|
Preliminary Information - Metropolis Inter Conference
"Divided Cities and Strategies for Undivided Cities"
Gothenburg City and the University of
Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothenburg City and the University of
Gothenburg are hosting a Metropolis Inter Conference in
Gothenburg - 25th and 26th May 1998. The topic of the conference
is "Divided Cities and Strategies for Undivided Cities"
The topics of the conference are urban
policy and the socio-economic consequences of mass housing in
Sweden and in Europe. The ongoing reformulation of policies in
the wake of changes in socio-economic conditions during the
1990’s has, in Sweden, produced an economically poor class
of semi-marginalized, partially excluded, unemployed people, who
live quite distinctively clustered in certain large, mainly
suburban, housing estates in the major cities (Stockholm,
Gothenburg and Malmoe). A substantial proportion of this
population is of foreign origin.
In early 1995 the Minister in charge of
ethnic integration issues, Mr. Leif Blomberg, declared that the
government intended to put extra money into a special assistance
programme for neighbourhood development - in Stockholm,
Gothenburg and Malmoe. The municipalities of these three cities
had to present comprehensive and coordinated plans of action.
Research teams from the Universities of Gothenburg, Lund and
Uppsala are following the various programmes and their effects on
neighbourhood development. Senior researchers, such as Dr. Roger
Andersson (human and economic geography), the University of
Uppsala, Dr. Soren Olsson (sociology), Gothenburg, Dr. Ingrid
Johansson (human and economic geography), the University of
Gothenburg, Dr. Per Broomé, Professor Rolf Olsson (both economic
history) and Dr. Gunnar Alsmark (etnology), all at the University
of Lund will be presenting papers which will also focus on the
processes and effects of neighbourhood development (re social
integration and labour markets).
Key note speakers at the proposed
conference include:
- Mr. Meyer Burstein, Executive Head of
the Metropolis Project, Citizenship and Immigration
Canada; He will discuss the agenda of the Metropolis
Project - an International Forum on Research and Policy;
- Dr. Anne Power, London School of
Economics and Political Science. In 1997. she published a
key study examining the social and political problems of
mass housing in Europe (Le Minguettes, France; Kölnberg,
Germany; Broadwater Farm Estate, UK; Taastrupsgaard,
Denmark; and Ballymun, Ireland) "Estates on the Edge
- the Social Consequences of Mass Housing in Northern
Europe".
- Dr. Ronald Kempen, Urban Research
Centre Utrecht, Faculty of Geographical Sciences. Dr.
Kempen is a senior researcher (geography) on urban policy
and neighbourhood effects. He is part of the COST
Research Programme studying the effects of globalization
on issues related to urban governance together with Roger
Andersson (human and economic geography) and Maurice
Blanc.
- Dr. Maurice Blanc, Lastes, Université
Nancy. Dr. Blanc is a senior researcher (political
science) examining urban policy and neighbourhood
effects.
- Professor Saskia Sassen, Columbia
University. Dr. Sassen’s research focusses on the
global economy and its effect on cities and on local
economies.
The conference programme will consist,
partly, of plenary sessions and workshops. As there will be a
limited participation (about 40 - 20 researchers and 20
policymakers), we are organising a "setting" where
every participant will have to be active, both policymakers and
researchers. This is the challenge of Metropolis and this is the
challenge of this Inter Conference event. The Gothenburg
Conference is being funded by the Swedish Government, Gothenburg
City and the University of Gothenburg. The University of
Gothenburg is hosting the conference. During the conference
Framtiden Housing Group (Municipal Housing Group) will bring us
to Hjallbo or Gardsten (two of the most segregated neighbourhoods
in Gothenburg and Sweden) where Framtiden has initiated
neighbourhood developments.
A conference report - in the
"traditional" Metropolis style - will be produced.
The Metropolis Inter Conference will be
followed up by several workshops at the University of Gothenburg
during the second half of 1998. We want to continue organizing
Metropolis Inter Conferences and the Gothenburg Team is planning
to also organize an Inter Conference event in 1999.
Contact:
Kristine Dosen
Gothenburg City
Gothenburg City Hall
S-404 82 Gothenburg
SWEDEN
tel + 46 31 61 20 06
fax + 46 31 774 02 63
email
kristine.dosen@stadshuset.goteborg.se
web site:
www.goteborg.se
|
