CFP: Conference in Greece on Collective ventures, solidarity economy and the urban space

[Michel Bauwens]

CHANGING CITIES’

Spatial, morphological, formal, & socio-economic dimensions

Skiathos, Greece, 18-21 June 2013

special session on

Collective ventures, solidarity economy and the urban space

 

Call for Papers

 

Concepts and practices related to social and solidarity economy, complementary currencies, time banks, consumers’ cooperatives, cooperatives of production and distribution, social management of water, social management of waste, crowdsourcing, microfinance, open source, commons and P2P production, manufacturing on small scale, community supported agriculture, social groceries, social medical centres, etc. show a remarkable expansion. While this kind of alternative collective ventures have appeared in some countries already some decades ago, in Greece there has been a rapid development of these ventures only in recent years. However, there has been a remarkable proliferation of them at global level, with considerable geographical diversity, on the advent of the new millennium.

Associated debates deal with the specific features of this kind of ventures and corresponding practices that emerged under the condition of a shrinking Keynesian welfare state and the transition to a post-fordist era. To some degree this debate is also associated with the emergence and institutionalization of New Social Movements. It is also acknowledged that the abovementioned ventures transform the geography of urban spaces in several ways.

 

Thus relevant research questions may regard different aspects such as: issues about the kind and grade of alterity of these ventures with respect to diverse practices in everyday life in the cities, the role of urban areas for the evolution of such ventures, the relation with sustainability issues, the transformation of social relations in the course of these ventures entailing the creation of new future visions for the cities, the role of citizenship, participation and democracy and the impact on planning issues, the “transition cities” debate, alternative approaches to urban development (e.g. post-development, de-growth), localization issues in the era of globalization, the impact of alternative ventures’ networking on urban space, the role of e-networking and ICT,  revisiting creativity and “smart cities” approaches under the focus of such alternative collective practices, the role of suburban areas with the mixture of land uses and any emerging contradictions with conventional agricultural practices.

 

The aim of the Special Session is to bring together researchers from across a wide spectrum of disciplines ­ geographers, spatial planners, political scientists, economists, sociologists, anthropologists, engineers, psychologists, philosophers, etc. ­ who are interested in collective ventures, solidarity economy and the urban space. This multi-disciplinary call for papers intends to highlight the inter-disciplinary approaches that these ventures need for a comprehensive and integrated interpretation. At the same time, it aspires to facilitate academic networking and be the sparkle for a debate on policy issues around alternative routes in the era of crisis.

 

Please send your title to the session organisers by 14 January 2013:

Giogos Gritzas, [e-mail]

(School of Spatial Planning & Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

 

Karolos Kavoulakos [e-mail]>

(School of Political Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

For more information on the conference please visit its website: http://www.changingcities.prd.uth.gr/