3rd International Workshop on Post-communist Urban Geographies

Actors Shaping Urban Change

17–19 September 2009, Tartu, Estonia

             
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Background and aim

Call for papers

We call for papers in any field dealing with post-communist urban change, either empirical or theoretical in content. Both quantitative and qualitative research from population, political, cultural, economic geographic and other perspectives on such cities are warmly welcome. In addition to this open call for papers, the subtitle of the workshop focuses on the role of various local and/or global actors — the state, people/households, enterprises, public/third sector — in shaping post-communist urban areas. For example, the organizers encourage submission of papers on the topic of people in the city, focusing on issues such as everyday lives and socio-cultural groups in the city-space, patterns and causes of segregation and desegregation, and the role of mobility (daily mobility, residential change, internal and international in- and out-migration) in shaping the post-communist urban change.

Call for session organizers

 We also encourage the organization of thematic sessions, especially on the role of other global and local urban actors in shaping post-communist cities. To be eligible for organizing a session, a short abstract should be submitted to the organizers of the workshop.

Excursion

 The field trip will visit Northeast Estonia or Ida-Virumaa, the main area of rapid Soviet-era industrialization and urbanization. We will visit cities such as Narva (a border town with Russia), Kohtla-Järve (a centre of oil-shale production) and Sillamäe (previously a closed city) during the excursion.

Paper submission

We encourage the submission of full papers by all participants since we would like to continue the tradition to publish the best contributions in the form of a special issue of a peer reviewed international journal.

Registration fee

Early bird registration (payment before 1 June 2009):

·  200 EUR for scholars making a presentation (applies also to the co-authors attending the conference)

·  100 EUR for PhD students making a presentation (applies also to the co-authors attending the conference)

Regular fees (payment after 1 June 2009):

·  220 EUR for scholars making a presentation (applies also to the co-authors attending the conference)

·  125 EUR for PhD students making a presentation (applies also to the co-authors attending the conference)

·  300 EUR for those who do not deliver a presentation

10 PhD students submitting the best full papers will be awarded with 100 EUR scholarships. The decision is made by the organizers (see below).

The registration fee covers workshop materials, coffee breaks, meals and the excursion.

If for some reason you are registered and you have paid the conference fee but you cannot come to the conference, please let us know about it as soon as possible. If you annul your registration before the 1st September, you will get 80% refund, later annulments will not be refunded.

Payment details

Subject:  CAT-ference

Bank name:   SEB Bank

Bank address:   Tornimäe 2, 15010 Tallinn, Estonia

Bank account number:  10102000234007

Account holder name:   University of Tartu

SWIFT code   EEUHEE2X

IBAN   EE281010102000234007

Organizers

Dr Michael Gentile, University of Gävle

Dr Anneli Kährik, University of Tartu

Dr. Kadri Leetmaa, University of Tartu

Dr. Tiit Tammaru, University of Tartu

Dr. Craig Young, Manchester Metropolitan University

Host institution

The workshop will be hosted by the Chair of Human Geography and Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies, University of Tartu. The University of Tartu is the oldest (1632) and largest (17 000 students) university in Estonia.

Suggested accommodation

We suggest the following accommodation in two different price classes, both close to the main seminar building:

Barclay Hotel (10 min walking distance) http://www.barclay.ee/

Tartu Hostels: Pepleri (2 min walking distance) http://www.tartuhostel.eu/

The Barclay Hotel will make a significant discount (a single room for 50 EUR per night) for CAT-ference participants when the payment is made via the organizers in advance. Thus, if you would like to stay in the Barclay Hotel at a discounted rate, please pay the cost of your accommodation to the organizers together with the registration fee by 1 June 2009.

Deadlines

Session proposal abstracts (max 250 words) to be submitted by: 15 March 2009

Paper abstracts (max 250 words) to be submitted by: 1 May 2009 (in case you have preferences please specify also the title of the session where you would like to have your presentation)

Early bird registration before: 1 June 2009

Discounted accommodation in the Barclay Hotel (payment to the organizers) before: 1 June 2009

Final registration: 15 August 2009

Full paper submission: 10 September 2009

Paper and presentation requirements

For presentation there is 15 minutes +5 minutes for discussion.

Contact

Please contact us through veuk@ut.ee

Information on the workshop is available at:  http://www.ut.ee/VEUK

Programme sketch

16 September 2009

Welcome to Tartu. The Registration desk will be open between 18.00 and 20.00 at the Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies, Vanemuise 46, Tartu

17 September 2009 (Vanemuise 46)

9.00 - 9.30 Get together/social, registration continued

9.30 - 10.00 Opening of workshop

10.00 - 11.30 Presentations

12.00 - 13.30 Presentations

13.30 - 15.00 Lunch

15.00 - 16.30 Presentations

17.00 - 18.30 Presentations

19.30 - 21.00 Dinner

18 September 2009 (Vanemuise 46)

9.30 - 11.00 Presentations

11.30 - 13.00 Presentations

13.00 - 14.30 Lunch

14.30 - 16.00 Presentations

16.30 - 18.00 Presentations

19 September 2009

Ida-Virumaa excursion

Sponsors

We greatly acknowledge the sponsors of the CAT-ference: Estonian Science Foundation (grant no 7588), Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences at the University of Tartu, Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers Post-socialist Geographies Research Group

Transportation 

Tartu is located 180 km south from Tallinn and 250 km north from Riga. Tourism information about Tartu is on www.visittartu.com.

In addition to car it is possible to arrive to Tartu by bus or by train and also by plane from Riga (www.airbaltic.com) and from Stockholm (since August 24th www.estonian-air.ee). From Tartu airport to Tartu goes taxies and buses (www.bussireisid.ee, departure "lennujaam (tartumaa)").

Tallinn-Tartu

Busses go from Tallinn bus station to Tartu on every hour or half hour from 6 am to 11 pm. From Tallinn airport to Tallinn bus station goes bus nr.2 and taxies.

From Tallinn train station to Tartu goes four trains:

6.40-9.45; 7.46-10.09 (has I class); 14.42-17.58; 16.50-19.17 (has I class)

Riga-Tallinn

From Riga to Tallinn goes Hansabuss and Eurolines.

Riga-Tallinn (Hansabuss) 6.20-10.45; 11,45-16.10; 17.30-21.55

Riga-Tallinn (Eurolines) 1.25-6.30; 7.00-11.25; 8.30-13.00; 12.30-16.55; 15.30-20.00; 17.00-21.15; 18.30-22.55; 23.40-4.10

Straight from Riga bus station to Tartu goes one bus – Mon-Sun 18.45-22.45.

It is also possible to change in Pärnu:

Riga-Pärnu (Mo-Fr) 6.20-8.55. From Pärnu bus station to Tartu goes 11 busses from 6.45 am to 7.00 pm.

More detailed information about trains www.edel.ee and about bus transportation www.bussireisid.ee and www.eurolines.ee.

It is recommended to recheck bus and train schedules because the schedules may change before September.

If you need to be at Tallinn airport in the evening of the excursion day in Ida-Virumaa you can get there by bus from Narva (buses arrive to Tallinn 20.55 and 22.45).

In early morning on September 20^th it is possible to get from Tartu to Riga airport by taxi (for 4 people 2000 EEK (~130 EUR)). Everybody who would like to use that opportunity should inform us about it on September 10^th latest.

Map of Tartu: the location of CAT seminar, bus and train station and suggested accommodation places.