The 2008 Impact Factors have just been released and we are delighted to report that Papers in Regional Science has a 2008 Impact Factor of 1.259, which ranks it 23rd of 51 journals in the Geography category and 18th of 58 in Environmental Studies. This is a 119% increase on last year's Impact Factor, 0.576. Many congratulations to editor Jouke van Dijk and his editorial team, including the Blackwell production and marketing team.

The European Investment Bank (EIB)- European Prize in Regional Science was created to recognize the outstanding contribution of scholars to the advancement in regional science and in related spatial area studies. The EIB-European Prize in Regional Science is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of six eminent regional scientists, four from Europe, one from the Americas and one from the rest of the world.

The European Prizes in Regional Science were awarded since 2003. Prize winners were Peter Nijkamp, Jean Paelinck, Ake Andersson, Martin Beckmann, Jacques Thisse and Tony Venables.

The jury has decided that the 2009 prize will be awarded to Paul Cheshire, Professor Emeritus of Economic Geography, at LSE, London, for his contributions to among others the economics of land markets, and European urban and regional development.

The awarding ceremony will take place in August 2009 at the ERSA annual Congress in Lodz (Poland).  RSAI would like to add its congratulations to Paul. 

The RSAI is pleased to announce that the 2009 ISI Impact Factor data has been released and we are delighted to report that the Impact factor for Papers in Regional Science (PIRS) has increased from 1.259 to 1.397, placing the journal 23/61 in the Geography category, (vs 23 of 51 in 2008). PIRS is also now ranked 22/66 in the Environmental Studies category and 21/95 in the Public, Environmental & Occupational Health category. As you can see, the geography category has grown for 2009, and so the result for Geography is all the more impressive.This is a great result - congratulations to all the production team, especially Jouke van Dijk and his editors!

Graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in North America are encouraged to apply for the Twelfth Benjamin H. Stevens Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science, administered by the North American Regional Science Council of the Regional Science Association International (NARSC-RSAI). This Fellowship, in support of thesis research in Regional Science, is awarded annually in memory of Dr. Benjamin H. Stevens, an intellectual leader whose selfless devotion to graduate students as teacher, advisor, mentor, and friend had a profound impact on the field. Regional Science is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the theory and method of urban and regional phenomena. Regional Scientists apply theoretical and empirical frameworks and methods of the social and other sciences, as well as develop new ones specifically for regional analysis and policy.

Eligible students should have completed all degree requirements except for their dissertation by the time the Fellowship commences. A requirement of the Fellowship is that the recipient has no duties other than dissertation research during the Fellowship, though the recipient may hold other fellowships concurrently. Applications from students working in any area or any Ph.D. program are welcome as long as their dissertation research addresses a question in Regional Science.

The Fellowship consists of a stipend in the amount of $30,000 (U.S.), paid over a twelve-month period.
Applications for the 2011-2012 Fellowship should be sent electronically by the applicant to the Selection Committee Chair, Professor Cynthia Rogers This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and received by February 15, 2011. An application consists of the following materials:

1. A curriculum vita of no more than two (2) pages in length.

2. A statement in ten (10) pages or less explaining the questions and issues to be addressed, the approach to be used, and the product expected from the thesis research, preceded by a summary (1-page maximum) describing the intellectual merit of the proposed research, and the broader impacts that may result. The 10-page limit is inclusive of references, but exclusive of tables and figures. This text should be in 12 point or larger font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins; references may be single-spaced.

3. Copies of the candidate’s transcripts for all graduate study. Unofficial copies are acceptable.

In addition, the thesis supervisor shall provide a confidential letter sent separately as an attachment from her/his email account with the student’s name in the subject line to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. In the letter the supervisor should assess the quality and significance of the proposed dissertation research, specify the current state of progress toward the candidate’s degree and provide a commitment by the thesis supervisor to obtain a tuition waiver for the candidate for the year of the Fellowship. A condition of the Fellowship is the granting of a tuition waiver for the year of the Fellowship by the university, or equivalent payment of the student’s tuition.

Applications should be emailed to Professor Cynthia Rogers This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Questions may also be sent to her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For information about NARSC, go to  http://www.narsc.org/newsite/. For information about RSAI, go to http://www.rsai.org.

SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) is a widely respected higher education institute dedicated to producing specialist research, delivering high quality education and providing comprehensive consultancy services in the rural sector within the UK and beyond. An organisation unique in Scotland and one of the largest organisations of its kind in Europe; we aim to lead the way in innovation and sustainable development in the agriculture and rural sectors at local, national and international levels. Due to the expansion of our research capacity in the area of Rural Society, we are looking to make a new appointment based within our Land Economy and Environment Research Group in Edinburgh. This appointment will be at Senior Researcher or Researcher level, or – in the case of an exceptional candidate – at Professorial level. 

The Rural Society Research Team focuses on the changing rural social and economic landscape of Scotland, with links also to comparative international research. We provide evidence and policy guidance relating to the resilience, vibrancy and sustainability of Scotland’s rural communities. The team is recognised by its client-base as being rigorous, high-quality in its processes and outputs, policy-relevant and engaged with pressing rural issues. The team also actively publishes in peer-reviewed journals as well as engaging with stakeholders through regular Knowledge Exchange events. The new post-holder will explore: low carbon rural economy; regional economic development; spatial development and planning; and socio-economic trends and their implications for rural and regional areas. Such research will be situated within the wider context of policy and practice in Scotland and internationally, thus generating research outputs and outcomes which enhance the sustainability of rural economy and society. Specifically, we are looking someone to complement the strong and dynamic research skill-set which already exists in the team. We therefore require a rural/regional economist who brings specific skills in spatial econometrics and spatial data analysis, whilst being willing to work in a multi-method way. Duties will include: designing and developing research for the Scottish Government; bidding for, conducting and managing contract research; engaging in Knowledge Exchange, including through the Rural Policy Centre; and working within a multidisciplinary team. The successful applicant will have a PhD and several years of research experience, and be able to demonstrate an ability to win research funding. It is essential that the post holder can present information to a variety of audiences and be computer literate. 

Interviews will be held in Edinburgh on May 6th and 7th 2013. 

Apply online at http://www.sruc.ac.uk. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may request an application pack by contacting Human Resources on 0131 535 4277. Please note that CVs will not be accepted without a completed application form. 

Closing date: 12 noon 26th April 2013. Please quote: R/LE/956/13

More information: 

https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA2MjgyNyZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZqY29kZT0xMzIxNTUwJnZ0X3RlbXBsYXRlPTE0MjMmc2hvcnRfZGlzcGxheT0xJnBvc3RpbmdfY29kZT0wJnJlcXNpZz0xMzYzNjg1NDU5LTAyYmMwNjM1NzU3NmFmODYzYjIxZGFiMGFjNmEyYzdlZDE3N2Y4Mzg

Is open the call for papers of the XXXIX edition of the Spanish Regional Studies Meting which is being organized in Asturias under the auspices of the Spanish Regional Science Association and will take place in Oviedo the 21^st-22^nd November, 2013.

The theme of this edition of the conference is Smart regions for a smarter growth strategy: new challenges of regional policy and potentials of cities to overcome a worldwide economic crisis, with the intention being that the conference provides a forum for discussion and debate between academics and professionals about the potential of cities and regions in national economic development. In the context of the present global crisis, studies at local, urban and regional levels become even more necessary and important. This is due not only to the fact that crises have effects that are heterogeneous across space but also to the possibility that regions and cities provide the initial impulse to dynamizing national economies.

The lines between “geographic” and “economic” approaches to regional issues have blurred and economists and geographers have come closer and closer together to contribute to the understanding and development of what is now denominated “economic geography.” Something similar is being experienced with urban issues, with urban science, urban sociology and urban economics becoming increasingly intertwined. Econometric modeling has also contributed to the analysis of spatial economic issues, with spatial econometrics providing researchers with an ever-expanding tool-kit. All in all, regional science is increasingly multidisciplinary in nature and meeting in the field necessarily bring together, among others, economists, geographers, urban scientists, sociologists and legal scientists.

1. organizing committee comprises the members of the Regional Economic Analysis Laboratory of the University of Oviedo – REGIOlab, a group of researchers with an increasing presence in academic forums and which is working towards amplifying its international visibility. REGIOlab also shares a strong vocation for bringing its work at the Universidad to society at large and all these aims provide the motivation for organizing the XXXIX Conference of Regional Studies.

The Scientific Committee is responsible for selecting the contents (presentations, debates, round tables, etc) of the conference and guaranteeing their quality. It is presided by Prof. Rafael Myro and comprises academics from external universities and institutions.

1. languages of the XXXIX Conference of Regional Studies are Spanish and English, and the conference will take place on the 21^st-22^nd November. TheConference Site is the Exhibition and Congress Centre “Ciudad de Oviedo”.

On behalf of the Asturian Regional Science Association, the Organizing Committee and the Scientific Committee, we would like to give special thanks to all the sponsors of this event. We would also like express our wish that this edition of the conference - which like its predecessors provides the opportunity to discuss the main issues in regional science in the presence of old and new colleagues - will prove to be a valuable forum from academic and professional perspectives and in terms of its social impact.

Call for Papers
6th Summer Conference in Regional Science
Dortmund, June, 27 – 28, 2013

The “Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung” (GfR), the German speaking section of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and the Faculty of Spatial Planning of the University of Dortmund are pleased to announce the 6th International Summer-Conference in Dortmund.

Keynote Speakers:
Luc Anselin (GeoDa Center, Arizona State University)
Joachim Möller (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung - IAB)

Theme:

„New Approaches in Regional Impact Analysis“

Objectives:
The conference consists of two strands of presentations. One is related to the main topic of the conference and deals with new concepts and methods of impact analysis in the area of regional promotion of economic growth, employment and innovation. The second strand is more general by sharing results of new unpublished research in the broad field of regional science such as:
- Regional Economic Development,
- Innovation and New Technologies,
- Agglomerations, Regional Clusters and Networks,
- Regional Policy on European and National Level,
- Labor Market and Labor Market policies,
- Sectoral Changes and New Markets,
- Methods of Spatial Analysis,
- Institutional Change and Interregional Relations,
- Environmental Policies on the Regional and Urban Level,
- Demographic Change and Migration,
- Regional Impacts of Globalization and the Financial Crisis.

Publication:
Participants are invited to submit papers to the „Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft/Review of Regional Research“, the journal of the GfR, which is interested in publishing papers from the Summer Conference.
Participants: The seminar is open for any scholar in Regional Science.

Scientific Committee:
Franz-Josef Bade (Universität Dortmund, local organizer)
Uwe Blien (Universität Bamberg, IAB)
Johannes Bröcker (CAU Kiel)
Roberta Capello (Politecnico di Milano)
Stefan Fuchs (IAB)
Georg Hirte (TU Dresden)
Jens Südekum (Universität Duisburg-Essen)
Franz Tödtling (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien)

Deadlines:
Submission of abstracts: April, 5, 2013 (Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Notification of acceptance by April, 22, 2013
Registration and submission of full paper till June, 1, 2013.

The conference fee is 60 Euro.

There will be a small budget to cover travel and accommodation expenses for speakers who do not have other financing possibilities. If you want to apply for a refund, please inform us about the approximate amount of travel costs when submitting your paper.
Presentations should be about 25 min. The conference languages will be English and German.

Further information will be announced at http://gfr.ersa.org/.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is pleased to announce the 2013 Research Award to Luc Anselin of Arizona State University and the 2013 Education Award to Ken Foote of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The Research Award is given to the creator(s) of a particularly outstanding research contribution to geographic information science. The main criterion for choosing the awardee(s) is impact of the research achievement on the theory and/or practice of GIScience, or on research using GIS, or on geographic information technology.

The Education Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to GIScience education. The award is intended to recognize a career of professional contributions of both national and international significance to GIScience education.

Luc Anselin, the Walter Isard Chair and Director of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at Arizona State University (ASU), is one of the world’s leading scholars in spatial econometrics. Amongst a stream of influential articles, his book “Spatial Econometrics: Methods and Models” first published 20 years ago has been cited over 6,000 times. Almost single-handedly he has blazed the path of spatial econometrics through a succession of highly cited articles which deal with both theory and method and with relevant and timely applications to public policy such as crime, health care, pollution, economic development, and demography. Not only have his writings had made a major impact on the geographical sciences, the research groups which he has built up from his time at Santa Barbara to his current position in ASU have sustained this impact and have focused his research on the very best blend of theory and practice that exists in the social sciences. One of his principal academic achievements has been his contributions to moving the discipline of spatial econometrics which was marginal in 1988 to current acceptance in mainstream econometrics, thereby advancing the economic foundations of the geographic information sciences. The impact of his work is seen in his H index which is 64, the highest by far of any scholar in the geographical information sciences. He also founded and directs the GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation at ASU which develops, implements, applies, and disseminates spatial analysis methods. 

The University of Milan in partnership with CSIL, Centre for Industrial Studies, and with the support of the European Union (Jean Monnet Chair), organizes the third edition of the Milan Summer School on: ‘Cost-benefit Analysis of Investment projects. EU Structural Funds, Cohesion Fund and Instrument of Pre-Accession’. The school will be held at Palazzo Greppi, in the heart of Milan from 3 to 6 of September 2013.

The school is designed for professionals and young researchers who are dealing with the programme and project management of EU Funds and for decision makers of major projects in the fields of transport, environment, industry, energy, telecommunications and culture. The training methods will consist of  face-to-face lessons and  hands-on sessions.

All lecturers invited participated in the preparation of the new edition of the Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects of the European Commission, DG Regional Policy, with professor Massimo Florio (University of Milan) as Scientific Director. Speakers include:

• Gianni Carbonaro (European Investment Bank)
• Ugo Finzi (CSIL)
• Massimo Florio (University of Milan)
• Silvia Maffii (TRT Trasporti e Territorio)
• Wolfgang Münch (European Commission, DG Regional and Urban Policy) 
• Davide Sartori (CSIL)
• Silvia Vignetti (CSIL)

For further information and applications, please consult the leaflet and at the website:

 http://www.csilmilano.com/Summer-School/Summer-School.html

Organisation:

Rosa Carmosino

Tel.: 02796630 ext.19

Fax: 02780703

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Call for Chapter Proposal Submission

Computational Approaches for Urban Environments (Geotechnologies and the Environment series by Springer)

Edited by

Marco Helbich,

GIScience, Institute of Geography,

University of Heidelberg, Germany

Jamal Jokar Arsanjani,

GIScience, Institute of Geography,

University of Heidelberg, Germany

Michael Leitner

Department of Geography & Anthropology,

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

Introduction

The quantitative modeling of urban environments is a rapidly developing and challenging field. Cities are highly dynamic and complex environments composed of several interrelated subsystems including housing markets, transportation, population, etc. Although urbanization will increase up to 80% within the next three decades according to United Nations reports, the interplay of these subsystems forming urban environments and affecting our society are only partially understood so far and research about them are of utmost importance. While geographic information system-based urban analyses have reached certain levels of maturity, the capabilities and limitations of data-driven computational approaches to support urban theories as well as policy- and decision-making have not yet been adequately addressed. Additionally, the recent technological progress is grounded in large and constantly increasing amounts of multi-dimensional digital data, inherently characterized by spatial and temporal dimensions. In this context, it is expected that cutting-edge computational methods linked to novel data sources promote a deeper understanding of urban areas and urban processes in order to support urban environments for a more sustainable future.

Objectives and Scope

The main objective of the intended edited volume is to seek high quality, scientific research chapters providing a wide array of urban-related subjects that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the use of novel computational methods for the analysis of urban environments. Due to the inter- and trans-disciplinarity of the related domains as well as supporting a more holistic understanding of cities, submissions of chapter proposals from a broad range of scientific disciplines such as geography, economics, computer science, statistics, geographic information science, remote sensing, sociology, urban planning, and civil engineering are highly welcome from the Editors.

The edited book is scheduled to be published by Springer in its popular “Geotechnologies and the Environment” series, edited by Jay D. Gatrell and Ryan R. Jensen. For more detailed information about this series, we refer to the Springer webpage, accessible via the following link  http://www.springer.com/series/8088.

This book will cover several aspects of urban-related topics including the following fields of application:

- Population and social dynamics

- Urban transportation

- Housing and real estate

- Urban dynamics and growth

- Land use planning

- Crime and law enforcement

- Health

- Service planning

- …

The major prerequisite is that manuscripts should be based on cutting-edge computational approaches, including, but not limited to:

- Machine learning

- Neurocomputing

- Evolutionary computing

- Geosimulation and agent-based modeling

- Optimization

- Spatio-temporal modeling

- Regionalization

- Visual analytics

- Fuzzy logic

- …

Additionally, of particular interest are chapters dedicated to innovative data sources to enrich urban analysis. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

- Cell phone data

- Volunteered / Contributed geographic information

- Social networks (e.g., Twitter, Flickr)

- Humans as sensors and collaborative sensing

- ...

Submission and Important Dates

All chapter proposals will be evaluated by a committee of experts before

author(s) are being invited to submit the full book chapter. Chapters must not have been published elsewhere. Unpublished conference presentations are acceptable. Published conference presentations (e.g., in a proceedings volume) may be acceptable if the full copyright can be transferred.

Submission procedure for chapter proposals:

Length:                                   1-3 pages

Format:                       Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF

Figures/Tables:           Must be legible (<300 dpi are accepted at this stage)

Important dates:

April 8, 2013:                         First solicitation of chapter proposal submission

May 30, 2013:                        Chapter proposal submission deadline

June 10, 2013             Notification of chapter acceptance (rejection) and invitation to submit the full book chapter

November 1, 2013:     Final chapter submission deadline

February 1, 2014:       Acceptance / rejection notification sent to author(s)

April 1, 2014:                         Final revised chapter submission deadline

July 1, 2014:               Expected publication of book

General:

Submissions must include the author's name, affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail address.

In the case of multiple authors, all names, addresses, etc., must accompany the submission and a single individual must be identified as the primary point of contact.

If submitting a published conference presentation (e.g., one that has already appeared in a proceedings volume), the author(s) must provide proof that the article's full copyright can be transferred. Submissions must be sent as an e-mail attachment to Marco Helbich using the e-mail address listed above.

Notification:

Notification regarding the status of each proposal will be sent by June 10, 2013 to all those who submitted a chapter proposal. At that time, authors whose chapter proposals have been accepted will also be e-mailed guidelines regarding full book chapter preparation.

Post-acceptance information:

The full book chapter deadline is November 1, 2013. Following receipt, full chapters will be sent out for double-blind review. The Editors will make the final decision regarding final acceptance of each book chapter.

All chapters with revision requests (if necessary) need to be completed by April 1, 2014.

Inquiries should be directed to

Dr. Marco Helbich

GIScience, Institute of Geography

University of Heidelberg

Berliner Straße 48

D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany

 http://www.geog.uni-heidelberg.de/personen/gis_helbich.html

 http://giscience.uni-hd.de

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel.: +49(0)6221 / 54 5572

Fax: +49(0)6221 / 54 4529

Heidelberg, April 5 2013

Call for Book Chapter Proposal Submission