AESOP 24th Congress, Helsinki, 7-10 July 2010

AESOP is a network of universities and university departments that teach and conduct research within the field of urban and regional planning.

Conference Theme

In 2010, the world is clearly one that can be called ‘urban’. In relative terms, more than half of the world’s population dwells in urban settings – about one billion under ‘slum conditions’.

Having quality space available equals commanding a ‘luxury’!

Planning and urban design are key factors in shaping and managing space and generate the wished for quality spaces. The concept of space and concomitantly that of spatial quality includes different meanings and dimensions. Space is physical, including architecture and urban form. Space is also socially constructed through various forms of human interventions. Space is contested and a reason for serious conflicts. Space is presented and space represents. For planning, the management of the competing uses for space requires complex interventions. The making of better places that are valued and have identity is an enduring ambition of planning. And, returning to the start of this brief reflection, the major challenge of spatial planning is to find solutions for a more sustainable urban millennium. Space is expensive and exhaustive, a luxury we cannot afford any longer, if it means excessive use of space in terms of energy inefficiency and traffic pollution.

The Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at Helsinki University of Technology invites planning scholars and professionals to come to Finland and to discuss the manifold issues of ‘space is luxury’ - and to explore the multitude of related planning issues.

Call for Papers

Paper submissions are now invited for the 24th AESOP Annual Conference.

Submission of paper abstracts will be possible in January 2010, 1st - 31st, using a web-template provided with the opening of the abstract management system.For dates and deadlines please check the respective menu item.Attention: The submission of proposals to the PhD workshop will be possible during the very same period. For further information and instructions please check the link to the PhD Workshop.

Tracks

Over its history of conferences, AESOP has nurtured a rich culture of themes and topics. Papers are invited for the following list of tracks. Please refer to the individual track outlines for further specifications of the themes.

BRACKET A - FOUNDATIONS

1. Planning Theory and Methods
2. Planning History
3. Planning Education
4. Planning and Complexity
   

   BRACKET B – SPACES&PLACES

5. European Territorial Cooperation and Policies
6. Global Challenges and Local Responses
7. Planning for Rural Areas
8. Urban Planning and Physical Form
   

   BRACKET C – POLICIES&FIELDS

9. Culture, Heritage and Planning
10. Sustainability: Climate Change, Risks and Planning
11. Housing and Regeneration Policies
12. Mobility: Transport Planning and Policy
13. Resource Management, Energy and Planning
    

    BRACKET D - INSTRUMENTS&PROCESSES

14. Participation and Governance
15. Planning, law and property rights
16. Planning ‘in’ or ‘for’ multicultural societies

General Guidelines for Abstracts

In order for you to prepare your abstracts for up-loading, please consider in particular the following guidelines when composing an abstract for this Call for Papers, reflecting the new quality initiative of AESOP.

• Standard information include Author(s) names (limited to a maximum of 3 authors), Title of the paper (limited number of characters), Institutional affiliation & Contact,Name of Presenter (for the AESOP 2010 conference only ONE PRESENTATION by author will be allowed).
• The Abstract should have at least 300 words and a maximum of 700 (about one A4 page).
• The Abstract should have six elements:
  
  • A clear outline of the main questions, problem, issue addressed by the paper.
  • A clear statement of the methods, evidence, or support arguments.
  • A clear statement of the results, solutions, proposals generated.
  • A statement of open questions and further research.
  • Core references used for the paper (maximum 3).
  • Three keywords.
• Authors need to indicate the track to which they submit the paper (1st priority), and suggest one alternative track (2nd priority).