Events, conferences & seminars
on urban and suburban society
Edited by Guy Kervella

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City Mayors’ society events pages list and review conferences, conventions and seminars on urban and suburban society including minorities, poverty, homelessness and crime.

EVENTS ON THIS PAGE
September 2008
Cities of Opportunity
‘The urban promise of upward mobility’
(An EUKN International Conference)
Event: Europe is a city. Some 75 per cent of Europeans live in urban areas. They are responsible for over 80 per cent of all economic activity. Prosperous cities‚ equals a prospering Europe. At the same time, opportunity and prosperity are not equally distributed within the city. Every European urban area contains neighbourhoods, districts, streets that are more or less deprived. Deprived urban areas are often viewed as being problematic and harmful within the urban fabric.
From a more positive point of view, deprived urban areas hold an enormous potential for socio-economic development. The challenge is to harness the potential of deprived urban areas and their inhabitants and offer them opportunities to access the wider society.
The 2008 edition of the European Urban Knowledge Network’s (EUKN) international conference will change the perception of deprived urban areas as an accumulation of problems to a view that is more in line with the actual situation in our cities. The conference will focus on how to harness the potential and energy present in deprived urban areas and on exploring ways in which these areas and their inhabitants can play their part in the creation of comprehensive, well-balanced and vital cities.
Speakers include:
• Patrick Le Galès, Research Director at CNRS and at Sciences Po
• Ella Vogelaar, Minister for Housing, Communities and Integration
• Opstelten, Mayor of Rotterdam
• Dominic Schrijer, Vice-Mayor of Rotterdam
The social programme includes a boat tour on the River Maas and a panoramic conference dinner wioth a view of the Rotterdam skyline.
‘Cities of opportunity ˆ the urban promise of upward mobility’ is organised by the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) in co=operation with the City of Rotterdam, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and Nicis Institute. EUKN is a decentralised knowledge network with National Focal Points (NFPs) in 16 EU Member States. Nicis Institute hosts the EUKN Secretariat.
Cost: €200 for two conference days
Early Bird (before 15 July): €150 for two conference days
Date: 22-23 September 2008
Location: City Hall - Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Organiser: European Urban Knowledge Network
Contact: Bart Nijhof
Telephone: +31 70 344 0513
Email: bart.nijhof@nicis.nl
Internet: click

October 2008
Ethnically Diverse City
The Event: European Cities will continue to be the destinations of seeking migrants from all over the world for refuge, education and work. In some cities, they are concentrating and developing their own life-world (“Lebenswelt”), in others they are integrated in the host society at a faster pace. Three major issues will be discussed: (1) Ethnic diversity and the requirement for urban policies (2) Integration of different ethnic groups in the local economy and society, and (3) Innovative strategies for mutual benefit with ethnic diverse neighborhoods.
Date: 30 October – 1 November 2008
Location: Weimar, Germany
Organisers: Future
Internet: http://www.urban-future.net/
Contact: future@uni-weimar.de

November 2008
Coastal Cities Summit: Values & Vulnerabilities
Event: The International Ocean Institute-USA and the city of St. Petersburg, FL, USA, are hosting a Coastal Cities Summit on 17 to 20 November 2008 to address the complex challenges that coastal city leaders face as populations increase, resources are depleted, and the impacts of climate change are felt. The Coastal Cities Summit intends to bring together coastal city leaders, managers and academicss to discuss environmental, social, economic, and public policy challenges and viable solutions. The 3-day conference will focus on three themes: Climate Change, Risk and Vulnerability as well as Sustainable Development. All sessions are intended to give a long-needed voice to those who are on the front lines taking leadership on climate change, providing implementation and response plans and continuing to focus on protecting citizens from possible extreme events and human-induced degradation.
Date: 17-20 November 2008
Location: St. Petersburg, FL, USA
Organiser: International Ocean Institute - USA
Contact: Mara Hendrix
Telephone: +1-727-873-4745
Email: mara@ioiusa.usf.edu
Internet: www.coastalcities.org