LAS Conference 2009

Jan. 28-30, 2009

University of Florida Campus

Gainesville, FL

Welcome

CALL FOR PAPERS - Abstract Deadline: September 1, 2008
 
The Urban Divide in Latin America:
Challenges and Strategies for Social Inclusion
 
University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies 58th Annual Conference
 
 
January 29 - 30, 2009
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, USA
 

Latin America has the largest percentage of urban population of any world region in addition to the most unequal distribution of income. This inequality is most apparent in cities, where the richest and the poorest live in close proximity, and social inequality becomes tangible and flagrantly evident in spatial terms. How can urbanists affect policies that foster social inclusion?

This multidisciplinary conference aims to gather scholars and professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life in urban Latin America. This forum will provide participants an opportunity to share their research and experiences, and to engage in dialogue to generate ideas and identify solutions to advance social inclusion in Latin American cities.  
 
The conference is co-hosted by the UF Center for Latin American Studies and the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning. Joseli Macedo, UF Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning will chair the conference; Martha Kohen, UF Professor of Architecture, will co-chair.
 
We seek contributions on a wide range of urban research reflecting the rich variety of work undertaken in the field. Topics include, but are not limited to:
  • social and spatial equity in historical perspective
  • informal economies
  • access to employment and services
  • strategies for equitable growth
  • human capital investment and capacity building
  • crime and violence
  • epidemics and the health system
  • emergency management and disaster planning
  • supportive urban systems (infrastructure, transportation)
  • political representation and community activism
  • environmental quality and conservation in urban areas
  • urban greening
  • sustainable development practices
  • professional practice
 
Some possible questions that could be addressed at the conference include:
  • How can planners, policy makers and scholars work towards mitigating the urban divide caused by exclusion and inequality? What is the role of planning in the face of social exclusion? 
  • Are social inclusion issues best addressed at the neighborhood, local, provincial/state, and/or federal level?
  • Are social inclusion efforts more effectively made inside or outside formal planning processes?
  • What has been the role of social movements and NGOs in successful efforts?
  • What are the links between social exclusion of the poor and quality of life issues for the growing urban middle class?
  • How does one generate cross-class alliances for social change?
 
The conference will include keynote plenary sessions and paper presentations organized in panels. Invited keynote presenters include:
  •  Alan Gilbert, University College London, Department of Geography
  • Jaime Lerner, former Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil
  • Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, Department of Sociology
 
Abstracts are welcome from researchers at any stage of their careers, as well as planning practitioners and others dedicated to studying Latin American cities.
 
Submit a 150-word abstract at: http://www.conferences.dce.ufl.edu/LAS/   
Abstracts should be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese as Microsoft Word documents and should include the author’s name, e-mail address, institutional affiliation, and title of the presentation.
 
Abstract Deadline: September 1, 2008
 
Authors will be notified by September 15th if their paper has been selected for presentation at the conference. Those interested in having their papers considered for publication in a conference volume or journal issue should submit their completed papers by January 8, 2009.
 
For more information about the UF Center for Latin American Studies, visit:
 
For more information about the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning, visit: www.dcp.ufl.edu
 
Contact Patricia Sampaio, LAS Program Coordinator, with questions about the conference at psampaio@latam.ufl.edu
 
 
 

 

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Registration & Logistics:
Tamara Johnson
tel: (352) 392-1701 x239
fax: (352) 392-5437
Meeting Content:
Joseli Macedo