Dear Regional Science community,

I am writing you because, following the request of many of you, the deadline for submitting your abstracts and special session proposals for the RSAI World Congress in Marrakech, June 2-5, has been further extended to February 7, 2020. This will be the final deadline.

We hope this will allow many of you to finalize your work to participate in this great scientific event: 49 Countries represented so far, 7 keynote speakers, cutting-edge research on the frontier of Regional Science, and the possibility to network with colleagues from all over the world.

Looking forward to seeing many of you in Marrakech,

Kind regards,

--
Andrea Caragliu
Executive Director, Regional Science Association International
Associate Professor of Regional and Urban Economics
Politecnico di Milano
ABC Department
Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32
20133 Milan (MI)
Italy

Call for Abstracts and Special Session Proposals

The Regional Science Association International (RSAI) and the Moroccan Regional Science Association (AMSR) invite regional scientists, economists, economic geographers, urban planners, policy makers, and researchers of related disciplines to participate in the 13th World Congress of the Regional Science Association International, with the main theme "Smart Regions – Opportunities for sustainable development in the digital era". The Congress will be hosted by the Moroccan Regional Science Association.

We invite formal paper presentations and Special Session Proposals (deadline of February 7, 2020). The abstract submission portal is now open. Full information on the venue, abstract submission, registration, schedule of events, accommodation and travel information is posted at https://www.regionalscience.org/2020worldcongress

About the Focal Theme

The congress is open for the world-wide diverse audience of regional scientists including academics, policy makers and practitioners and aims to bring together the key elements of multidisciplinary regional science research and to provide a scientific platform for presenting and discussing research at the frontiers of the spatial sciences in a broad sense. The themes which will be addressed zoom in particular on the pressing challenges of meeting the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals, in both developed and developing economies. As a new challenge to regional science research is formed by the emerging digital technology and its implications for analysis, monitoring, evaluation and forecasting spatial dynamics at all levels, the theme chosen for the congress is ‘Smart Regions- Opportunities for Sustainable Development in the Digital Era’. Therefore, the potential of spatial and temporal big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, social media information, and of the new spatial maps emerging from digitization and robotization will be addressed by the congress as well, as these forces will have far-reaching impacts on human behaviour and interaction in space. Topics such as urban-rural development, migration, spatial and resources (al)location, border effects, urbanization, sustainable cities, mobility, land use, environmental quality, disaster management, energy transition, culture, poverty, segregation, spatial modelling are important issues covered in the 2020 RSAI World Congress.

Themes of specific interest are:

RS01 - Entrepreneurship

RS02 - Infrastructure, transportation and accessibility

RS03 - Knowledge and innovation

RS04 - Local finance

RS05 - Location theory and applications

RS06 - Methods in Regional Science and Urban Economics

RS07 - Migration and regional labor markets

RS08 - Real estate and housing

RS09 - Regional and urban policy

RS10 - Regional development

RS11 - Rural development

RS12 - Spatial implications of climate and environmental change

RS13 - Spatial planning

RS14 - The spatial dimension of sustainable development

RS15 - Theoretical and empirical urban economics

RS16 - Tourism

RS17 - Globalization and territorial intelligence

RS18 - Resilience and Risk Management

RS19 - Green economy and complexity of socio-ecosystems

RS20 - Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services

RS21 - Agriculture, fisheries and food security

RS22 - Nexus: water, agriculture and energy

We look forward to welcoming you in the dazzling city of Marrakech in June 2020.

With warmest regards,

The Organizing Committee