Bringing together rural, urban and regional development challenges is an interesting, but difficult task. It becomes even more challenging in a part of the world where countries and even parts of them are separated by a huge body of water: the Pacific Ocean.
Many aspects play crucial roles, starting from historical experience, which for most countries is a colonial experience preparing the Pacific Islands for European powers and forming, and at times deforming rural and regional systems to the benefit of European powers. Starting in the early years of the 1960s colonialism has become history for many islands in the Pacific. Aspects of spatial marginality leading to economic and social marginalization still play an important role with challenges even bigger than before.
With the notion of climate change potential risks to human well-being and the virtual survival of whole island states have added challenges that in the meanwhile are discussed globally.
These challenges call for investigations on how human activities and global environmental changes affect human well-being, economic, social and cultural systems in island societies and beyond.
In this context, the rationale of the conference is to bring together scientists and stakeholders from various connecting fields to address multiple impacts of various challenges to societies and to contributing to discussing and drafting practical solutions in form of mitigation and adaptation strategies in local and regional planning and development policies anywhere on the globe.
The conference will be held from June 25 – 28, 2019
The following topics have been suggested so far.
- Uneven development – Spatial and socio-economic inequalities
- Competitiveness and cohesion in urban and rural areas
- Local and regional vulnerabilities to climate change under the current socio-economic context – resilient cities and rural communities
- Role of multi-actor and multi-level governance in sustainable planning and development
- Survival strategies of peripheral communities
- Local and regional economic and social entrepreneurship
- Rural-urban changing relationships
