CFP: 'Proximity in a Changing World'

2020 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting
Denver, USA
6-10 April 2020

Proximity in a Changing World: A Relational Perspective on Spatial Development

Organizers:
Alain Thierstein, Technical University of Munich
Anna Growe, Heidelberg University
Stefan Lüthi, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

The concept of proximity – relational, geographical, institutional, organisational, cognitive and social – links two basic theoretical approaches: agglomeration and network economies. In recent years we observe a fruitful match between these theoretical concepts aiming to describe and explain regional development. This discussion diversified across various disciplines such as geography, economics, sociology or spatial development. Therewith, we observe a multitude of applications of the concept of proximity making it a very versatile approach. However, longitudinal analyses of proximity are rather rare.

So far, we can conclude that any form of proximity serves as a resource that can be exploited to create knowledge and innovations. Thus, regions, firms and people aim to establish relations with others in order to create proximity. The ongoing transformation of the global economy and the occurrence of fundamental exogenous shocks may alternate the relations between regions, firms and people. We assume that proximity remains a key driver for creating knowledge but spatial patterns of relations change bringing new actors and new centres to the fore. This conference aims to understand and discuss the concept of proximity within the changing global economy. We therefore invite papers that deal with dynamic approaches and longitudinal analyses of proximity and revolve around the following topics:

• proximity and multi-scalar approaches
• the importance of temporary spatial proximity for business operations the interrelationship between physical forms of exchange such as goods or people and non-physical forms such as telecommunication
• the relationship between spatial proximity and the physical location of exchange processes
• the interplay between geographical proximity and new technologies of information and telecommunication
• the effects of exogenous shocks such as the financial crisis from 2008 or changing maps of trade barriers
• the effects of changing perceptions of means to create proximity (e.g. the problematization of air travel in the context of climate change) and its consequences for creating proximity in economic processes
• methodological approaches to combine different forms of proximity new approaches of data collection, in particular relational data

Submitting papers

This conference aims to bring together scholars from the fields of regional science, relational geography, network analysis, spatial development and spatial planning. Both conceptual and empirical papers are welcome, and we look forward to receiving proposals that make use of a variety of data sources, scales of analysis and methodological backgrounds. We plan to develop a book from the contributions of the Special Session. Cambridge Scholars Publishing has already indicated interest. Those with interest in joining the session should send an abstract (200-250 words) to Stefan Lüthi (stefan.luethi@hslu.ch) by October 30, 2019 (the deadline for AAG abstract submission). We will review the papers and finalize the session(s) by early November in time for AAG’s paper session organization deadline at the end of November.