Summer 1999

WESTERN REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER

Summer 1999

Begin the new millennium of regional science in Paradise…

Persons wishing to present papers at the conference should send three hard copies to Executive Secretary Plane at the Association’s address. Papers on any regional science topic are welcome. Potential topics include: Resource Utilization; Impact Analysis; Regional Modeling; Location of Economic Activity; Housing; Regional & Urban Planning; Environmental Quality; Regional Development; Migration and Demographic Analysis; Transportation; Locational Criteria for Public Services & Facilities; Tourism & Recreation; Local Public Finance; Energy Issues; Regional Science Epistemology & Pedagogy.

All submissions are screened by the Program Committee, and formal invitations will be issued following the traditional review process. As was the case with our previous Hawaiian programs we expect a very large turnout, and all available meeting space to hold sessions may fill; be sure to get your paper in by October 15. When you submit your paper this year please be sure to include your e-mail address as well as those for any coauthors who also plan to participate. Please be explicit about who plans to come! This year we plan to disseminate information to conference participants electronically.

All conference information may be found on WRSA’s extensive web site found at: http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa. The Preliminary Program of the Annual Meetingwill be posted there by mid-December and updated frequently up until the time of the conference.

Please note that the conference schedule will be a little different than in previous years. Here’s an overview of the Meeting dates to facilitate your planning:

Saturday, February 26: Arrivals via Lihue Airport;
Registration begins (early evening);

Sunday, February 27: Regular paper sessions begin;
WRSA Board Meeting; Opening Plenary session with
President’s address, prize presentations; Reception;

Monday, February 28: Paper sessions (all-day);

Tuesday, February 29: Paper sessions (all-day);
Banquet Dinner at the Luau Grounds;

Wednesday, March 1: Paper sessions (all-day);
Close of conference.

The Island of Kauai is called the “Garden Island” because of its lush, tropical vegetation. The spot with the world’s highest annual recorded rainfall is found at a remote central portion of the island. The singular scenery of the island has been featured in many movies (ask Lay Gibson for a rundown of which ones!). The rugged Na Pali Coast offers great hiking and the “Grand Canyon of Hawaii,” Waimea Canyon, is a nice day excursion from our hotel. Opportunities abound for snorkeling, golf, tennis, and exploring old Hawaiian villages. Kauai is less touristy than other “neighbor” islands, yet boasts several world-class dining options.

Because our February Meeting dates are in the midst of the busy winter visitor season we urge you to book your air travel, make your hotel reservation, and reserve your rental car as early as possible to avoid disappointment. See articles elsewhere in this Newsletter regarding hotel reservations, special discounted air fares for conference participants on United Airlines, and special conference rates on Alamo rental cars. Aloha.

WRSA’s 38^th Annual Meeting in Ojai

The 38^th Annual Meeting of the Western Regional Science Association was held February 21-24 in lovely Ojai, California, at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa.

The 185 participants enjoyed four action-packed days of good scholarship, social activities, and Southern California sunshine. The Final Program featured 32 invited paper sessions, three special panel sessions, and a workshop. Incoming WRSA President Arthur L. Getis presented his Presidential Address “WRSA: A Spatial Association” at the Annual Banquet Luncheon, which also featured the presentations of the 13^th Charles M. Tiebout Prize and the 4^th Springer-Verlag Prize (see articles elsewhere in this issue of the WRSA Newsletter.)

Once again participants came from far and wide. The Final Program listed scholars from 17 countries. In approximate order of number of participants they were:

USA, Canada, France, Korea, England, The Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Spain, Japan, Israel, Mexico and Brazil. US participants came from 29 states. The facilities and service at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa were superb. We look forward to returning to this idyllic setting for another conference in the not too distant future!

Kauai Annual Meeting to Complete WRSA’s (1^st) Grand Tour of the Hawaiian Islands

Our 39^th Annual Meeting will mark a milestone: WRSA will have held its major conference on each of the five main Hawaiian Islands! We met on Oahu in 1983 at the Prince Kuhio Hotel in Honolulu. The Big Island was the site for both the 1986 conference at the Kona Surf Hotel and our most recent trip to the Islands for the 36^th Annual Meeting in 1997 at the Royal Waikoloan Resort. Molokai’s Kaluokoi Hotel was our 1990 site. In 1993 we were originally scheduled to meet on Kauai, however Hurricane Iniki devastated the island in October of 1992, causing a change of venues: to Maui and the InterContinental Hotel. Although the island of Kauai is now fully recovered, the tourist industry was slower to return. Next year’s conference hotel, which sustained very heavy damage back in ’92, was only fully renovated and reopened last year.

Kauai Tennis Plans

The Annual WRSA Tennis Roundrobin Social will be held on Saturday afternoon, February 26. Players of all levels will be mixed together in doubles play, and the winner will be that person who ends up with the most games won. If interested in playing, please contact Andrei Rogers. His e-mail is: andrei.rogers@colorado.edu.

WRSA Turnbull Cup Golf Tournament

The annual golf tournament will be held on Saturday, February 26. All interested are asked to contact Jack Sommer as soon as possible. Jack’s e-mail is: djsom@gateway.net.

Special Issue of Geographical and Environmental Modelling on Local Modelling

The six papers in this special issue edited by A. Stewart Fotheringham emanate from a conference on ‘Local Modelling with Spatial Data’ in 1997. The theme refers to techniques for analyzing spatial data sets in which the emphasis is on measuring local relationships, which might vary over space, rather than on the identification of ‘global’ relationships. The papers are primarily exploratory in nature and the collection of them in one issue provides a useful means of comparing the performance of different techniques in highlighting facts of the data which might otherwise remain obscured. This comparison is made easier by the fact that all six papers use the same spatial data set.

Orders for the Special Issue can be placed at www.carfax.co.uk/order.htm.

4^th Springer Verlag Prize Awarded

On February 23 at the WRSA’s 38^th Annual Meeting the 4^th Annual Springer-Verlag prize, emblematic of the best paper presented at the conference as determined by the Editors of The Annals of Regional Science, was presented to Stuart H. Sweeney, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Edward J. Feser, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Their paper was titled: “Out-migration, Depopulation, and Regional Economic Distress.” The prize was presented by Annals Coeditor, T. John Kim, of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Honorary Mention: Ming S. Lee, University of California, Irvine; David Levinson, University of California, Berkeley; and Heonsoo Park and Kyuyoung Cho, Anyang University, Korea.

“WRSA: A Spatial Association”by Art Getis (From his Presidential Address presented February 23, 1999 at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa)
If regional science our loyalties are,
Then math and stat are our golfing par
For the sage expression of our thoughts,
Each year at these delightful resorts.

Now let us begin with Y,
It represents each matrix realization
Of an interactive non-spatial association.

A spaceless Y is standard fare
In nearly every college lair.

In regional science it is our due
To multiply Y by W.

This matrix “weight” simply called
Has spatial character we are told.

It represents regions’ separation between us
Whether measured discrete or even continuous.

With Y and W fastened and firm
We use autoregressive as the term.

And so it is to this remarkable relation
That we owe our everlasting association.

We have an interactiive assemblage spatial
That sparks our minds inspirational.

Whether in Monterey, Tucson, Ojai, or Maui
We express regional scientific interests yearly.

While simple or complex distance is our wont,
USA West, Europe, and Pacific are our font
Of this international cooperative way,
That is the Western RSA.

And so I close this luncheon speech
With the word ‘spatial’ as our reach.

That we must continue its validation
Of studies aimed in a regional direction.

And thus I convey to all of you
At this lovely Ojai Inn venue.

That space is central to our success
Do not flag or accept recess.

Be active in WRSA
And fame and fortune may come your way.

Book your flights early!

Special Airfare Deal Arranged for Meeting Participants

United Airlines has been designated as the official airline of our 39^th Annual Meeting. United is pleased to offer participants special discounted fares. You can save 5% off of any published United fare to Lihue, Kauai from the U.S. Mainland! Alternatively you may receive 10% (or 15%, depending on when you book) off regular, unrestricted coach fares.

United now offers a daily nonstop from Los Angeles (LAX) to Kauai (LIH). Or you can travel from several mainland cities to Honolulu and then on to Lihue using United’s co-shared inter-island flights on Aloha Airlines.

You may book your flight yourself, with your own travel agent, or by using WRSA’s Official 2000 travel agency: BON VOYAGE TRAVEL in Tucson. Ms. Clarissa Taiafi of Bon Voyage would be delighted to book your special fare air travel. You can phone her at 1-520-795-8991. Or e-mail her at ctaiafi@bvtravel.com and she will get immediately back in touch with you regarding your scheduling needs. Clarissa will also be happy to reserve your Alamo rental car at our special reduced conference rates (see article below).

If you wish to contact United directly, or have your own travel agent do so, the phone number to call is 1-800-521-4041. Be sure to give the correct Meeting ID Code: 574GN. Our special conference airfares are valid for travel between 2/23/00 and 3/5/00. Book early to ensure availability of the flights you want.

Great Conference Rates on Alamo Rental Cars!

Alamo Rent A Car has been chosen as the official car rental company for WRSA’s 39^th Annual Meeting. Alamo has the largest volume of rentals on Kauai and runs a very efficient operation at Lihue Airport. We strongly suggest that you consider renting a car to maximize enjoyment of your stay on Kauai. Our conference hotel in Poipu is approximately 16 miles from the island’s airport in Lihue.

Alamo is offering extremely attractive special conference rates on all sizes of vehicles.

To reserve your rental car you may use WRSA’s Official 2000 travel agency, Bon Voyage Travel in Tucson, or book your car through your own agent or directly with Alamo. Our Bon Voyage contact is Ms. Clarissa Taiafi. You may phone her at 1-520-795-8991 or e-mail her at: ctaiafi@bvtravel.com and she will get immediately back in touch with you regarding your needs.

If you wish to contact Alamo directly or have your own travel agent do so, from the U.S. call 1-800-732-3232 and request Group I.D. Number 69420, Rate Code: GR. International attendees may fax their reservations directly to Alamo at 1-561-912-2601.

Make your room reservations early…

The Sheraton Kauai Resort, set amidst 20 acres of lush oceanfront gardens, has been the anchor resort property at Poipu for nearly 30 years. A $40 million construction and renovation project, completed in late 1997, has created a new Sheraton Kauai with the majority of the resort’s facilities brand new and blending with its premier beachfront location. The 413 air-conditioned rooms offer a choice of views from tropical gardens and koi-filled ponds to the palm fringed, white-sand beach and the Pacific horizon with golden sunsets.

With no building taller than a mature coconut tree and the plethora of tropical foliage providing a never-ending play of color, light, fragrance and sense of seclusion, the resort is an island in itself. The full complement of guest services and facilities include two swimming pools, massage and fitness center, tennis courts, a children’s center, a host of beach activities plus equipment rental and instruction, a choice of nearby championship golf courses, and shops both in the hotel and nearby Poipu Shopping Village.

As usual, we have negotiated excellent conference rates! You may choose from among three types of rooms included in our conference block at the resort: Garden rooms at $125 per night (plus tax), Lagoon rooms at $165 (plus tax), or Ocean rooms at $205 (plus tax). (Regular 1999 “rack” room rates were $265, $320, and $392, respectively!)

All rates are based on either single or double occupancy. Amenities in all accommodations include private Lanai, coffee & coffee maker, mini-refrigerator, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, complimentary safe, yukatas (robes), color TV with cable channels, in-room movies, Sony Playstation, and video checkout.

Reservations may be made by calling the hotel reservations department toll-free at 888-847-0208 or by calling Sheraton’s Central Reservation Office at 1-800-STAY ITT (1-800-782-9488). International participants may phone the hotel directly at 1-808-742-1661 or fax in a request to: 808-742-9777. From Australia toll-free phone reservations may be made by calling 1-80007-3535; New Zealand Freefone: 0800-443535.

In order to receive our special conference rates be sure to reference our rate plan ID: “WRSA” when you make your reservations! Reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card or a one-night room deposit within ten days of making the reservation. Currently applicable taxes to hotel rooms include the 4.16% State of Hawaii Excise Tax and the 7.25% Transient Accommodations (Room) Tax.

Cancellations may be made 72 hours prior to arrival with no penalty. Cancellations made after this time period or guest “no shows” will be assessed a penalty of the first night’s room charge. Our special group rates are applicable throughout the entire time period from February 22 through March 8, 2000, subject to room availability.

Under Sheraton’s “Family Plan” there is no charge for children under 18 when occupying the same room as an adult when no additional bed is needed. The third (adult) person charge is currently $40 (subject to change).

The cutoff date to book reservations in our room block is January 20, 2000. After that date all remaining rooms will be released to sale to the general public. Any requests for additional rooms after January 20 are subject to availability and first night prepayment.

We are expecting a large turnout for the conference and our entire room block and the resort may in fact fill before the January 20 cutoff date specified in our contract. Therefore we urge you to make your reservations as early as possible! Mahalo.

Ojai Merlot Wine Tasting

On Tuesday, February 23 WRSA Sommelier (and Past President) Antoine Bailly organized a Merlot tasting which featured wines from all over the world. In all, 20 Merlots were offered. Wine tasters were divided into four groups; each group tasted five bottles. Tasters were asked to rank wines on a scale of 1 (best) to 5. They were also asked to offer comments and to identify the countries or states of origin. Based on the first-round results, an international jury selected the best wines and tasters. The international jury included Bailly, Jean and Juliette Paelinck, Denis Maillat, and Chantal Pittier. The stage was now set for a taste-off!

The taste-off produced some interesting and often surprising results. The best Merlot was a Les Moulines from Languedoc, France. It comes from a new quality vineyard in Southern France. It is a good quality wine that is reasonable priced. The next four, in order, came from Australia, France, Chile, and Washington State.

Who are the best tasters? Fortunately, the jury took itself out of the running! Finalists were recovering regional scientists Jack Osman (San Francisco State), Bob Monahan (Western Washington), and Lay Gibson (Arizona). But the best of the bunch by a wide margin was Rachel Martin (Arizona). Congratulations Rachel!

Quigley becomes President-Elect, Moscove Vice President; Holland and Stimson Join Board

At its annual meeting in Ojai, the WRSA Board confirmed the succession of 1998-99 Vice President, John Quigley of the University of California, Berkeley, to become the Association’s President-Elect for 1999-2000. Former President-Elect Arthur Getis began his Presidential term at the conference. Outgoing President Lay James Gibson of the University of Arizona will serve as Immediate Past President for 1999-2000. Long-time Board member Brenda Moscove, California State University at Bakersfield was selected as incoming Vice President. And the Board voted to add Robert Stimson of the University of Queensland, Australia, and David Holland, Washington State University, as new Board members.

Leven is newest WRSA Fellow

Charlie Leven, Washington University of St. Louis, and one of the founding members of the Association, was elected as WRSA’s 5^th Fellow, joining Martin Beckmann, Michael Mischaikow, Robert Monahan, and Lay Gibson. Fellows are appointed in recognition of their long-time dedication to WRSA and regional science.

Tiebout Prize Increased to $1K for Y2K; Kockelman wins 13^th Competition

At the recently concluded 38th Annual Meeting in Ojai, California, the Board of Directors of the Western Regional Science Association voted to increase the amount of the Charles M. Tiebout Prize to $1,000, effective with the 14th Annual Competition, to be held in 1999-2000. The Tiebout Prize is awarded annually to the best paper submitted for presentation at the WRSA conference by a graduate student, as judged by a Reading Committee of four WRSA past presidents. The winning paper will be presented at the WRSA’s 39th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Kauai Resort, February 26 – March 1, 2000 (see article elsewhere in this issue of the WRSA Newsletter).

The 13th Competition for the Tiebout Prize was won by Kara M. Kockelman, for her paper: “A Utility-Theory-Consistent System-of-Demand Equations Approach to Household Travel Choice.” Kockelman completed her doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and is now in her first year on the faculty of the University of Texas, Austin.

The WRSA web site (http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa) has full entry information for the 14th Tiebout Prize Competition. Faculty are asked to encourage their graduate students to enter. The submission deadline (papers must reach the Association’s office in Tucson) is October 15, 1999.

WRSA President-Elect John Quigley Holds First Terner Professorship

Chancellor Robert Berdahl announced the appointment of John M. Quigley as the first holder of the I. Donald Terner Distinguished Professorship approved by the Regents of the University of California at their March 1999 meeting. The professorship honors the memory of Don Terner, a pioneer and innovator in the provision of housing affordable to American families. Terner was also a former member of the Berkeley faculty.

A leading authority on housing and urban policy, Quigley was appointed to the Berkeley faculty in 1979 and holds appointments in the Department of Economics, the Goldman School of Public Policy and the Haas School of Business. He served as Chair of the Department of Economics from 1992-1995 and as Chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate in 1996-1997. He is the author of a dozen books; he consults often with government about public programs, and he testifies frequently on issues related to housing and urban development.

The Distinguished Professorship was established by many of Don Terner’s friends and associates to honor his leadership in developing housing for low and moderate income households. Currently the endowment for the professorship is just under two million dollars, and the fundraising goal is a three million dollar endowed chair. “We’re grateful to Don Terner’s many friends, associates, and admirers for providing this opportunity to Berkeley,” remarked the Chancellor, “and we’re fortunate to have John Quigley, an internationally recognized scholar and leader to serve as the first chairholder.”

“Housing is an important sector of the macro economy, and investment in housing contributes greatly to economic growth and stability,” notes Quigley. “Housing is also the largest component of household expenditures, and housing policy affects savings behavior and the well being of consumers. Most importantly, housing and urban policies shape our cities and affect the quality of life for all Americans.”

Part of the proceeds from the Terner Distinguished Professorship will support Berkeley’s Program on Housing and Urban Policy directed by Quigley. The program supports economic research and teaching throughout the campus on urban development and policy. The program will also support internships for professional students in urban development, broadly defined, and will encourage closer links between the university and the community of urban professionals. “The program made possible by this generous endowment is a great opportunity,” observes Quigley, “and it is a fitting tribute to Don Terner and his impact on the academy and especially on Berkeley.”

Mexican Regional Science

Mexican regional scientists gathered in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico during the period 12-14 May 1999 for their annual conference. Even though the venue was far from the core region of Mexico City, the program was solid, attendance was strong, and the hospitality was warm. The theme of the 5^th Encuentro Nacional Sobre Desarrollo Regional en Mexico was Fronteras y Dinámicas Del Desarrollo Regional. As usual the dynamic leadership of President Salvador Rodriguez y Rodriguez and his team produced an excellent meeting. Unfortunately, well known Mexican regional scientist and AMECIDE Vice President Alfonso Corona could not attend this meeting but several other well known colleagues such as Honorary AMECIDER President José Luis Cenceña and Vice President Jorge R. Serrano and Jorge Bustamante did play a major role in the Hermasillo sessions.

Non-Mexican WRSA-member participants included Hirotado Kohno, RSAI President, Yoshiro Higano, PRSCO Executive Secretary, and Lay Gibson, Past President of RSAI and PRSCO and 1998-99 President, WRSA. Kohno made a presentation at the Ceremonia de Inauguracion on behalf of RSAI and Gibson was invited to speak as both President of WRSA and as a long-time friend of Mexican regional science.

Although this was the 5^th meeting of AMECIDER, regional science has been around since the late 1970’s. As noted by Gibson in his address, Mexican regional science was born some 20 years ago. The emphasis was on Mexico-U.S. economic relations and on the initial development of scholarly networks. Mexican regional science has now grown and matured.

The Hermasillo meeting features 215 presentations. There were over 200 participants; this number does not include an estimated 100 student participants. Participants come from the Federal District (Mexico City) and from 27 of 31 states. The meeting was truly a national affair.

Next year’s conference will be held in conjunction with a PRSCO Institute. The meeting will be held in Mexico City; the dates are June 14-16, 2000. For details see the Call for Papers in the Regional Science Meeting Calendar of this Newsletter.

… for lots more information on Kauai and our upcoming 39th Annual Meeting!
WRSA Board and Officers

Health Care and Regional Science

Two recent conferences in Switzerland focused in different ways on health care issues and both featured regional science as a preferred way of better understanding the issues.

The Table Ronde de Médicométrie 1999 was held in Les Diablerets, Switzerland January 15-16, 1999. The day prior the University of Geneva and the Geneva-based pharmaceutical giant Sanofi hosted a major forum in Les Diablerets. The 165 attendees at the forum included physicians, academic researchers, health care planners and others from the private and public sectors with an interest in health care delivery. As usual the overall administration was under the direction of Bailly and Dr. Michel Periat, Medicin Chief, Porrentruy Hospital, Switzerland. Besides Past President Bailly and Michel Periat, WRSA was represented by Jean Paelinck, Bud Weinstein, and Lay Gibson.

Winners of the Charles M. Tiebout Prize
13th Competition 1999; Kara Kockelman
University of Texas, Austin, “A Utility-Theory-Consistent System-of-Demand Equations Approach to Household Travel Choice.”

12th Competition 1998; Alexander C. Vias
University of Arizona, “An Analysis of Population and Employment Growth in the Rocky Mountain West, 1970-95.”

11th Competition 1997; Seong Woo Lee and Woo Suk Zhee
University of Southern California, “Independent and Linked Migration: Individual Returns of Employment Opportunity and Household Returns of Poverty to African-American Inter-State Migration in 1975-78 and 1985-88.”

10th Competition 1996; Steven P. Raphael
University of California, Berkeley, “The Spatial Mismatch Hypothesis of Black Youth Unemployment: Evidence from the San Francisco Bay Area.”

9th Competition 1995; David M. Levinson
University of California, Berkeley, “Location, Relocation, and the Journey-to-Work.”

8th Competition, 1994; Ricardo Gazel
University of Illinois, “Measuring Regional Economic Effects of International Trade: A Pledge for Better Policy.”

7th Competition, 1993; (cowinners) Hsin-Ping Chen
University of California, Irvine, “The Simulation of the Proposed Nonlinear Dynamic Urban Growth Model” and Alastair McFarlane
University of Michigan, “Taxing Developers.”

6th Competition, 1992; Henry Buist
University of Pennsylvania, “Firm Relocation, Suburbanization, and Central City Problems.”

5th Competition, 1991; Katherine M. O’Regan
University of California, Berkeley, “The Spatial Concentrations of Household by Race and Income Level: Labor Market Outcomes, Social Networks, and the Economics of Information.”

4th Competition, 1990; T. Wong,
University of Manitoba, “Theories of Development and the Experience of Taiwan.”

3rd Competition, 1989; Scott Campbell
University of California, Berkeley, “From Dust Bowl to Defense Buildup: Labor Migration and Regional Development during the Second World War.”

2nd Competition, 1988; Stephen J. Appold
University of North Carolina, “The Location of Industrial Research Laboratories.”

1st Competition, 1987; Timothy J. Fik
University of Arizona, “Competing Central Places and the Spatially Autocorrelated, Seemingly Unrelated Regression System.”

Attention Graduate Students!

Call for Paper Submissions for the 14th Tiebout Prize in Regional Science

The Western Regional Science Association is proud to announce the 14th Annual Competition for the Charles M. Tiebout Prize in Regional Science.

The Tiebout Prize is awarded for the best paper submitted by a full-time graduate student enrolled at an accredited academic institution (currently, or during academic year 1998-99). To be considered, papers should be in the general discipline of regional science–topics in the fields of regional economics, urban economics, urban/regional planning, geography, and local public finance are especially encouraged. Papers will be judged by a Reading Committee of former WRSA Presidents, and the decision of the committee (which will be rendered by late November) will be final.

The Author of the winning paper must present at the WRSA’s 39th Annual Meeting to be held at the Kauai Sheraton Resort, Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, during the period February 26–March 1, 2000. The winning author will receive $1,000 to help defray the costs of attending the Meeting. The paper also will be published in the prestigious international quarterly journal The Annals of Regional Science (published by Springer-Verlag) following regular review procedures. Authors of all submitted papers judged by the Program Committee to be worthy of presentation will be invited to deliver them in regular sessions of the Meeting.

Graduate students wishing to submit papers for the competition should send seven (7) copies in draft or final form to: Professor David A. Plane, Executive Secretary, WRSA, Department of Geography & Regional Development, University of Arizona, Harvill Building, Box 2 (2nd & Olive Streets), Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA.

Deadline for Submission (papers must reach WRSA by) October 15, 1999.

All submissions must include a cover page giving the paper’s title, author’s full name, address, phone and fax numbers. Please indicate your Department and University affiliation and the name of your primary faculty supervisor. Papers should be double spaced. Only one submission per author and only singly-authored papers will be considered. (NOTE: Any paper exceeding 50 pages in length will NOT be considered by the Reading Committee.)

This prize is awarded in honor of the outstanding contributions to regional science made by Charles M. Tiebout before his untimely death in 1968. In addition to his scholarly achievements, “Charlie” Tiebout brought wit, irreverence, and goodwill to everything he did and everyone he knew. He was particularly good in advising, counseling, and encouraging graduate students: thus, it is fitting that the WRSA’s annual prize bearing his name be awarded to the best graduate student paper in regional science.

The 46th North American Meetings will be held at the Delta Montreal Hotel in the heart of downtown Montreal. The conference is co-hosted by the Canadian Regional Science Association (which will integrate its own annual meeting into the program), INRS-Urbanisation, and the Department of Geography of the University of Montreal.

Information on hotel accommodations, travel, registration, and the preliminary program is available from the conference website: http://www.geog.umontreal.ca/rsai99.

Correspondence concerning the conference to: Richard G. Shearmur or William J. Coffey, INRS-Urbanisation. Phone: 514-499-4052; Fax: 514-499-4065; e-mail: rsai99@geog.umontreal.ca.

39th Annual Meeting of the Western Regional Science Association, February 26-March 1, 2000, Sheraton Kauai Resort, Poipu, Hawaii, USA

See articles elsewhere in this Newsletter and visit our website at: http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa

6th Summer Institute of the PRSCO, RSAI, 14-16 June 2000, Mexico City

The Mexican Association of Science for Regional Development (AMECIDER), jointly with The Pacific Regional Science Conference Organization (PRSCO) and The Regional Science Association International (RSAI) are honored to extend an invitation to the international academic community to participate in the 6th Summer Institute of the PRSCO and in the 6th National Meeting on Regional Development in Mexico. The Institute will be held on the campus of UNAM.

The purpose of the meeting is (a) to foster the identification of potentials and obstacles in the development of fruitful relationships among developed and developing countries and regions of the Pacific Rim, and particularly (b) to give a step forward in the identification of ways to interaction, to construction of networks, and to visualization of plausible tasks for such development.

Title submission deadline: November 15, 1999. Abstract submission deadline: March 15, 2000.

For further information, send an e-mail to: Dr. Jorge Serrano, Chairman LOC, UNAM-CRIM, National University of Mexico, P.O. Box Apdo Postal 4-106, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62431, Mexico; jrsm@servidor.unam.mx.; Phones: (52-73) 17-5299; (52-73) 13-0555. FAX: (52-73) 17-5981.

9th International Symposium in Medical Geography, July 3-7, 2000, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

A five-day conference on the theme: An agenda for the geography of health and health care in the next century will be held in Montreal, Canada, July 3-7, 2000.

For more information contact the Program Chair, Professeur Jean-Pierre Thouez, Département de géographie, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, Station Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 2J7. Telephone: 514-343-8054; Fax: 514-343-8008.

E-mail: thouezj@ere.umontreal.ca.

13th International Conference on Input-Output Techniques, Macerata, Italy, 21- 25 August 2000

The conference will be held August 21-25, 2000 in Macerata, Italy, on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

The goal of the conference is to promote the exchange of ideas among input-output specialists worldwide. The conference is likely to feature work on social, national, and regional accounting and modeling; industrial structural change; industry’s relationship to energy use and the natural environment; the ways in which innovation effects productivity change; and new methods in interindustry analysis. Other theoretical and applied work with input-output tables is also welcome.

Please submit abstracts for papers by October 31, 1999 to the Head of the Scientific Programme Committee. Those wishing to organize a parallel session on a specific topic should send the complete session by October 31, 1999.

The IIOA is also pleased to announce a Leontief Memorial Prize for the best conference paper of young authors (born after 1959, unpublished work, work combining theory and application). The Leontief Memorial Prize Committee will select the winning paper, which will also be published in Economic Systems Research. Authors who would like to compete for the Leontief Memorial Prize should submit their paper to the Head of the Scientific Programme Committee by January 31, 2000.

Further information is available on the internet: http://www.unimc.it/ioconf/

Contact address: Prof. Dr. Michael L. Lahr, Head of the Scientific Programme Committee, Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University, 33 Livingston Avenue, suite 400, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1982

USA. Tel:+1-732-932-3133; Fax:+1-732-932-2363;

e-mail: Lahr@rci.rutgers.edu