NARSC Update

NARSC 2022

Montreal Updates

Be sure to register for the conference (using this LINK) and come meet new colleagues and reconnect with friends. 

DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal: Be sure and reserve your hotel room at a special rate of C$229 (plus taxes).

Use this link to get our special rate: RESERVATION. The special rate ends on October 15, 2022, so reserve now!

The second draft of the Program for the 2022 North American Meetings of RSAI is available. It is available for viewing here.

Please review the program carefully. While we have tried to minimize changes to the first draft, some changes were necessary. It is possible that the day and/or time-slot allocated to your paper(s) has changed. If you identify any errors, please contact the Program Chair, Neil Reid, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please note, that as we continue to go Green, there will not be any printed programs at the conference. Feel free to print out the PDF before you arrive, or you may view on our new, mobile-ready website.

If you have any questions regarding the conference in general, please contact the NARSC Executive Director, John Sporing at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

NARSC Nominations

The North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) is seeking nominations for the following positions:

President: The President will be elected for a one-year term (starting January 1 following election). The President should be a distinguished regional scientist or other distinguished scholar. The President’s principal duty is to deliver the Presidential Address at the Meetings. The President also serves on the Honors Committee, as an additional voting Councilor during the term of office as President, and performs other duties as needed by the organization.

Councilor-at-large (non-student, two positions): Councilors-at-large will be voting members of the NASRC Council. These are elected positions, with a three-year term. The Council and its members are responsible for accepting new member organizations, electing officers, matters involving the Annual North American Meetings of the RSAI, etc.

Student representative (student only, one position): The student representative will be a voting member of the NARSC Council. This is an elected position, with a two-year term. The student representative is expected to serve for two full years, even if graduation occurs before the end of the term.

For more information about these positions, please refer to the NARSC Constitution or contact the Nominations Committee chair, Isabelle Nilsson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

We encourage nominations of individuals from all the different disciplines represented in NARSC and from underrepresented groups in NARSC. Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged for the Councilor-at-large and student representative positions. For all positions, nominators should
confirm that the nominee is (i) an active NARSC member, (ii) will be present at the 69th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, November 9-12, 2022, in Montreal, and (iii) willing to serve if appointed. Please send your nomination(s), along with a brief description of the nominee(s) (no more than 250 words), to Isabelle Nilsson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by October 14, 2022. 

Voting for these positions will take place online prior to the Annual Meeting. Results of the elections will be announced via email prior to the Annual Meeting, at the Annual Council Meeting, and in the December issue of the NARSC Newsletter.

 PySal Workshop @ NARSC 2022

This workshop provides a hands-on tutorial focused on spatial analysis and urban data science with Python. It introduces the Python Spatial Analysis Library (PySAL), providing a foundation for geographic data science, and the Geospatial Neighborhood Analysis Package (geosnap) for applied analyses of urban socio-spatial structure. Attendees will learn the fundamentals of spatial analysis including topics such as spatial weights data structures, global and local spatial autocorrelation, and choropleth mapping and interactive mapping. The workshop also covers an introduction to geodemographic segmentation, segregation analysis, and neighborhood dynamics.

More information here. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, November 9 at the conference hotel.

To register, go to the NARSC Registration page and add the workshop to your cart and checkout with the payment.

ANZRSAI Call for Papers

For more than forty years, the Australia and New Zealand Regional Science Association has brought together researchers across academic and policy fields to explore the cutting edge of regional development and regional analysis in Australia, New Zealand and around the world. If your work involves regions,
please join us for our 45th Annual Conference in Wagga Wagga. ANZRSAI welcomes proposals for contributed papers, for themed panels, or for special sessions, on any topic related to regions. 

Papers related to the conference theme will be considered, as well as papers across the whole range of regional science fields, including geography, economics, governance, social and environmental studies, or multi-disciplinary research.

This year’s conference is hosted by the Data Science Research Unit (DSRU) at the Charles Sturt University (CSU), Wagga Wagga. To register, and for more information on the conference, visit the ANZRSAI website at: www.anzrsai.org

Post-doctoral Scholar (Post-doc), Regional Research Institute 

The Regional Research Institute (RRI) will have a post-doc position for a regional economist (or related field) starting in January when I will take over as the director of the RRI.  The initial period is for 1-1/2 years, however, there is a possibility for it to last longer.

https://wvu.taleo.net/careersection/faculty/jobdetail.ftl?job=20787

This is a great opportunity for a recent graduate (or soon to be graduate) to help shape the future of the RRI. 

NARSC Update

The 69th North American Meetings of RSAI 
Montreal, Quebec

Our first live and in-person conference since 2019 is coming upon us. 

Be sure to register (using this LINK) and come meet new colleagues and reconnect with friends. 

The preliminary program is currently on the website, feel free to review and if you have any comments, please reach out to our program chair, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note, that as we continue to go Green, there will not be any printed programs at the conference. Feel free to print out the PDF before you arrive, or you may view on our new, mobile-ready website.

Starting October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements will end for all travelers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea.

DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal

Be sure and reserve your hotel room at a special rate of C$229 (plus taxes).

Use this link to get our special rate: RESERVATION

The special rate ends on October 15, 2022, so reserve now!

Getting to the Hotel

Flying: Montréal’s airport, Trudeau International (YUL), is the international airport serving the city, with international flights arriving from across the globe. Air Canada is the major domestic career, but the airport is served by multiple international airlines. It is located approximately 20 km (12 miles) from the
downtown.

To travel to the hotel from the airport, there are a number of options, including bus services. The 747 bus serves downtown, with a travel time of 45-70 minutes, dependent on traffic. On arrival downtown, exit the bus at the René-Lévesque / Jeanne-Mance stop. It is approximately a 2-minute walk (130m)
from the stop to the hotel. The bus terminates at the corner of Berri and Sainte-Catherine - Berri-UQAM station, which is a few blocks from the hotel. Cost is C$11 and the ticket can be purchased in the terminal before boarding or on-board with exact change (coins only).

Taxis are available at the arrivals level near the central exit. Fixed fair to the downtown is C$41, and fare by meter to destinations outside of the downtown. Uber is also available at the airport (door 7).

Driving to Montréal: Self Park is available at the hotel for C$22/night. Valet Park is C$32/night.

Train: For travelers within Canada, VIA Rail serves downtown Montréal’s Central Station with multiple daily trips from points east or west. Travel time from Toronto Union to Montréal Central is approximately 5 hours. Amtrak’s Adirondack train also serves Montréal from New York and Albany daily.

Once at Central Station, the hotel is an approximately 11-minute walk (850 m) or a short cab ride away. Public transit is also an option but includes approximately 5 minutes of walking time.

Nurturing New Talent 2023

The RSAI aims to continue promoting the development of Regional Science by nurturing new talent in 2023. The council has therefore pledged resources to co-finance workshops and summer institutes intended to provide substantive training to pre-doctoral researchers, including the presentation of their work and receiving feedback from senior scholars and their peers. It is expected that the selected workshops and institutes will have considerable international geographical coverage.

Organizers of workshops and summer schools fulfilling the above aims are encouraged to submit a two-page case for support, within October 9, 2022 to the RSAI secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Individuals are encouraged to consult with their national and supranational sections to allow better coordination among different initiatives.

All applications will be reviewed by the Committee and will have to be formally approved by the RSAI Council. Their decision will be final.