Deadline for abstract January 27th 2014 igu2014.org.
12-39: 1- Urban Challenges for Mediterranean and Gulf Cities
Join Session:
- C12-30 Mediterranean Basin commission
- C12-39 Urban Commission: Urban Challenges in a Complex World
Chairs:
Maria Paradiso, paradiso@unisannio.it
Maria-Jose Piñeira, mariajose.pineira@gmail.com
We encourage submission of papers exploring issues such as mixed urban society, poverty and polarisation, formal and informal settlements and planning, environmental and social implications of urban change, interfaith relations, urban development in the globalization between tradition and modernity, and changing global perceptions of the region. We refer to all countries surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf ones.
12-39: 2- Beyond global cities' system: cities as geopolitical actors in the complex world
Join Session:
- C12.33 Commission on Political Geography together
- C12.39 Urban Commission: Urban Challenges in a Complex World
Chairs:
Anna Casaglia, anna.casaglia@unimib.it
Céline Rozenblat: celine.rozenblat@unil.ch
Substantial academic literature in the last decades has been dedicated to the analysis of global cities, their interconnections, the networks they are part of and their role in the global economy. Those cities able to compete worldwide have become the parameter to observe and assess urban systems, and the derivation of general theories or taxonomies has come mainly from the observation of few empirical examples (Allegra et al. 2013). Small cities, cities in the global South and less influential urban centres have also undergo changes and reassessments in such features as city size, economic specialization, migration, interactions through social, economic, communication and transport networks and control functions. Moreover, it is interesting to analyse if and how these cities have been affected by urban government restructuring, in the dialectic between national and urban powers, and what kind of transnational networks they are able to constitute and maintain. The aim of the session is to collect case studies from various cities in order to allow a comparative analysis of cities as geopolitical actors.
12-39 3- The Planning, Symbolism, and Legacy of Mega-events
Join Sessions:
- C12-14 Commission on Global Information Society
- C12-07 Commission on Cultural Approach in Geography
- C12-15 Commission on Tourism, Leisure, and Global Change
- C12-39 Urban Commission: Urban Challenges in a Complex World
- C12-30 Commission on the Mediterranean Basin
Organizers:
Mark Wilson, Michigan State University, wilsonmm@msu.edu
Eva Kassens-Noor, Michigan State University, ekn@msu.edu
Karsten Gäbler, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, karsten.gaebler@uni-jena.de
Dieter Müller, University of Umeå, dieter.muller@geography.umu.se
Maria Paradiso, University of Sannio, paradiso@unisannio.it
Petros Petsimeris, University of Paris 1, petros.petsimeris@wanadoo.fr
Benno Werlen, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, benno.werlen@uni-jena.de
Mega-events play a significant role as expressions of national identity, manifestations of global business, in the shaping of attitudes and values, and the remaking of urban space. These large scale events take many different forms, including sports (Olympics, World Cup, Asian Games), culture (World’s Fairs, Culture Capitals), and religion (the Hajj, Maha Kumbh Mela, World Youth Day). The global focus on one city or country for a specific event prompts use of the event for political, social, business, and urban redevelopment ends. The excitement, prestige, and glamour of the event brings together many interests that wish to use the event to achieve goals of profit, social change, urban development and city branding. Mega-events are often seen as ephemeral, yet the changes associated with them leave a legacy in ideas and places. The proposed sessions provide a wide range of geographic perspectives to a set of events that, on the surface, offer cities prestige and popularity, but also should demand rigorous analysis, accountability and critical evaluation.
3.1- Mega-event Planning and Organization: Urban Challenges and Responsibilities
Currently, there are more than 150 cities worldwide bidding or planning to host a mega-event. While a mega-event holds great promise as a vehicle for a wide range of host city developments, the organizers of such events also face the responsibility of using the event and public funds for constructive ends. This session invites papers that address the many planning and legacy issues associated with large-scale events, including urban redevelopment, transportation and logistics, and social justice in host cities. Comparative studies of past mega-events or case studies of mega-events and their impact on people and places are encouraged.
3.2- Mega-event Planning: Culture Capitals, Place and Identity
To date, fifty cities have served as European Capitals of Culture, with dozens of cities awarded or bidding to be a future host. Culture Capitals are a form of mega-event for their use of an ephemeral event to promote city identity and culture as well as serve as a vehicle for host city urban redevelopment and global positioning. This session will explore the character of culture and identity as expressed by cities and the Capitals of Culture phenomenon. How is culture defined and presented by cities? Does the Capitals of Culture program enhance or diminish the cultural assets of hosts? Also welcome will be evaluations of the impact and legacy of Culture capitals, and analysis of the planning and implementation of these events.
3.3- Mega-event Promotion, Tourism and Marketing
Mega-events are often seen as prestigious and positive investments for host cities to raise their visibility and to attract tourists, business and global recognition. With potential audiences of over a billion people, mega-events offer an international platform for cities to use for tourism and marketing. This session will explore ways that mega-events are advertised and marketed, and how they can be used to promote tourism for the event and in the future. Case studies of event related marketing and promotion will be welcome, as are case studies of the role played by tourism in the planning and legacy of mega-events.
Deadline for abstract January 27th 2014 igu2014.org.