[URBANTH-L] CFP: 2nd International Social Geography Workshop (Gdansk, Poland)

[Angela Jancius]

CFP: 2nd International Social Geography Workshop

ENHANCING URBAN GOVERNANCE

Gdansk - Gdynia - Sopot, Poland
22 -24 September 2005

The urban governance is one of the most important factors influencing local,
regional and often national development. Decisions taken on local level meet
many residents' needs and desires and directly influence broad spectrum of
social, economic and cultural aspects of everyday life. The process of urban
governance involves numerous actors of the local stage. Sometimes they are
acting individually, sometimes they create coalitions, and sometimes they
build a strong urban regime. The workshop is planned to provide a forum for
discussing the multifold problems of urban management and governance that
shape a contemporary European city. The workshop's aim is also to integrate
the researchers with local and regional policy makers and entrepreneurs, to
promote and disseminate the study results, and to support decision-making
processes for the sustainable development solutions.

The workshop is planned in the form of both field and seminar meetings. They
will present different urban policies of three local municipalities of
Gdansk agglomeration in relation to the theoretical explorations and other
European practices. The cases of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot will illustrate
the methods and results of different concepts of urban development, while a
range of examples from Europe will begin open debate over the urban policy

Themes:
The seminar will be opened by presentation of the case of Gdynia. Gdynia,
with its entrepreneurial milieu and society is a very good example of a
post-industrial and post-socialist city. Therefore the opening session held
in this city will mainly be the invitation to discussion concentrated on
those aspects of local policy

The second session, held in Sopot, will concentrate on the policy of
developing the town as a spa and resort within the metropolitan region. The
unique location of Sopot, in the centre of the agglomeration, together with
the natural and cultural assets, implies the tourism and recreation
orientated policy of the urban government.

Highly industrialised in the communist time Gdansk, faces the process of the
industrial decline, which affect even such celebrated places as Gdansk
Shipyard. The post-industrial landscape of the city, its historical and
cultural heritage influences the systematic process of revitalisation and
regeneration.

Gdansk, as the economic and administrative centre of the Pomeranian Region,
plays the leading role in the city-region policy. The Region's authorities
are facing an complicated problem of turning the individually oriented
policy of particular cities into the coherent, unified metropolitan region
governance.

The sessions held in Gdansk will create the frames for presenting and
discussing the problems of the industrial change, as well as metropolitan
region management.
The closing session will help to conclude the discussed issues as well as
connect the different international practices and experiences with
theoretical concepts.

Proposed working schedule:
Thursday, September 22nd Working session 1 GdyniaNew actors on urban stage
of post-socialist and post-industrial city

Working session 2 Sopot Leisure industry and cultural economy in urban
policy
Friday, September 23rd Working session 3 GdanskDeindustrialisation,
revitalisation, and cultural landscape

Working session 4 GdanskCity-region and metropolitan planning
Saturday, September 24th Seminar session 5 GdyniaTools and practices of
urban management

Costs:
The full workshop charge is 300 PLN and 100 PLN for students, and includes
the workshop documentation, three lunches, evening meal, tea/coffee breaks.
Payment will be due by August 1st 2005. The payment can also be made in cash
within Poland during the workshop.

Organisation:
The workshop will be held at the Gdynia campus of the University of Gdansk.
The working sessions will be organised in various outdoor and indoor sites
of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot, in cooperation with local municipalities and
firms.

The application forms should be sent by May 15th 2005. Detailed information
on the workshop and applications are available on the RECOURSE web page
(http://recourse.univ.gda.pl),

For more information contact:
Department of Economic Geography
office (Stach Rzyski phone +48 58/ 6601670, e-mail: recourse at univ.gda.pl,)
or at Mariusz Czepczynski (phone +48 58/ 6601675,  e-mail:
geomc at univ.gda.pl).

Dr hab. Iwona Sagan
Dr Mariusz Czepczynski

Application forms should be sent by the  May 15th  2005 to Mariusz
Czepczynski, Uniwersytet Gdanski, Katedra Geografii Ekonomicznej, Al.
Pilsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, fax: +48/ 58, 6601670 or e-mail:
geomc at univ.gda.pl