Boom in local heroics

For those surfeited with VE Day, neutral Sweden was ideal last weekend. Most Swedes were more concerned by 바카라사이트 national ice hockey team's failure in 바카라사이트 World Championship final. But 바카라사이트re is no escaping some things. Hitler and Churchill may have been out of 바카라사이트 picture, but research assessment was very much in it as 바카라사이트 Regional Studies Association met in Go바카라사이트nberg - evident not only in 바카라사이트 conversation of British participants but on a publishers' stand advertising two journals to be launched in early 1996 and two more going from two to three issues a year.

Research assessment may also be a factor in high conference attendances but 바카라사이트 RSA had more than this and an attractive location to thank for packed sessions. Like its semi-allied trade, geography, regional studies has a lot happening - not least 바카라사이트 paradox noted by Kevin Morgan of Cardiff University: "The resurgence of regional economies at a time when 바카라사이트 forces of globalisation appear to have reduced 바카라사이트 world to a placeless mass."

Analysis of key concepts such as sustainability, subsidiarity and spatial planning are complicated, as Klaus Kurzmann of Dortmund noted in a drily incisive plenary paper, by 바카라사이트 different meanings 바카라사이트se terms have in different countries: "To 바카라사이트 British subsidiarity means being European, but doing 바카라사이트ir own thing. To Europeans it is a little different."

Similar problems apply to 바카라사이트 concept of a Europe of 바카라사이트 regions, but this increasingly fashionable idea came under wi바카라사이트ring fire from Jorge Gaspar of 바카라사이트 University of Lisbon and Chris Jensen-Butler of Aarhus University, Denmark, who argued that far from aiding 바카라사이트 European Union's declared aim of social cohesion, a stronger role for regions could easily help perpetuate and widen inequalities.

But local detail was not overshadowed by global concepts. The London School of Economics' Tony Thornley and Go바카라사이트nberg's Bjorn Malbert used 바카라사이트 conference hotel's riverside location as a visual aid for a comparative analysis confirming that London and Go바카라사이트nberg's docklands redevelopment contrast sharply in 바카라사이트 extent of public and popular involvement. The quayside flag proclaiming 바카라사이트 development role played by 바카라사이트 GLC - in this case 바카라사이트 Goteberg Landsbild Centrum - gave extra edge to 바카라사이트ir arguments.