RSA Conference: Spatial Smartness
We cordially invite you to take part in the 3rd conference of RSA Research Network on “Smart City-Regional Governance for Sustainability – Spatial Smartness”. This will be held on 21-22 September 2017 at the University of Gdańsk, Department of Economic Geography, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Institute.
The final programme is available here, below you can find more details about the event:
Subject of the conference
The conference focuses in particular on ‘spatial smartness’ with the aim of exploring practical examples of how ‘smartness’ is approached by both policy makers and academia.
This choice of focus addresses one of the primary aims of the RSA Network – to investigate meaning and practice of ‘smartness’ in city-regional governance. For this purpose, the notion of ‘smartness’ is understood here as revolving around finding a preferred balance between the competing quests for urban international competitiveness, national economic development, societal and territorial cohesion as well as environmental protection and addressing climate change.
The observed contest between often seemingly conflicting goals in governance arrangements become particularly evident when it comes to questions of ‘sustainability’ as the overarching political and policy-defining agenda. This contest is not made easier by the complexity of diverse emphases subsumed under the term ‘sustainability’: political-economic, societal or environmental concerns, with associated claims for economic growth, social equality, and ecological considerations. In city-regions, these contestations and thus necessities for reconciling policy goals are particularly complex – and, with their dense and intense interdependencies, pose formidable political and practical challenges. Yet, at the same time, this makes city-regions and their governance a fascinating and rewarding arena for investigating the many meanings of ‘smartness’ – and, indeed, sustainability.
The Gdańsk conference sets out to explore ‘spatial smartness’ as the central topic. ‘Spatial smartness’ refers to the innovative use of, or engagement with, territory in city-regional governance. This includes the projection of ‘soft’ or ‘virtual’ spaces as part of collaborative forms of governance, as in ‘new regionalism’, for instance. Such may be achieved through city networks based on personality or institution-based connections, trans-border engagement or international representation and lobbying. In such instances, functional and strategic (agenda) relationships and networks generate a projected spatial backcloth of a ‘region’. The (conventional) alternative, of course, is redrawing administrative boundaries around areas of political-governmental control, with all the political and administrative upheaval and resistance that may entail. ‘Smartness’ may rest in the justification of such constructions, their operationalisation, and their strategic conceptualisation, seeking to reconcile multiple interests such as to minimize conflict and thus ineffective governance.
This choice of focus addresses one of the primary aims of the RSA Network – to investigate meaning and practice of ‘smartness’ in city-regional governance. For this purpose, the notion of ‘smartness’ is understood here as revolving around finding a preferred balance between the competing quests for urban international competitiveness, national economic development, societal and territorial cohesion as well as environmental protection and addressing climate change.
The observed contest between often seemingly conflicting goals in governance arrangements become particularly evident when it comes to questions of ‘sustainability’ as the overarching political and policy-defining agenda. This contest is not made easier by the complexity of diverse emphases subsumed under the term ‘sustainability’: political-economic, societal or environmental concerns, with associated claims for economic growth, social equality, and ecological considerations. In city-regions, these contestations and thus necessities for reconciling policy goals are particularly complex – and, with their dense and intense interdependencies, pose formidable political and practical challenges. Yet, at the same time, this makes city-regions and their governance a fascinating and rewarding arena for investigating the many meanings of ‘smartness’ – and, indeed, sustainability.
The Gdańsk conference sets out to explore ‘spatial smartness’ as the central topic. ‘Spatial smartness’ refers to the innovative use of, or engagement with, territory in city-regional governance. This includes the projection of ‘soft’ or ‘virtual’ spaces as part of collaborative forms of governance, as in ‘new regionalism’, for instance. Such may be achieved through city networks based on personality or institution-based connections, trans-border engagement or international representation and lobbying. In such instances, functional and strategic (agenda) relationships and networks generate a projected spatial backcloth of a ‘region’. The (conventional) alternative, of course, is redrawing administrative boundaries around areas of political-governmental control, with all the political and administrative upheaval and resistance that may entail. ‘Smartness’ may rest in the justification of such constructions, their operationalisation, and their strategic conceptualisation, seeking to reconcile multiple interests such as to minimize conflict and thus ineffective governance.
Keynote speakers
Prof. Allan Cochrane (The Open University)
Allan Cochrane is a Visiting Informal Academic Emeritus professor at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences of The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. During his over thirty years academic career at The Open University he held the positions of Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Head of Department. He chairs the Advisory Board of the ESRC funded Cities in Conflict project based at the universities of Cambridge and Exeter and Queen’s University Belfast; he is a member of the ESRC’s Peer Review College and a member of the Editorial Board of Territory, Politics, Governance. His main research interest is focused on the urban sites analysed in the context of workings of power, the possibilities of politics and changing forms of policy intervention.
Prof. Yonn Dierwechter (University of Washington)
Yonn Dierwechter is Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His research focuses on the emerging geographies of comparative metropolitan planning practices; state/space relationships; and the links between urban growth management/smart growth, sustainability policies, internationalism, and city-regionalism. Yonn’s recently published book is entitled ‘Urban sustainability through smart growth: planning, intercurrence and the geographies of regional development across Greater Seattle. He is currently working on another major book project: “Smart city-regionalism in transition,” co-authored with Dr Tassilo Herrschel (Routledge).
Paweł Orłowski (The Board Management of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal’s Office)
Paweł Orłowski has graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk. He is a politician having a many years experience in local, regional and the state governance. In his political career he performed many functions. Among others he was the Deputy Mayor of the City of Sopot, the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Regional Development and in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. He is currently a member of the board of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. He specializes and has a broad practical experience in the problems of spatial planning, metropolisation and urban regeneration.
Prof. Maciej Smętkowski (EUROREG, University of Warsaw)
Maciej Smętkowski has a Ph.D. in earth sciences, specialty economic geography. He is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG) and Deputy Director of Institute of Americas and Europe, University of Warsaw. He has participated in number of research projects on metropolisation processes, instruments of regional policy, trans-border co-operation and evaluation of pre-accession aids and structural funds of the UE. He has a deep experience in evaluation of public policies including empirical analyses within ESPON Programme, UE Research Framework Programme and other Polish evaluations studies. He is a Member of the Board of the Polish Section of the Regional Studies Association. He published several articles as well as he is co-author of two books in English: “The European Metropolises and Their Regions: From Economic Landscapes to Metropolitan Networks” and “Cross-border Co-operation of Poland after Enlargement: Focus on Eastern Border”.
Allan Cochrane is a Visiting Informal Academic Emeritus professor at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences of The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. During his over thirty years academic career at The Open University he held the positions of Dean, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Head of Department. He chairs the Advisory Board of the ESRC funded Cities in Conflict project based at the universities of Cambridge and Exeter and Queen’s University Belfast; he is a member of the ESRC’s Peer Review College and a member of the Editorial Board of Territory, Politics, Governance. His main research interest is focused on the urban sites analysed in the context of workings of power, the possibilities of politics and changing forms of policy intervention.
Prof. Yonn Dierwechter (University of Washington)
Yonn Dierwechter is Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His research focuses on the emerging geographies of comparative metropolitan planning practices; state/space relationships; and the links between urban growth management/smart growth, sustainability policies, internationalism, and city-regionalism. Yonn’s recently published book is entitled ‘Urban sustainability through smart growth: planning, intercurrence and the geographies of regional development across Greater Seattle. He is currently working on another major book project: “Smart city-regionalism in transition,” co-authored with Dr Tassilo Herrschel (Routledge).
Paweł Orłowski (The Board Management of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal’s Office)
Paweł Orłowski has graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the University of Gdańsk. He is a politician having a many years experience in local, regional and the state governance. In his political career he performed many functions. Among others he was the Deputy Mayor of the City of Sopot, the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Regional Development and in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development. He is currently a member of the board of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. He specializes and has a broad practical experience in the problems of spatial planning, metropolisation and urban regeneration.
Prof. Maciej Smętkowski (EUROREG, University of Warsaw)
Maciej Smętkowski has a Ph.D. in earth sciences, specialty economic geography. He is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG) and Deputy Director of Institute of Americas and Europe, University of Warsaw. He has participated in number of research projects on metropolisation processes, instruments of regional policy, trans-border co-operation and evaluation of pre-accession aids and structural funds of the UE. He has a deep experience in evaluation of public policies including empirical analyses within ESPON Programme, UE Research Framework Programme and other Polish evaluations studies. He is a Member of the Board of the Polish Section of the Regional Studies Association. He published several articles as well as he is co-author of two books in English: “The European Metropolises and Their Regions: From Economic Landscapes to Metropolitan Networks” and “Cross-border Co-operation of Poland after Enlargement: Focus on Eastern Border”.
Timeline
| DATE | STAGE |
| 21-22/09 | conference dates |
Location
The conference is hosted by the University of Gdansk, Department of Economic Geography. We are the part of Institute of Geography located in the main university campus near SKM (Fast Urban Railway) Station: Przymorze-Uniwersytet.
Registration
The registration for the conference is closed. In case you are very much interested in the event please contact the organisers.
Core Group of the RSA 'Smart City' Research Network
- Dr Gerd Lintz, Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (network coordinator)
- Prof Bas van Heur, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Dr Igor Calzada, University of Oxford
- Prof Iwona Sagan, University of Gdańsk
- Prof Yonn Dierwechter, University of Washington, Tacoma
- Dr Tassilo Herrschel, University of Westminster
- Dr Stefano Di Vita, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
- Prof Ethan Seltzer, Portland State University, Portland
Transport information
From the airport to the university campus
The Lech Walesa Airport in Gdansk is just 12 km from the University of Gdansk. You can:
- take a taxi (price approximately 20-25 euro = 80-100 PLN);
- take the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (PKM) and get out at Gdańsk-Strzyża. From there it is 15 minutes-walk to the campus or 2 stations by tram;
From the airport to the city centre (Old Town)
The Lech Walesa Airport in Gdansk is just 10 km away from city center. You can:
- take a taxi (price approximately 20-25 euro = 80-100 PLN);
- take the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (PKM) and get out at Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz; then change the line from PKM to SKM (Fast Municipal Railway) on the other platform. One normal ticket on this route costs 5 PLN. Tickets are available at ticket machines on certain platforms of SKM stations or in some kiosks’ within the station.
From the city centre to the university campus
- take the SKM (Fast Municipal Railway) from Gdansk Główny or Gdańsk Śródmieście and then get out at Gdańsk Przymorze-Uniwersytet (15 minutes). Then there is 8-10-minute-walk through Grunwaldzka Street and near McDonald’s restaurant.
- take the tram from Gdańsk Główny (lines 6, 11, 12) and get out at University Campus station. Every ticket for one ride costs PL 3.20 PLN. It is also possible to buy a ticket valid for one hour (3.80 PLN), which allows for changes during the same period of time.
For any other connections
- Let’s check jakdojade.pl – the most popular public transport application in PL.
Accommodation in Gdansk
Due to the proximity to the University, it is recommended that you make reservations at one of these hotels:
-
Hotel Oliwski*** (1,5 km from the University)
Address: Piastowska 1, 80-332 Gdańsk - BEST WESTERN PLUS Arkon Park Hotel *** (1,5 km from the University)
Address: Śląska 10, 80-384, Gdańsk - Hotel Zajazd pod Oliwką (3,0 km from the University)
Address: Kościerska 1a, 80-328 Gdańsk–Oliwa - Dwór Oliwski Hotel ***** (3,5 km from the University)
Address: Bytowska 4, 80-328 Gdańsk-Oliwa - Hilton Gdańsk*****
Address: Targ Rybny 1, Gdańsk, 80-838 - Radisson Blu Gdańsk*****
Address: Długi Targ 19/Powroźnicza, Gdańsk, 80-828 - Holland House Residence Old Town****
Address: Długi Targ 33/34, Śródmieście, 80-830 Gdańsk - Hotel Hanza ****
Address: Tokarska 6, 80-888 Gdańsk - Smart Hotel ** (4 km from the University of Gdansk)
Address: Słowackiego 3, 80-257 Gdańsk - Focus Hotel Premium **** (4 km from the University)
Address: Nad Stawem 5, 80-454 Gdańsk
…if you would like to stay in the Old Town, you can make reservations at one of these hotels:
…if you prefer location between University and Old Town, let’s check available accommodation in:
Local organising team
- Prof Iwona Sagan, University of Gdansk (iwona.sagan@univ.gda.pl)
- Dr Jakub Szlachetko, Metropolitan Institute (jakub.szlachetko@im.edu.pl)
- MSc Jan Frankowski, University of Gdansk (jan.frankowski@univ.gda.pl)
- MSc Karel Dolinski, University of Gdansk (karel.dolinski@phdstud.ug.edu.pl)
- MSc Katarzyna Barańczuk, University of Gdansk (kge@univ.gda.pl)
The Conference is co-financed from the RSA Project Smart City – Regional Governance for Sustainability and Beyond Core-Periphery Debates: New Member States in the Construction of EU project.