Regional Studies Association China Conference 2015

Regional Studies Association China Conference 2015

Harmonious Development, Common Prosperity and the Transformation of Cities and Regions

Hangzhou, China, 25–27 November 2015

The world in which we live is still riven by the effects of the economic crisis that started in 2007 and by a range of unresolved conflicts. The world has however started to change in many ways with in particular the economic rise and/or social progress in emerging economies. A new international architecture for political and economic cooperation is starting to take shape (not without disagreement and conflict in some cases). These trends are underpinned by trends in comparative global regional and urban development, and are themselves changing the context in which urban and regional development occurs, posing a set of challenges to which cities and regions must respond.

The rise of China is one of the main drivers of the reshaping of the world, although it faces challenges as it seeks to reform its model of development by promoting sustainable and more regionally balanced urbanization. The conference will take place in Hangzhou where the international Congress entitled Culture: Key to Sustainable Development was organised by UNESCO, with the support of China, on 15–17 May 2013. The aim of this conference is to consider the ways in which (1) cities and regions throughout the world are facing up to and can adapt to new challenges, (2) cities and regions can help create an architecture and construct relationships that can contribute to the development of a world that is more harmonious (people-to-people and people-to-nature) and capable of promoting common prosperity, and (3) the map of economic and social development is consequently changing.

More information is available on the Regional Studies Association's website at:

www.regionalstudies.org/conferences/conference/rsa-china-2015