasons for nominating the candidate (max. 50 words)

The deadline for this year's nominations is set to Apr. 15th.

For more detailed information, please visit: https://www.regionalscience.org/index.php/awards/rsai-fellows.html,

Thank you all in advance for your attention

Kind regards,