NEWSLETTER
Winter 2000
Kauai’s ‘Round the Corner!
Our Year 2000 Annual Meeting to Feature Longest Program in WRSA History
Once again the Hawaiian Islands have beckoned, and a mass gathering of the regional science clans is to be held. The longest program in WRSA’s 39 years of holding Annual Meetings will take place from February 26th to March 1 at the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii. Featuring four full days of unique, WRSA-style invited paper sessions, the Preliminary Program may be viewed, or printed out, from the Association’s web site at: http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa. Full details about conference arrangements may also be found on our web site. All participants should check the site frequently between now and their departures to Kauai to obtain the most up-to-date information about session schedules, conference arrangements, and chair and discussant assignments.
The Annual Meeting begins with our Registration Desk opening for participant check-in on Saturday, February 26 from 3:00-6:00 PM in the Garden Lobby of the Sheraton. No other conference activities are planned for that day. Registration reopens Sunday morning February 27 at 7:00 AM, and the first slate of concurrent paper sessions gets underway on Sunday at 8:00 AM. Late Sunday afternoon a Gala Plenary Session will be held featuring a talk about the region, presentation of the Tiebout and Springer-Verlag Prizes, and President John Quigley’s Presidential Address. President Quigley will host a cocktail reception for all meeting participants and spouses immediately following the Opening Session. Concurrent paper sessions continue all-day Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday February 28 through March 1.
In all, the Preliminary Program lists some 46 regular paper sessions with approximately 200 individual presentations scheduled. In addition, 5 special “business meeting” sessions of the W-133 agricultural economics group will be held in conjunction with the main conference. Monday evening will feature a banquet barbeque dinner for all participants on the Sheraton’s Luau Grounds.
If you have not yet made all your arrangements to attend, do so immediately! As this Newsletter was going to press the WRSA room block at the Sheraton was virtually filled. Airline space and availability of rental cars are also tight because our meeting dates fall during the height of the busy winter tourist season in Hawaii.
To book your hotel room at this late date we suggest you phone the Sheraton Kauai Reservations Department directly, toll-free from the U.S. mainland at 1-888-847-0208. International participants should phone 1-808-742-1661 or fax a request to 1-808-742-9777. Be sure to reference our rate plan ID: “WRSA” to receive the special negotiated conference room rates. Please note that the “cut-off” date after which any remaining rooms in our block will no longer be held is January 20. Full information about the hotel and reservations can be found on the web site.
And it’s not too late to take advantage of two special deals for conference participants: special discount airfares on United Airlines and special conference rates on Alamo rental cars.
To book your air travel you may e-mail or phone WRSA’s Official 2000 Travel Agent, Ms. Clarissa Taiafi of Bon Voyage Travel in Tucson at ctaiafi@bvtravel.com or 1-520-795-8991. If you wish to deal directly with United call 1-800-521-4041 and be sure to reference the correct Meeting ID Code: 574GN. Special rates are valid from 2/23/00 to 3/5/00. For full details click on the Airfares link on the WRSA web site.
Clarissa will also be happy to reserve you an Alamo rental car. Alamo has the largest volume of rentals on Kauai and runs a very efficient operation out of the Lihue Airport. Again, you may contact her at 1-520-795-8991 or ctaiafi@bvtravel.com. If you wish to phone Alamo directly, from the U.S. phone 1-800-732-3232 and request Group I.D. Number 69420, Rate Code: GR. For prices and further details go to the Rental Cars link on the web site.
Payment of Annual Meeting Pre-registration Fees and 2000 WRSA Dues may be sent up until February 1 to the Association office in Tucson. The Combined Annual Meeting Pre-registration and Membership Form may be printed out from the web-site and mailed or faxed. After February 1 we request that you pay on-site at the conference. Receipts for all payments will be given at the conference.
For those persons unable to attend the 2000 conference, please renew your WRSA membership prior to February 1 and receive a $5 discount off the regular $50 US annual dues.
Let’s wish all participants safe journeys to Hawaii. For those unable to join us this year, start work on your paper for presentation in 2001 – when we hold our 40th Anniversary conference at the Riviera Resort and Racquet Club in Palm Springs.
Turnbull Cup Golf Tournament
WRSA’s annual golf classic will tee off on Saturday morning, February 26 at the beautiful Wailua course. The course is consistently rated among the top 50 public courses in the United States and provides a beautiful view of the ocean from the fairways.
The format for the tournament does, as in the past, involve both individual and team play. The Turnbull Cup is awarded to the player with the low-gross score. The player with the low net score will be inscribed on the Cup after the awardee. No prizes are associated with the Cup competition, but prizes are awarded for team competition. Players are invited to join into foursomes (those who do not form their own foursome will be joined with others by the tournament organizers Bob Formaini and Jack Sommer) and competition is based on handicap play. Each team member plays their own ball (this is not a “captain’s choice”) and records all strokes. The aggregate handicap of the foursome is subtracted from their aggregate gross score. The highest handicap permitted is 27, so if yours is higher just submit 27. If you don’t have an official handicap make your best estimate from the last 10 games you have played. Team prizes and prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin will also be awarded.
The cost of the tournament this year will be $95 and this will include greens fees, carts, lunch and prizes. If you are not renting a vehicle and need a ride to the course please indicate when you sign up. A check for the full amount should be sent to Jack Sommer, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223 by January 15th. One half of the amount becomes non-refundable after January 25th. If you have questions about the tournament or other golf options on the island email Jack Sommer at jwsommer@email.uncc.edu or telephone (704) 547-3451.
Tennis Anyone?
Everyone interested in participating in the WRSA’s Tennis Tournament should immediately contact Professor Andrei Rogers at: andrei.rogers@colorado.edu Players of all skill levels are welcome!
Preliminary Call for Papers…
17th Pacific Conference of the RSAI
To Be Hosted by WRSA in Old Town Portland, Oregon, June 30-July 4, 2001
It’s never too soon to begin planning for a major event like the 17th Pacific Conference of the RSAI, scheduled to be hosted by WRSA in the lively and attractive CBD of Portland, Oregon from June 30 through July 4, 2001. The abstract submittal deadline is February 28, 2001, so there’s still plenty of time to consider submitting a paper. Block those dates now!
The conference will be held in the Embassy Suites Hotel in Downtown Portland in the historic Multnomah Hotel. Here, the grace and charm of a historic inn are accompanied by all of the services expected of a first-class hotel. All participants will be lodged in newly remodeled suites with a room rate, inclusive of a full breakfast buffet and evening cocktails of just $99. Located in Portland’s Old Town district, the hotel is steps away from shopping, art galleries, museums, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Portland enjoys excellent air service from both Asia and North America.
The metropolitan area of Portland has a population of approximately 1.7 million and covers an area of 130 square miles. Known alternately as “The Rose City” and as the city of “books, beer, bikes and blooms,” there is no shortage of entertainment and beauty to be found in this city renowned for its greenness. Although it does require a fair amount of rain to keep this area so verdant, Portland’s average rainfall is actually below that of Atlanta or Houston. Visitors to Portland in June or July can expect pleasant temperatures falling in the mid-seventies Fahrenheit, with relatively little rainfall.
Portland boasts more microbreweries and pubs than any other city in the United States, and for those who prefer their beverages to come from the vine, there are numerous vineyards and wineries in the Portland environs. The vast array of fresh produce and wildlife to be found in Oregon has also made the city a hub for world-class restaurants. Salmon, sturgeon, wild game, and fresh vegetables are all in abundance here.
Papers for the Pacific Conference of the RSAI are welcomed on any regional science topic. Sessions will be organized around several themes, including Sustainable Cities and Urban Transportation: Alternative Futures. Other themes will include high technology, changing household composition, tourism and international investment. A complete list of topics may be viewed on the WRSA web site at http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa/
Abstracts should be submitted to David Plane, PRSCO 2001 Organizing Committee Chair, Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Harvill Building, Box 2, Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA. Be sure to check the WRSA website in the months to come as more conference information becomes available.
New Website Available for Socioeconomic Data
In response to WRSA members’ demand for socioeconomic data, a new website has been developed to provide easy access to online data. EconData.net (www.econdata.net) provides a new internet gateway to hundreds of sources of regional data. These 400 links include federal, state and local, commercial and non-profit sources of data, all organized by subject and provider. This website will be regularly updated, and a “What’s New” page will provide users with important information regarding newly available data, as well as news items that may be of interest to regional scientists. EconData.net was funded by the EPA to increase access to and use of regional socioeconomic data. This service, as well as Socioeconomic Data for Understanding Your Regional Economy: A User’s Guide, is offered free of charge. Any questions regarding this new website may be directed to info@econdata.net.
1st Annual Conference to be Held on U.S. – Mexico Border Issues
The first annual conference on U.S. – Mexico border issues will be held February 10 – 11, 2000 in Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Hosted by the Imperial Valley campus of San Diego State University, CETYS Universidad, UABC and the California Center for Border and Regional Economic Studies, the central theme of the conference will be “Business, Industry and Higher Education on the U.S. – Mexico Border. The main purpose of the conference is to bring together policy makers and scholars, although a number of academic papers will also be presented. There will be a $500 honorarium offered to as many as 12 accepted academic papers, and a selected number of papers will be compiled in an edited volume.
Registration for the conference is $100, which will include most lunches and dinners, a welcoming reception, and a copy of the Proceedings. The conference Co-chairs are Khosrow Fatemi, Imperial Valley Campus of San Diego State University, and Fernando Leon, CETYS. For more information, contact Sue Nichols via e-mail at suenichols@sdsu.edu or via phone at 760-768-5591.
Australia-New Zealand Section 1999 Conference Held in Newcastle
The 23rd Annual Conference of the Australia and New Zealand Section of the Regional Science Association International was held in Newcastle September 19 – 22, 1999.
Newcastle is a coastal city some two hours north of Sydney by car. It is only a short drive from Newcastle to the Hunter Valley wine country, but of at least equal interest to regional scientists and regional development practitioner is that Newcastle is undergoing change. It is a major coal producer and an enormous port for coal, as well as other products. And until mid-September, Newcastle had a huge steel mill owned by BHP. The closure of the steel mill presents the region with a major challenge. Given the conference theme, “Regenerating Regional Communities,” Newcastle was clearly an inspired choice as a venue.
The ANZRSAI is a bit unusual in the world of regional science because it attracts both academics and large numbers of regional development practitioners to its ranks. The Section produces two journals, The Australasian Journal of Regional Studies and Regional Policy and Practice, and it encourages active participation by both groups at its annual meetings.
The 1999 conference was a good one. There were 30 concurrent sessions featuring 63 papers and 9 panel and workshop sessions. There were two plenary keynote sessions, both of which were offered by Professor Rory O’Donnell, University College, Dublin. There was also a plenary closing session. A total of 165 people registered for the meeting; one quarter from universities and the remainder from state and local development agencies, consulting firms, and similar practitioner organizations.
WRSA was well-represented at the conference. Among those sighted were board member Bob Stimson, as well as past presidents Kingsley Haynes and Lay Gibson.
The year 2000 meeting will be held in Hobart, Tasmania. The dates have not yet been scheduled, but are likely to be in early December. For more information contact Linda Pink at anzrsai@uq.net.au.
New Online Journal
The second issue of Planning and Markets, the first academic journal in this field to be edited, refereed and published solely via the internet, has just been released. As the title suggests, this journal is geared towards the comparative study of planned interventions and market approaches in social and economic processes.
Subscriptions to Planning and Markets are free and issues of the journal can be found at http://www-pam.usc.edu/.
The co-editors of the journal are long-time WRSA members Peter Gordon and Jim Moore, and former WRSA President Harry Richardson.
Regional Science Meeting Calendar
1st Annual Conference on U.S.-Mexico Border Issues, February 10-11, 2000, Calexico and Mexicali
The First Annual Conference on U.S.-Mexico border issues is scheduled to be held February 10 – 11, 2000 in Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. Further information can be obtained by contacting Sue Nichols via e-mail at suenichols@sdsu.edu or via phone at 760-768-5591. For more details, see the feature article in this Newsletter.
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/
39th Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association, April 13-15, 2000, Miami Beach, Florida
The 39th Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association will be held April 13-15, 2000 in Miami Beach, Florida. The deadline for abstracts is December 1, 1999. Anyone interested in more information regarding the 39th annual meeting of the SRSA should contact John Rees, program chair for the conference. He can be reached via e-mail at johnrees@prodigy.com or by phone at (336) 334-5388.
Annual Meeting of the Association for Borderlands Studies and the Western Social Science Association, April 26-29, 2000, San Diego, California
The Annual Meeting of the Association for Borderlands Studies will be held jointly with the Western Social Science Association in San Diego, California April 26-29, 2000, at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center. Students are particularly encouraged to participate. For more information, contact Edgar Ortiz at edgaro@servidor.unam.mx.
6th World Congress of the Regional Science Association International, May 16-20, 2000, Lugano, Switzerland
The 6th World Congress of the RSAI will take place in Lugano, Switzerland, May 16-20, 2000. The meeting will be hosted by the Faculty of Economics of the Università della Svizzera italiana. The chair of the Local Organizing Committee is Rico Maggi. The deadline for abstracts is September 30, 1999. For more information: WC2000-RSAI@lu.unisi.ch. Additional information is available at the following website, as well: www.lu.unisi.ch/wc2000-RSAI.
6th Summer Institute of the PRSCO, RSAI, June 14-16, 2000, Mexico City
The 6th annual Summer Institute of the PRSCO will be held next June on the campus of UNAM. The Institute will be held concurrently with the 6th National Meeting on Regional Development in Mexico. The title submission deadline is 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.
29th International Geographical Congress, August 14-18, 2000, Seoul, Korea.
The 29th International Geographical Congress will be held August 14-18, 2000 in Seoul, Korea. The local organizer is Keumsook Lee, of the Sungshin Women’s University. Anyone wishing to contribute a paper or session should contact Barry Boots or Richard Thomas by February 1, 2000. The theme of the Congress will be “Living With Diversity.” Subsidiary themes include “Geographic Systems Models in Society” and “Science and Technology of Geographic Information.” For more information contact Barry Boots at bboots@mach1.wlu.ca or Richard Thomas at mfvstrwt@fs1.go.man.ac.uk. The Congress’ website is: www.geog.snu.ac.kr.
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. 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
WRSA Newsletter
Published three times a year (Winter, Spring/Summer, Fall) at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Paper copies mailed to all dues-paid members of the Association.
Editor: David A. Plane
Assistant Editor and Circulation Manager: Rachel Franklin
Send items for inclusion in future issues to Plane at the address below.
Professor David A. Plane, Executive Secretary, Western Regional Science Association
Department of Geography & Regional Development / University of Arizona
Harvill Building, Box 2 (2nd and Olive Streets) / Tucson, Arizona 85721 USA
Telephone: (520) 621-1738; 621-1652 (messages) / FAX: (520) 621-2889
E-mail: plane@u.arizona.edu; Web Site: http://geog.arizona.edu/wrsa/