NEWSLETTER OF THE REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONALRSAI Newsletter
January 2006

NEWS AND INFORMATIONRSAI PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

In This Issue
1

NEWS AND INFORMATION

3

AWARDS, PRIZES AND COMPETITIONS

5COMMUNICATION AND LITERATURE

6

CONFERENCE NEWS8MINUTES OF 2005 RSAI MEETINGS

13

EDITOR’S NOTE

14

DEVELOPING EXISTING AND INITIATINGNEW MEMBER SERVICES

Submission Information: All materials
for submission should be transmitted inelectronic format, either via email,email attachment, or disk. Files may
be submitted in Word, WordPerfect,rich text or ASCII formats. If your filecontains special characters (e.g.,international characters) please also
submit a printed copy, either by postal
mail or fax. Materials received only inprinted format are not guaranteed for
publication. Material for inclusion in
RSAI NEWS should be received by theeditors no later than December 1 for
the January issue, April 1 for the May
issue, or July 1 for the August issue.

As the regional science movement has entered its sixth decade during thelast couple of years, it is indeed heartening to see how our international
community of regional scientists has been spreading into new anddeveloping parts of the world, including Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Recently we have seen the formation of new sections of the Regional
Science Association in South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia and Malaysia,
and we are hopeful that groups in China, Algeria and Colombia will
formally form new sections soon.
The spread of regional science into Latin America and Africa, and ourhope that the India section of RSA will become incorporated within RSAI,
has meant that the RSAI Council has had to begin the process of rethinking the adequacy and appropriateness of the three super-regionalgroupings (NARSC, EASA, PRSCO). As an interim step, the Council has
conferred with the three super-regional groupings to implement newprocedures for the recently formed and emerging new sections ofregional science to be given a voice within the existing super-regionalorganisations. ERSA will welcome into its fold the South Africa Section of
RSAI and the emerging new sections that are likely to be founded in Africa
and the Middle East. NARSC will be providing an extended umbrella toaccommodate the participation of the new sections in Latin America, and
PRSCO will be welcoming into its fold sections in India, China and thePacific facing sections of Latin America (with these latter Latin American
sections being able to participate in both NARSC and the PRSCO
community if they choose).
These arrangements are seen as an interim measure and these are in linewith a proposal that came from the Long Range Planning Committee andwhich has been endorsed by the RSAI Council. The super-regionalgroupings – NARSC, ERSA and PRSCO – are now considering the specificsof the new arrangements for this geographic expansion of RSAI sections,and these might include changes to the names of the super-regionalgroups.
The proposal for how these new components willbe
implemented are to be finalised over the coming months, with the superregional groups reporting their new arrangements to the meeting of the
RSAI Council at the Volos, Greece, meeting to be held in association with
the ERSA 2006 Conference in August.
The RSAI Council has resolved to revisit the issue of the number andcomposition of the super-regional organisations of RSAI in four years, atwhich time it might be feasible and appropriate to form new superregional groupings.

PAGE 2RSAI NEWSLETTERREGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL
An interdisciplinary, international organization focusing onunderstanding the growth and development of urban, regional,
and international systems.
Headquarters
Executive Director: Graham Clarke
School of Geography
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT United Kingdom
Phone: 0113 343-3323; Fax: 0113 343-3308;
Email: rsai@leeds.ac.uk
Web page: http://www.regionalscience.org

The RSAI Council has also been considering how RSAI
might improve existing and initiate new member
services following the successful but continuing
bedding-down of the new universal membershipprovisions and the partnership between RSAI andBlackwell Publishing. At the Las Vegas meeting of theCouncil held in association with the 52nd NARSC
meeting in November 2005, the Council endorsed aseries of recommendations from the member sections
Task Force (the report from the Task Force is included inthis newsletter). This will herald the beginning of an
exciting new phase in the development of RSAI, which
is likely to include the implementation of a newinternational journal focusing on policy and practice inregional science, pending the outcome of a detailed
feasibility analysis and development of a business planfor such an initiative to be undertaken between now
and the meeting of the RSAI Council at the ERSA
Conference in Volos in September 2006.

International Council
President:

Robert Stimson

Vice President:

Roger StoughImmediate Past President:

Antoine Bailly

Executive Director:

Graham Clarke

ERSA Councillors:

Roberto Camagni [2006-2008]
Paul Cheshire [2005-2007]
Jan Oosterhaven [2005-2007]

NARSC Councillors:

Roger Stough [2006-2008]
Jean-Claude Thill [2006-2007]
Brigitte Waldorf [2004-2006]PRSCO Councillors:

David Edgington [2006-2008]
Yoshiro Higano [2004-2006]
Tschangho John Kim [2005-2007]

Councillors-at-Large:

Roberta Capello [2006-2008]
Graham Clarke [2006-2008]
John Madden [2005-2007]
Phillip McCann [2004-2006]
Jessie Poon [2006-2008]
Robert Stimson [2004-2006]

Invited Councillors:

Carlos Azzoni [2004-2007]
Manas Chatterjee [2004-2007]
Gideon Horn [2004-2007]

Treasurer:

Dimitris Ballas

Archivist:

David E. Boyce

Ex--Officio:
Editors, Papers in Regional Science
Editor-in-Chief:
Raymond J.G.M. Florax
European Editor:
Jouke van Dijk
North American Editor: Jessie Poon
Pacific Editor:
Jacques Poot
Book Review Editor:
Brigitte Waldorf
RSAI Newsletter Editor:
RSAI Web Page Editor:

Randall W. Jackson
Randall W. JacksonWith the continuing incorporation of new RSA sections
within the new universal membership arrangements for
RSAI, the membership of RSAI will likely pass 3,500 during
2006. There is every chance that within the next few
years, our international community of regional scientists
will exceed 4,000.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all thepeople on the Committees and Councils of RSAI, thesuper-regional organisations and the many local andnational Sections for their ongoing efforts in helping tobuild our community into one that is stronger and morediverse, as well as geographically more widely spread
across the globe.
From the RSAI Council, our thanks to all the members of
RSAI for their support and participation in regional
science events in 2005, and our best wishes to you for a
successful 2006.
Bob Stimson, RSAI President

RSAI MOURNS ROBERT KUENNE
Robert Kuenne, a noted economist, author andprofessor who taught at Princeton University for 41 years,
died of Lou Gehrig’s disease, November 5 at his homein Princeton.
Kuenne became a member of the Princeton faculty in
1956 and transferred to emeritus status in 1997. He
taught microeconomic theory and general equilibrium
theory at the graduate level and also wrote more thana dozen distinguished works in areas of economic andmilitary strategy. He was known for designing andteaching for 30 years a course titled “Analysis of
Capitalism” which used works of fiction, social criticism,
social philosophy and economics to examine attacks
against and defenses of capitalism. A complete obit inhis honor can be found at:
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/05/1114/2b.html

RSAI NEWSLETTER

AWARDS, PRIZES AND COMPETITIONSRSAI DISSERTATION COMPETITION
The RSAI presented its annual Dissertation Competition award at the North American
meetings in Las Vegas to Dr. Ikuho Yamada for her work “Analysis of Spatial Clusters when
the Phenomenon is Constrained by a Network Space”. Dr. Yamada received her Doctorate
from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and was supervised by Prof. Jean-Claude
Thill.
The Association invites the submission of dissertations completed in 2005/06 in the field ofRegional Science to the annual competition. Two copies of the dissertation and a letter of
nomination from the research supervisor should be sent to Professor Antonio Páez, School of
Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton ON L8S 4K1, Canada. The
dissertations should be received no later than July 1, 2006. For further information, pleasecontact Prof. Páez paezha@mcmaster.ca
RSAI FELLOWS – CALL FOR NOMINATIONSIn November 2001, the RSAI Council initiated the RSAI Fellows Award to honor a selectgroup of members of the Association who have made important scholarly and researchcontributions to the field of regional science. The inaugural Fellows were the living recipientsof the Founder's Medal at that time: Walter Isard, Martin Beckmann, Jean Paelinck, andDavid Boyce. In 2003 four Fellows were elected by the inaugural Fellows, and recognized at
the 50th North American Meetings in Philadelphia: Masahisa Fujita, Geoffrey J. D. Hewings,
Tony E. Smith, and Jacques Thisse. In 2004 four Fellows were elected, and recognized at
the 51st North American Meetings at Seattle: Luc Anselin, J. Vernon Henderson, Peter
Nijkamp, and John M. Quigley. In 2005 five fellows were elected and honored at the 52nd
North American Meetings at Las Vegas: Marcus Berliant, Jan K. Brueckner, Arthur Getis,
David Pines, and Karen R. Polenske.
Call for Nominations: Members of the RSAI are invited to nominate any current member ofthe Association for consideration for the Fellows Award in 2006 by sending a short letter of
nomination, a detailed CV and publication list, and a list of three supporting references,with their email addresses, to Art Getis at Arthur.getis@sdsu.edu. The nominator may be
one of the references. Self nominations are also appropriate. Please note that detailed
letters of recommendation are not requested at this time, but will be requested later. A listof current members of the RSAI may be found at: http://www.rsai-members.org/. For fullconsideration for the current selection process, nominations should be received by January
31, 2006. Past nominations are automatically considered, but may be updated, if desired.
BARRY M. MORIARTY GRADUATE PAPER COMPETITION
Each spring, the Southern Regional Science Association awards a prize to the graduate
student submitting the best paper in any area of Regional Science. The student must be
enrolled full-time at an accredited academic institution sometime during the year following
April, 2006; must be sponsored by a member of SRSA; and is expected to present the paper
at a session of the 2006 Meetings of the Association in St. Augustine, FL, March 30-April 1,
2006, using the award to defray the costs of attending.
The deadline for submission is January 5, 2006. Papers can be submitted electronically to
Robert Gibbs at rgibbs@ers.usda.gov. Additional details are available on the SRSA website
at: www.regionalscience.org/srsa/2006graduatepapercompetition.htm
DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA CONFERRED ON PROFESSOR PETER NIJKAMP
On November 4, 2005 Professor Peter Nijkamp was conferred the title of Doctor Honoris
Causa of the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, Romania for his outstanding
contribution to the development of economic modeling and regional science throughout
the world, as well as for his continuous and enthusiastic support to the academic scientificresearch in Romania. This is the third time Nijkamp has been awarded the title of doctor
honoris causa; he received the title from the Free University in Brussels and from the National
Technical University in Athens.

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

RSAI NEWSLETTER

THE BENJAMIN H. STEVENS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP IN REGIONAL SCIENCE FOR 2006-2007– CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in North America are encouraged toapply for the Benjamin H. Stevens Graduate Fellowship in Regional Science,administered by the North American Regional Science Council of the Regional Science
Association International (NARSC-RSAI). This Fellowship, in support of thesis research in
Regional Science, is awarded annually in memory of Dr. Benjamin H. Stevens, anintellectual leader whose selfless devotion to graduate students as teacher, advisor,
mentor, and friend had a profound impact on the field. Regional Science is amultidisciplinary field concerned with the theory and method of urban and regional
phenomena. Regional Scientists use theoretical frameworks and methods of the socialand other sciences, as well as develop new ones specifically for regional analysis andpolicy.
Eligible students should have completed all degree requirements except for theirdissertation by the time the Fellowship commences. A requirement of the Fellowship isthat the recipient has no duties other than dissertation research during the Fellowship,
though the recipient may hold other fellowships concurrently. Applications fromstudents working in any area or any Ph.D. program are welcome as long as theirdissertation research addresses a question in Regional Science.
The Fellowship consists of a stipend in the amount of $25,000 (U.S.), paid over a twelvemonth period. Applications for the 2006-2007 Fellowship should be addressed to theselection committee chair, Professor Janice F. Madden (address below), andpostmarked by February 15, 2006. An application consists of five sets (5 sets) of thefollowing materials:
1. A curriculum vita of no more than two (2) pages in length.
2. A statement in ten (10) pages or less explaining the questions and issues to beaddressed, the approach to be used, and the product expected from the thesis
research, preceded by a summary (1-page maximum) describing the intellectual meritof the proposed research, and the broader impacts that may result. The 10-page limit isinclusive of references, but exclusive of tables and figures. This text should be in 12 pointor larger font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins; references may be singlespaced.
3. The candidate's graduate transcripts for all graduate study. Unofficial copies are
acceptable.
In addition, the thesis supervisor needs to provide a confidential letter (plus four copies),
sealed in one envelope and signed across the seal, to be mailed with the application.
In the letter the supervisor should assess the quality and significance of the proposed
dissertation research, specify the current state of progress toward the candidate's
degree and provide a commitment by the thesis supervisor to obtain a tuition waiver
for the candidate for the year of the Fellowship.
A condition of the Fellowship is the granting of a tuition waiver for the year of theFellowship by the university, or equivalent payment of the student's tuition.
Applications should be mailed to: Professor Janice F. Madden, Sociology Department,
University of Pennsylvania, 218 McNeil Building, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6299 USA.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to send an e-mail to madden@ssc.upenn.edu
when they post their materials. Questions may be sent to: madden@ssc.upenn.edu. For
information about NARSC, go to http://www.narsc.org/. For information about RSAI, go
to http://www.rsai.org.

RSAI NEWSLETTERCOMMUNICATION & LITERATURE
JOURNAL OF SPATIAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS--CALL FOR PAPERS
A new journal from the Regional Studies Associationand the Regional Science Association International(British & Irish Section) has been released entitled,
Spatial Economic Analysis, Vol. 1, 2, 2006. Routledge:
Taylor & Francis Group, Bernard Fingleton , editor(bf100@cam.ac.uk), Cambridge University, UK.
Spatial Economic Analysis is a pioneering journal
dedicated to the development of theory and methods
in spatial economics. The journal is aimed at aninternational audience, but will also be of interest to
policy makers and practitioners. The journal is edited
from Cambridge by an internationally recognized panelof economists. Papers will be subject to refereeing at
international standards, and will be evaluated by theircontribution to knowledge, originality, and rigor.
The Editorial Board invites original submissions from
economists, geographers, regional and social scientists,
working within the fields of spatial, geographical andregional economics. The following subject areas are
particularly welcome:¾
The development, testing and application oftheories of ‘new economic geography’¾
Theoretical, applied and policy oriented papers
within the broad sphere of spatial economics¾
Quantitative economic geography models,spatial econometrics, simulation modeling, multisectoral regional and CGE models, interregionalmigration modeling¾
Quantitative policy evaluation and applicationsof spatial data analysis and Geographical
Information Systems, urban economics, theanalysis of regional and international growth,
global, international and local trade andinvestment, regional labor markets
For further information about this journal please email
kath.sayer@tandf.co.uk

PAGE 5

RECENT BOOKS BY MEMBERS OF RSAI¾

Okuyama, Yasuhide and Stephanie E. Chang(eds). 2004. Modeling Spatial and Economic
Impacts of Disasters, Springer-Verlag, 300 pp.
(ISBN: 03-540-21449-6).

¾

Fujita, M., ed. 2005. Spatial Economics, Vol. 1
and Vol. II. The International Library of Critical
Writings in Economics 188. Edward Elgar
Publishing Limited, UK. ISBN 1 84376 648 5. US
Price: $365.00¾

Koontz, S.R., D. L. Hoag, D.D. Thilmany, John W.
Green, and J.L. Grannis. 2005. The Economicsof Livestock Disease Insurance: Concepts, Issues
and International Case Studies, CABI Publishing,UK, (orders@cabi.org); ISBN 0 85199 077 0, US
$110.

¾

Polenske, Karen R., ed. Available January 15,
2006. The Technology-Energy-EnvironmentHealth (TEEH) Chain in China: A Case Study ofCokemaking. Series: Alliance for Global
Sustainability Book series, Vol. 8, 2005, ISBN 14020-3433-4.

ON-LINE COURSE IN LOCAL ECONOMICANALYSIS
Judith Stallmann, University of Missouri-Columbia isoffering the one-credit online course entitled, Special
Topics Course: Ag Econ 301 Local Economic Analysis.
Begins January 17, 2006 and ends May 12. Available
nationwide and taught online through MU Direct.
Register at: http://mudirect.missour.edu/. Contact
Judith Stallmann at: Stallmannj@missouri.edu or (573)882-6455.

ERSA SUMMER SCHOOL 2006
The school is open for a limited number of nonEuropean regional science students.
The website is:
http://www.regroningen.nl/summerschool/

RSAI Fellows, 2005

PAGE 6

RSAI NEWSLETTERCONFERENCE NEWS45TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WESTERNREGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION, Santa Fe,
New Mexico, USA, February 22-25, 2006. Visit
the WRSA website for complete conference
information:
http:www.u.arizona.edu/~plane/wrsa.html.
45TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOUTHERNREGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION (SRSA) , St.
Augustine, Florida, March 30-April 1, 2006.
Potential topic areas include: regionalmodeling, international trade, resource
utilization, environment quality, transportation
systems, tourism and recreation, economic
impact analysis, rural economic
development, regional migration/labormarkets, regional development issues/policy,
public finance and investment analysis.
Contact information: David McGranahan,
ERS USDA, 1800 M ST NW 20036, Washington,
DC 20036-5831, email: dmcg@ers.usda.gov.
For additional information, visit the SRSA's
website: http://www.srsa.org .
NORDICK NETWORK OF THE REGIONALSTUDIES ASSOCIATION, May 4-5, 2006. A twoday conference entitled, “Towards a New
Nordic Regionalism?” for policy-makers andresearchers. It is being held in Balestrand,
Norway, 4-5 May 2005 and organized by the
Nordic Network of the Regional Studies
Association. Nordic regions are currently
involved in processes of profoundtransformation, and the conference will bring
together policy-makers and researchers fromthe Nordic countries and beyond in order totake stock and exchange experience about
the current state of regional reforms, about
the economic and other rationales for the
new regions, and about the implications ofreform for leadership and democracy. The
event will combine high-profile plenary
speakers and thematic workshops, giving
participants plenty of opportunities to listen,reflect and discuss. See the fullannouncement and call for papers on theconference website:
http://web.hisf.no:16080/konferansar/index.p
hp?cf=1 and check out an out-of-theordinary venue on http://www.kviknes.no/

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SPATIALECONOMETRICS AND STATISTICS, May 25-27,
2006, Rome Italy. Visit the website forcomplete information:
http://www.unich.it/conferencerome2006/
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REGIONALAND URBAN MODELING, Free University,
Brussels, June 1-3, 2006. The goal of theconference is to promote and stimulate theexchange of ideas in the field of modelingtechniques applied to regional and urban
issues. You can submit your paper on theconference management website:
http://www.ecomod.org. Deadline for
abstract submission is January 15, 2006;
deadline for submission of full papers is April
1, 2006.
THE MID-CONTINENT REGIONAL SCIENCEASSOCIATION is teaming with the IMPLAN
National User's Conference to host theirannual (biennial) conferences June 8-10,
2006 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is toannounce the call for regular papers and toencourage students to participate in the M.
Jarvin Emerson Student Paper Competition.
Information can be found at the MCRSA
Website: Mid-Continent Regional Science
Association<http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/mcrsa>
The MCRSA/IMPLAN meetings will be bigger
and better than ever with a stimulating mix ofacademics and practitioners all focusing on
applied problems. And, the conference
remains a great buy among professional andacademic association meetings. Early
registrants will enjoy a reduced meeting
registration fee of $130. In addition, a special
reduced fee for students will once again be
in effect. The full student registration fee is$40.
You can either download a conference
registration form from the MCRSA Website, or
register for the conference using IMPLAN's
secure online ordering system at:<https://www.implan.com/catalog/product_
info.php?cPath=261&products_id=187>
The meeting will take place at the University
Place Hotel on the campus of Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis in
Indianapolis, Indiana. The entire hotel will
have undergone a complete renovation by
the time of the conference. We're getting agreat rate ($125/night single and $140/night
double). Participants should contact the

RSAI NEWSLETTER
hotel directly at 800-627-2700 and indicate
participation in the MCRSA conference.
The conference is being sponsored by the
School of Public and Environmental Affairs(SPEA) at IUPUI. SPEA will host a very special
reception at the NCAA Hall of Champions
located on campus. All persons wishing tosubmit an abstract or session proposal areencouraged to do so electronically via email to John Leatherman at
mcrsa@agecon.ksu.edu by April 1, 2006.
For the IMPLAN devotee, a dedicated track
will run throughout the conference and theMinnesota IMPLAN Group (MIG) will again
publish the IMPLAN Conference Proceedings.
MCRSA will offer its regular menu of highlyinterdisciplinary research. Both groups will be
encouraged to mix, however, to sample theofferings and issues on each side of theconference.
The meeting also offers students theopportunity to participate in MCRSA's M.
Jarvin Emerson Memorial Student Paper
Competition. Strongly encourage yourstudents to enter the paper competition. It'sa great learning experience and the odds ofrecognition are favorable for good work.
Cash awards are made and the winningentry is published in the Association's journal,
the Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy.
Additional details can be found at the
MCRSA Web site.
The MCRSA consists of an interdisciplinary
membership from academics and otherpublic and private organizations. The
MCRSA is interested in using the tools ofregional science to help solve applied
problems in rural and urban areas at the
local, state and national levels. There areover 1,500 active users of MIG databases
and software in the United States as well asinternationally. MIG clients include federal
and state government, universities, as well asprivate sector consultants.
CREATIVE ECONOMY WORKSHOP – Mystic,
Connecticut, June 13 – 14, 2006
In conjunction with the 2006 annual
meetings of the Northeastern Agricultural
and Resource Economics Association(NAREA), the Northeast Regional Center for
Rural Development is sponsoring a two-day
post-conference workshop on the rural
creative economy. The workshop will beheld on June 13 and 14, 2006, in lovely
Mystic, Connecticut. It will feature keynote
speakers and selected papers on the

PAGE 7
opportunities and challenges that
nonmetropolitan areas face in the attraction
and retention of creative talent (i.e., Richard
Florida’s “Creative Class”).
Workshop objectives are to (1)disseminate current research on the rural
creative economy, (2) establish aframework for policy discussion, and (3)identify areas of interest and support for
future work. Some possible topics ofresearch include connections between
rural amenities and population growth,
human capital based economic
development theory and practice, andthe size and growth of creative
occupations (e.g., artistic, cultural, andtechnology-based) in rural areas.
To be considered for the selected paper
sessions, author(s) are asked to submit a 3 to
5 page extended abstract that will be
evaluated by the organizing committee on
the bases of scholarly merit and relevance tothe workshop topic. Honoraria of $500 per
selected paper will be provided. Papers
presented at the workshop will also be
considered for a special edition of NAREA’s
journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Review. Journal submissions will be selected
through a separate peer-review process.
Send paper abstracts electronically to Todd
Gabe, University of Maine, attodd.gabe@umit.maine.edu. Please use thesubject heading “NAREA 2006” in yourmessage. Submission deadline is February
15, 2006. Authors will be notified of thecommittee’s decisions by March 1, 2006. For
more information about NAREA and its 2006
conference, please visit www.narea.org.
Please contact Todd Gabe, at the e-mailaddress listed above for additional
information about the post-conference
creative economy workshop.
GROWING REGIONS CONFERENCE, Brisbane,
Australia, July 25-27, 2006
The ANZRSAI (Australian Regional Science
Association International) has as part of amutual support agreement, agreed topromote the Australian Department ofTransport and Regional Services (Federal
govt. dept.) "Growing Regions" conference.
Contact information: Shelagh Krummel,
Executive Officer, ANZRSAI, P.O. Box 572,
Hamilton VIC 3300 Australia. tel. + 613 5572
0532 fax + 613 5572 0555,
anzrsai@uq.net.au

PAGE 8RSAI NEWSLETTERERSA 2006 CONFERENCE, Volos, Greece,
August 30-September 3, 2006
The conference website is now open for
abstract submission and can be found at
http://www.prd.uth.gr/ersa2006. The website
also gives all relevant information that iscurrently available, including an overview ofconference themes, and of the dates anddeadlines that apply. The deadline for
abstract submission is January 16, 2006.
Contact the ERSA 2006 Local Organizing
Committee at: ersa2006@prd.uth.gr
IV MEETING OF THE BRAZILIAN RSA, October
15-17, 2006
”Learning Regions and Regional
Development, Foz do Iguaçu City, Brazil. All
paper submissions welcome.
www;aber.fea.usp.br
53RD ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN MEETINGSOF THE REGIONAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONINTERNATIONAL, November 16-18, 2006
The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada. Paper and session submissions will
be accepted online between April 15-August
1, 2006. Conference registration through theconference website. Hotel reservations at
the Fairmont Royal York, located in the heartof downtown Toronto. Book early to get the
special conference rate!
(www.fairmont.com/royalyork). Conference
questions Bruce Newbold (905) 525-9140 x
27948 newbold@mcmaster.ca Official
conference website: www.narsc.org
54 ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN MEETINGS OFTHE
REGIONALSCIENCEASSOCIATIONINTERNATIONAL, November 7-11, 2007,
Savannah, Georgia, USA at the HyattRegency. The meetings will be hosted by the
SRSA. The Hyatt underwent a completerenovation in the spring of 2005 and claims
347 guest rooms, including 29 suites, offering
panoramic views of the Savannah River andthe Downtown Historic District. Deadline forreservations is: October 25, 2007. Contact:
Professor Doug Woodward<woodward@moore.sc.edu> or<http://mooreschool.sc.edu/moore/econom
ics/profiles/woodward.htm>, University ofSouth Carolina, program chair.

MINUTES OF RSAI COUNCILMEETING: TOKYO, JULY 2005
Present: Bob Stimson (chair), Franz-Josef
Bade, Peter Batey, Graham Clarke, Lay
Gibson, Kingsley Haynes, Yoshiro Higano, T.
John Kim, Maureen Kilkenny, Jorge Serrano,
Jacques Poot.
1. Apologies: Carlos Azzoni, Antoine Bailly,Peter Batey, David Boyce, Roberto Camagni,
Roberta Capello, Manas Chatterjee, PaulCheshire, Kieran Donaghy, Raymond Florax,
Gideon Horn, Geoff Hewings, John
Madden, Phil McCann, Jan Oosterhaven,
Jessie Poon, Jean-Claude Thill, Brigitte
Waldorf.
Bob Stimson welcomed T. John Kim to his firstcommittee meeting. Graham Clarke notedthat we did not have a quorum and so othercommittee members would be e- mailed
and asked to comment on
recommendations.
2. Minutes of last meeting: accepted
3. Matters arising: none
4. President’s remarks: Bob Stimson again
thanked out-going President Antoine Bailly
for all his hard work.
5. Report of Executive Director
Graham Clarke reported on four main
issues:i) progress with universal membership. 19
Sections (out of a total of 36) were now fully
up and running in terms of receiving
membership (and Papers where relevant)
via Blackwells. 4/5 Sections were likely to be
fully operational by the end of the year. The
challenge was now to make sure that othersections (many in the developing world) alsocame on board asap. Yoshiro Higano
agreed to help Graham Clarke bring inmany of the PRSCO sectionsii) all financial accounts in the US had now
been closed with the exception of the funds
for fellowships which would continue to beadministered largely through NARSC. Kieran
Donaghy was thanked for his support in thistransfer of funds.
iii) changes were required in the constitution
in order to meet UK Charity Commission Law.
In particular, it was felt strongly that deputies
for Council meetings should not be allowed.

RSAI NEWSLETTER
The meeting agreed these changes on
ratification by other Council members.
Recommendation: to accept changes to
RSAI Constitutioniv) Yasuhide Okuyama (newsletter editor)
has left West Virginia University to return toJapan. The meeting thanked Yasu for all his
hard work in producing the newsletter.
Randy Jackson has agreed to resume therole of newsletter editor and the Meeting
expressed its gratitude to Randy and his
assistant Mary Lou Myer.
6. Papers in Regional Science
Jacques Poot reported that the first
Blackwell’s produced Papers in Regional
Science is now available electronically. The
first printed version should be ready mid
August. He reminded Council that the editors
had decided to move from a geographicalmode of operation (with editors dealing withsubmissions from their own Supra regions) toone based on subject matter. This had now
occurred, and the new European editor was
also in place (Jouke van Dyke). The central
submission system was also up and running.
Finally Jacques reported the good news that
Papers had the highest citation index for2004 amongst regional science journals.
7. Election of President Elect
This had been an item for discussion
amongst the long range planningcommittee and was dealt with under item
10
8. Report on 2008 CongressThis was deferred until Amsterdam
9. Report on Indian Symposium – Bangalore
2006
It was reported that the organization of thisevent was gathering momentum. A call for
papers had gone out and Peter Nijkamp
had asked a number of Council members toorganize special sessions. Bob Stimson
thanked Peter and Yoshiro Higano for all their
hard work.
Peter Batey and Bob Stimson reported on
the most recent LRPC meeting (on behalf ofChair, Geoff Hewings). The Committee had
discussed four main items:i) Supra-regional organization
10. Long-range planning CommitteePeter Batey and Bob Stimson reported on themost recent LRPC meeting (on behalf ofChair, Geoff Hewings). The Committee had
discussed four main items:

PAGE 9i) Supra-regional organization
Peter Batey discussed this item and agreed
to summarize through a paper. The paper
follows:
Supra-regional Groupings in the RSAI:
Proposed Changes
1. The present structure of three supraregional groupings within RSAI – NARSC, ERSA
and PRSCO – dates from the early 1990s.
Each supra-region was intended to serve asa hub for regional science activity. The
groupings covered the vast majority of the
RSAI sections that existed at that time, withthe significant exception of India.
2. The introduction of universal membershipand the growing aspiration to draw more of
the developing areas of the world into a
more inclusive RSAI has prompted this review
of supra- regional groupings.
3. Supra-regional groupings will continue toplay an important role, reflecting the factthat many regional scientists prefer to attend
conferences and develop research networks
in their own part of the world, rather thanengageinworldwide
activities.
The
conferences of the supra-regional groupings,
in particular, are well established and attract
large attendances from amongst the RSAI
membership.
4. The RSAI is encouraging the establishmentof new sections, notably in China, South
Africa, the Mediterranean region and Latin
America. It is also committed to re-engaging
with the Indian Section, which in recent years
has operated largely in isolation.
5. In proposing changes to the present
structure, it is important to retain theadvantages of several features of the current
arrangements and to ensure that there issufficient flexibility to accommodate a rangeof preferences and practices among RSAI
sections. Moreover, given the pace at which
the RSAI is developing, it is sensible to regard
the new arrangements as transitional and toplan to review them in five years time. By
then there may be a good case for further
restructuring involving the creation of more
supra-regions.
6. Each of the current supra-regions will now
be examined in turn. In the PRSCO supraregion there is a well-established practice offostering new sections. In the next few years,
PRSCO can expect to be involved in theformation of new Latin American sections, aChina Section, and new sections in otherPAGE 10
Asian countries. Following recent discussions,the Indian Section has applied to join PRSCO.
7. To accommodate this substantial
expansion, and to better represent its
emerging geographical coverage, we
propose that PRSCO be transformed into theAsia-Pacific Regional Science Conference
Organization: A-PRSCO.
8. In the Americas, there is the prospect ofseveral new sections being formed in Latin
America. Sections already exist in Brazil and
Mexico, and a new section is on the point ofbeing formed in Chile. Such sections may
benefit from participation in PRSCO (and its
successor, A-PRSCO), as well as fromdeveloping stronger links with the present
NARSC.
9. To facilitate these links within theAmericas, we propose that NARSC betransformed into TARSC (The Americas
Regional Science Council). Such a change
would enable all regional scientists, whether
they are from North or Latin America, toparticipate on an equal basis.
10. In Europe, ERSA has grown rapidly as aresult of its success in establishing new
sections in eastern, central and southern
Europe. Around the Mediterranean rim thereis the likelihood that sections will be formed ina number of North African countries, possiblyin Egypt and Morocco. Already the Israeli
Section is a member of ERSA, setting a
precedent for the inclusion of non- European
sections with some affinity with Europe. A
South African Section, with some existing links
with Europe, was established three yearsago.
11. We propose that in the next five years
ERSA addresses the issue of incorporating
more non- European sections, fostering theirdevelopment in much the same way as it
has done for new sections within Europe. The
experience of PRSCO in establishing new
sections may also prove valuable in thisrespect.
12. It is strength of the current arrangements
in RSAI that some sections participate inmore than one supra-regional grouping. For
example, the WRSA and the Canadian
Section are affiliated with both NARSC andPRSCO. We propose that the choice of
which supra-region to join be a matter for anindividual section. A section, faced with achoice of two groupings, may choose toaffiliate with either or both. Nevertheless, we

RSAI NEWSLETTER
would anticipate that the vast majority ofexisting sections would want to maintain theirpresent allegiance(s).
13. It is important that the RSAI Council
reflects the expansion of the supra-regionalgroupings. We propose that three additional
places on Council be created by cooption.
Two of these places would be filled byrepresentatives from India and China,
nominated by A-PRSCO, while the third
would be a representative from the Latin
American sections, nominated by TARSC.
14. These proposals, assuming they are
adopted, will come into operation in January
2006. Consultation will be undertaken
between August 2005 and the Las Vegas
NARSC meeting in November 2005, leading
to a final decision by the RSAI Council in Las
Vegas.
Peter Batey, on behalf of the RSAI LRPC
Recommendation: to be discussed byexisting Supra-regional Councils for further
debate in Amsterdamii) There was discussion amongst LRPC andCouncil over future at-large candidates.
Three names were discussed for the 2 posts
available from 2005. Graham Clarke was
asked to discuss this with the threecandidates and report back to next meetingiii) After discussion the preferred candidate
for President Elect was Roger Stough. NARSC
would be asked if they were happy topropose Roger for NARSC rep from 2005.
Graham Clarke to again report back to
Amsterdam meeting.
iv) There was some discussion about possible
future changes to the RSAI constitution toallow potential Presidents to serve more than
6/7 years on Council. It was felt that some
excellent potential candidates were now
ruled out under present rules as they had
served previous two terms on Council. A
possible solution is to amend the constitution
to allow more than 2 terms for officers only.
11. Date of next Council meeting:
ERSA Conference, Amsterdam, Saturdayth
27 August at 11.00 am
AOB
Jorge Serrano asked about a discussion
on new services Council could support. It
was agreed that this will be an agenda
item in Amsterdam.
Graham Clarke, 2005

RSAI NEWSLETTERMINUTES OF RSAICOUNCIL MEETING: LAS
VEGAS, NOVEMBER 2005
Present: Bob Stimson (chair), Carlos Azzoni,
Antoine Bailly, Peter Batey, David Boyce,
Graham Clarke, Kieran Donaghy, RaymondFlorax, Lay Gibson, Kingsley Haynes, Yoshiro
Higano, Maureen Kilkenny, John Madden,
Phil McCann, T. John Kim, Jorge Serrano, Jan
Oosterhaven, Jessie Poon, Jacques Poot,
Roger Stough, Jean-Claude Thill, Brigitte
Waldorf. (Guests: Patricio Aroca (Chile),
Jorge Bueno (Columbia), Antonio Paez,(McMaster, USA)
1. Apologies: Roberto Camagni, Roberta
Capello, Paul Cheshire, Gideon Horn
2. Minutes of last meeting: accepted
3. Matters arising: None
4. President’s remarks
4.1 Bob Stimson remarked on the need for aCouncil meeting between November 2005
and August 2006. He suggested a
teleconference should be set up in
April/May. This was agreed.
4.2 Bob congratulated all those associatedwith the formation of three new RSAI
sections: Malaysia and Chile (now officiallyaccepted into PRSCO). It was hoped that a
new Colombian Section would be next. It is
anticipated that the India section would alsojoin PRSCO.
5. Report of Executive Director
5.1 To meet the requirements for registration
under the UK Charities Act, Graham Clarke
asked Council to approve further changes to
the Constitution in order to gain charity status
in the UK (current headquarters of RSAI). This
was agreed subject to the words ‘no politicalbias’ being retained somewhere in theConstitution. Also, it was agreed that the
President and Executive Director could serve
three terms on Council rather then two.
5.2 Following the nomination at the Tokyo
meeting in August 2005 of Roger Stough as
President Elect for 2005 and thus President for2007 and 2008, Graham reported thatNARSC had appointed Roger as one of its
appointees to Council, and thus Roger’s

PAGE 11three year term would occur under thatprocess.
5.3 Graham announced that of the threecandidates for At-Large Councillors he hadheard directly from only two to accept theirnomination. This meant that the two
nominees who had now formallycommunicated the acceptance of theirnomination equaled the number ofvacancies for Councillors-at-Large, and that
an election ballot of members would not benecessary. Thus, Jessie Poon and Roberta
Capello were duly appointed as Councillors
at large for the years 2006, 2007, 2008.
Jan Oosterhaven asked Council to ensure in
future there are more than 2 candidates so
an election could be held by themembership. Phil McCann suggested thatwider canvassing of potential nominees be
undertaken to entice members to stand fornomination to make the procedure ofelection of Councillors-at-Large be seen to
be more democratic.
6. Long Range Planning Committee
Antoine Bailly reported on a number ofissues:
6.1 There had now been much discussion on
the possibility of starting a new policy related
journal. A Member Services Task Force had
been set up in Amsterdam to take thisforward, and a Report had been circulated
and is open for discussion at this meeting. It issuggested that now Peter Batey andRaymond Florax be added to this team (seealso item 9) in its pursuit of a strategy fordeveloping that new journal.
6.2 There should be a deadline for set for
Sections to decide on joining RSAI under
universal membership. Graham Clarke would
try (with Blackwells) to get all sections to beeither joined or formally committed to
become members by the end of 2005. The
situation regarding any Sections not having
joined by April/May 2006 would be discussed
and reviewed at the next Council meetingand the status of those sections determined.
6.3 Peter Batey reported on this item. He
reminded Council of the details concerning
the paper on reorganisation of Supraregional groupings (reported in full in the
Amsterdam minutes). NARSC had agreed tosupport and welcome Latin American
sections. Jean-Claude Thill reported that hehoped that a final document on thePAGE 12changes would be ready by next
October/November. PRSCO also agreed tosupport the proposals but would further
debate the change in name at their next
meeting in Malaysia. Few changes wereenvisaged for ERSA at this stage.
These proposals from the Long Range
Planning Committee were accepted.
7. Papers in Regional Science
Raymond Florax reported that 2005 hadbeen a year of transition with the move toBlackwells as publisher and the editorial
office move to Purdue. Although there had
been inevitable production delays in theyear of transition he was confident that all 4
editions for 2005 would appear this year. The
number of submissions continues to climb
and in January 2006 a new on-line paper
submission process would be in place.
Raymond also reported a number of items
from the Editorial Board meeting. He urged
the secretariat to get universal membershipsorted as soon as possible so that as many
people could have on-line access to thejournal as possible. He also noted a number
of appointments/reappointments wereneeded soon, and he asked Council toresurrect the publications committee toaddress this issue.

RSAI NEWSLETTER

Graham Clarke thanked Kieran Donaghy atIllinois for his hard work in closing andtransferring accounts from the US. A smallbalance remained in the USA however for
expenditure needed in the US (i.e.,
production of prize medals etc).
9. RSAI Task Force
Bob Stimson presented the Report from theMember Services Task Force. This was wellreceived and Council voted to agree all theaction points proposed.
Most debate focused on the policy journal
issue which was welcomed an initiative toserve the wider and more diverse
membership of RSAI following the transition to
universal membership.
Jan Oosterhaven urged Council to meet withERSA as soon as possible so that no
duplication of effort takes place. Peter Batey
and Graham Clarke agreed to meet PaulCheshire as soon as possible.
It was decided to ask Blackwell to provide
advise to the Task Force on the role it mightplay vis-à-vis the new journal and for it toprovide an assessment of market
potential/viability.

This was agreed, with the membership to be:
Raymond Florax, Bob Stimson, Graham
Clarke, Paul Cheshire, Roger Stough andJohn Madden.

The Task Force sub-group would have avirtual meeting in January to take mattersforward. A budget of £20k was provisionallyagreed for the Task Force group.

David Boyce asked about increases in sales
to libraries. Raymond replied that this was anintegral part of Blackwell’s plans for the
expansion of the journal.

It was anticipated that a Development andbusiness plan for the new journal be brought
to the next meeting of the Council.
10. Prizes

8. RSAI Accounts
Dimitris Ballas presented the accounts to theCouncil. Council was pleased to see ahealthy balance. But now it was necessary to
put into place an expenditure program
related to RSAI promotion and new services
to members. The President suggested that
this be undertaken by the FinanceCommittee immediately after the financial
outcome of the first year of the universal
membership transition and partnership withBlackwell was known, and that was
expected about April 2006. A budget
incorporating an expenditure program for
operations and member services innovations
would be put to the next meeting of theCouncil.

Kieran Donaghy produced a list of current
RSAI prizes. A Prizes Sub-Committee was set
up to propose the two additional awards
proposed in Report from the Member
Services Task Force. That Sub-Committee willbe: Bob Stimson, Roger Stough, Graham
Clarke and Antoine Bailly.
Bob Stimson thanked Luc Anselin and David
Boyce for all their efforts in process forselecting the RSAI Fellows and arranging forthe awards.
Art Getis has agreed to be Chair of process
for selecting RSAI Fellows for 2006. The call for
nominations has already been made andnominations close in late January in 2006.

RSAI NEWSLETTER

PAGE 13

Nominations made in previous years remain
under consideration for 2006.
Antonio Paez (new coordinator of thedissertation prize) proposed some minorchanges to the procedure for electing the
Ben Stevens Fellowship. These were agreed.

EDITOR’S NOTE
To contact the editor for posting to the RSAI
website or newsletter:
RSAI Newsletter/Webpage Editor:
rri@mail.wvu.edu

11. AOB11.1 The Brazilian section announced theirforthcoming meeting in Foz do Iguaçu City,
October 15th-17th 2006
11.2 Roger Stough detailed the contents ofan e-mail from Paul Cheshire asking if
Council could release details of theresources available for new service provisionin 2006. Phil McCann had received a similar
request. Both Roger and Phil believed thatthe publication of accounts under item 8
had now resolved this issue.
11.3 Bob Stimson thanked out-going
Councillors Antoine Bailly and Maureen
Kilkenny for all their hard work.
11.4 For the appointment of Councillors for
2006/2007/2008, Council is pleased towelcome:In order to receive RSAI monthly news
updates and other regional science related
communications, you need to join the listserv(regsc-l), maintained by West Virginia
University’s Regional Research Institute, at
http://www.rri.wvu.edu/listservs.htm

RSAI HEADQUARTERS
Regional Science
Association International
c/o Graham Clarke
School of Geography
University of Leeds
Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

LATEST SUBMISSION

From NARSC – Roger Stough (also President
Elect) for a first term; Jean-Claude Thill for asecond term.

SARA-Scholarly Articles Research Alerting

From ERSA – Roberto Camagni for a second
term.

This is a free service provided by Taylor &Francis. Benefits of registering to SARA:

From PRSCO – David Edgington for a firstterm.

• Free service• Pre-publication contents alerts in text or11.4 The President invited Jorge Bueno to saya few words about RSAI in Columbia. Council
looked forward to their full participation in
future years.

•
•
•
•

12. Date of next Council meeting:Teleconference to be arranged for April/May

To register, visit: www.tandf.co.uk/saraGraham Clarke, November 2005

html format
Links through to the online article
Convenient and easy to use
Alerts available by title and by keyword
Over 1050 titles available.

For further information, visit:
www.tandf.co.uk/journals

PAGE 14RSAI NEWSLETTERDEVELOPING EXISTING AND INITIATING NEW MEMBERSERVICES FOR RSAI
Report to the RSAI Council from the Member Services Task ForceThis Report from the Member Services Task Force to RSAI Council is for consideration and action as
appropriate by the Council at its meeting at 12 noon on Friday 11 November during the NARSC
meeting in Las Vegas.
The report canvasses a number of issues which the Council needs to address in improving existingand potentially initiating new member services. It makes a number of proposals and eight specificrecommendations, some of which are amenable to implementation immediately and in early
2006, and some of which will need to be pursued through further deliberation by the Task Forcewith a view to a detailed strategy and implementation plan being brought back to the Council at
its meeting in association with the ERSA Conference in August 2006.
1. Establishing the Member Services Task Force
1.1 At the Amsterdam meeting of the RSAI Council held on 27 August 2005 in association with the
ERSA 2005 Congress, it was resolved to form a Member Services Task Force to develop a
strategy and to recommend specified proposals for new member services to be provided by
RSAI.
1.2 The Task Force comprises:•
Robert Stimson, RSAI President•
Antoine Bailly, RSAI Immediate Past President•
Roger Stough, the Council nominee as RSAI President Elect•
Graham Clarke, RSAI Executive Director•
Paul Cheshire, representing ERSA•
Maureen Kilkenny, representing NARSC•John Madden, RSAI Council.
1.3 The role of the Task Force is to develop a comprehensive strategy for RSAI Member Services
and to recommend to the RSAI Council at the ERSA meeting in August 2006 a set of specificproposals and mechanisms for implementing action for expanded and new member services.
1.4 The Task Force was asked to provide a Report to the RSAI Council at the NARSC meeting inNovember 2005.
1.5 A part of the considerations of the Task Force was to be the issue of a new journal in Regional
Science Policy and Practice (See 5 below). The intent was for the Task Force to report to thatmeeting of the Council proposing a procedure to pursue the development of a detailed
strategy and implementation procedure if it is deemed to be desirable and feasible for RSAI toundertake such an initiative. That will require the formation of a specialist sub-committee of the
Task Force to work on the details and to report back to the Council with a detailed
recommendation at the Council meeting during the ERSA Conference in August 2006.
1.6 The task Force has conducted its business through email correspondence and thedevelopment of draft documents incorporating feedback from members of the Task Force
proposing ideas and suggesting amendments to drafts.
2. Background
2.1 As part of the discussions with the three supra-regional organisations of RSAI (NARSC, ERSA,PRSCO) and with RSA Sections to negotiate and implement the arrangements for universal
membership of RSAI, it was implicit that, following the successful operation of those newarrangements with Blackwell, the RSAI Council would then turn attention in 2005 and beyond
to developing new member services to meet the needs and expectations of a larger andmore diverse international membership of RSAI. Of course there is an on-going need to bereviewing member services and considering how they may be enhanced.
2.2 It is now the appropriate time to commence that process and to develop a strategy during
2005/06 for implementation from 2006/07.

RSAI NEWSLETTER

PAGE 15

3. The range of RSAI Member Services which should be considered for further development and/or
as new initiatives
3.1 Current RSAI member services include:(a) Through the arrangements with Blackwell, on-line access of RSAI members to Papers in
Regional Science and the RSAI Newsletter.
(b) The RSAI web-site.
Recommendation 1: ‘Papers in Regional Science’ and the ‘RSAI Newsletter’, and the RSAI web site,
are crucial established member services and should continue and be enhanced, with specificattention being given to how to improve and further develop the RSAI Newsletter and RSAI website.
3.2 Possible new initiatives for additional member services might include the following:(a) A new journal in the field of Regional Science Policy and Practice.
(b) International study groups on specific topics.
(c) Joint ventures between RSAI and the supra-regional groups (NARSC/ERSA/PRSCO)
and local Sections of RSAI.
(d) Web site “chat rooms” for special interest groups.
(e) Services which specifically meet the needs of non-academic members of the RSAI.
(f) Collaborative ventures with other professional associations where symbiotic andmutually beneficial outcomes are apparent.
(g) Additional RSAI awards to recognise excellence and service within RSAI and by
policy leaders and practitioners in the fields of regional development and planningand the application of regional science approaches, including “best practice” casestudies.
In addition, while recognising that English is the official language for RSAI “international”
meetings, activities and publications, it might be possible to provide a limited multi-language
service for appropriate activities and publications to meet the needs of the diverse language
groups within the overall RSAI membership, especially for the French, Spanish, Japanese andChinese speaking groups.
Recommendation 2: From the 2006 volume of ‘Papers in Regional Science’, there should beincorporated within the on-line version of the journal abstracts of papers in several languages toreflect the diverse language groups represented in the membership of RSAI.
Recommendation 3: A sub committee of the RSAI Council should be established to draft a policy
and guidelines for the implementation of two new RSAI awards: a RSAI Service Award; and a RSAI
Medal for Public Service Commitment to Regional Development.
4. Developing the RSAI Web-Site
4.1 Specific issues to address for the short-term development of the RSAI web-site include thefollowing:(a) Improving the integration between Blackwell, RSAI Council/Secretariat, and the RSAI
web-master for the development and operation (including management) of the
web-site.
(b) Providing on the RSAI web site direct links to the web sites of the supra-regional
bodies (NARSC, ERSA, PRSCO) and the web-sites of local Sections of RSAI, andsimilarly providing links the other way.
4.2 The RSAI web site incorporates a range of functions which include the following, and thesemight be improved in the ways suggested:(a)A directory of RSAI members through a ‘type-in name’ mode of access, which
could be improved by also having a facility to access the full listing of members,
with details of their email contact, and a summary of their expertise and researchinterests. It would be useful for there to be a facility whereby a user of the web site
might be able to for search for persons with expertise in specified fields.
(b) A calendar of RSAI conferences, which needs to be enhanced with links to the web
sites for registration for those events.

PAGE 16

RSAI NEWSLETTER(c)(c)

A notice board for up-coming regional science meetings/events, which might beenhanced with provision of a “pop-up” notice on the home page upon entry to
the web site.
A notice board for ‘job vacancies’, which needs to be expanded to include nonacademic positions in the public and private sectors.

Recommendation 4: The RSAI Executive Director negotiate with Blackwell to determine thearrangements necessary to implement the innovations set out in 4.2 of this Report, and arrange to
put in place the mechanisms for their implementation in 2006.
4.3 The RSAI web site might be developed to incorporate new facilities, including the following:(a) A ‘standardised’ RSAI conference registration facility for the RSAI supra-regionalorganisations and Sections that want to participate, and/or links to the
NARSC/ERSA/PRSCO and Section conference registration web-sites. The RSAI
Executive Director should liaise with the supra-regional organisations and the local
Sections of RSAI to discuss this matter.
(b) Providing the facility for ‘chat rooms’ for regional science interest groups.
(c) Hosting of ‘News Notes’ on regional development and planning policy andpractice through a “gate-keeper” to ensure quality control for access by
researchers, policy and planning bureaucrats and consultants.
Recommendation 5: The RSAI Executive Director liaise with the President and Executive Secretary of
the three supra-regional organisations of RSAI and with the local Sections of RSAI to determine theneed for initiatives from the RSAI Council with respect to the matters raised in Section 4.3 of thisReport, and provide feedback to the Council during the first half of 2006.
5. A new journal initiative in regional science ‘policy and practice’
5.1 The notion of a regional science ‘policy and practice’ journal initiative does potentiallyrepresent an important step in the necessary development of additional member services tocater for the now more diverse membership of RSAI, which includes regional development andplanning policy and practice bureaucrats and consultants in addition to academic
researchers and teachers. In addition, it needs to recognise that the academic membership of
RSAI includes a very substantial number of researchers and teachers who undertake work
applying regional science approaches to policy and practice in regional development andplanning. Thus, the matter needs to be given serious deliberation.
5.2 This initiative would require careful consideration thorough a feasibility evaluation andsubsequent detailed planning for implementation if the indication is that such an initiative isfeasible and desirable. That should include a formal evaluation of the following:(a) market potential and commercial viability(b) orientation, scope and focus(c) editorial policy(d) contract arrangements with a publisher(e) the possibility of collaboration with another professional association (s)To assist the RSAI in undertaking that evaluation and formulation of a strategy and plan for
implementation, it may be necessary to hire the professional services of an appropriate consultant
to provide independent advice.
5.3 Principles which are important and should guide the development of a formal strategy for sucha new journal initiative include the following:(a) A new journal - whatever its ultimate name might be - will need to have a truly
international perspective to reflect the ‘global focus’ of RSAI in developing
regional science The Editorial Board structure of Papers in Regional Science mightprovide a model to replicate with an Editor in Chief and three Editors from thesupra-regional organisations (NARSC, ERSA and PRSCO).
(b) An explicit editorial policy will be required which emphasizes the focus on theapplication of regional science methods in a policy/practice context for regional
studies and planning, and especially in the field of local and regional economic
and community development policy, planning and practice. Papers that
demonstrate public policy development and program implementation andbusiness applications using regional science theory and methods and caseproviding ‘best practice’ case studies would be particularly sought.

RSAI NEWSLETTER

PAGE 17(c) Quality control for contributed and solicited papers would be assured through thenormal refereeing procedures would be used.
(d) Contributed papers would be encouraged not only from academic researchers especially in collaboration with public policy and program bureaucrats and withprivate sector people – but also from policy and program bureaucrats and private
sector consultants. However, it may also be desirable and feasible to includesections that are non-refereed contributions in the form of ‘notices’ and ‘news’.
(e) Because of the formal collaboration recently implemented with Blackwell,
preferably this initiative would occur under that RSAI/Blackwell agreement, and in
the first instance discussions should be held with the people at Blackwell toascertain what they might propose. That is not to say that alternative potential
publishers might or should be considered and alternative potential publishers
approached if it is decided to seek competitive tenders.
5.4 An important issue is whether a new ‘policy and practice’ journal should only be an ‘on-line’e.journal or whether it should be available both ‘on-line’ and in ‘hard copy’ for institutional
subscribers and individuals who were to pay an additional fee for that service. A view has
been put to the Task Force that an ‘on-line’ only e.journal would provide greater flexibility
without the page constraint of a journal that is also available in hard copy. The notion behind
this perspective is that the potential initiative for a ‘policy and practice’ journal could result in a“flood” of contributions – particularly from policy and program practitioners and consultants ofpapers and case studies that are intrinsically most valuable but which are ‘replicative’ innature and would not be suitable for a refereed journal that is ‘on-line’ but also ‘hard copy.’ A
mixed model of both ‘on-line’ and ‘hard copy’ does have the flexibility of the on-line version
incorporation non-refereed components while the ‘hard copy’ version would include only fullyrefereed contributions.
5.5 There might be the possibility of collaborative joint venture in this initiative between RSAI andother established organisations which more explicitly embrace the diverse regional
development policy and practice community. This might be possible with the organization
known as ACCRA in the U.S., which started as a division of the Association of Chamber ofCommerce Executives but split off about 20 years ago as the American Chamber ofCommerce Researchers Association but decided to keep the ACCRA identity. Today the bodyhas the official tile of ACCRA: The Council for Community and Economic Research, but it isunderstood that the ‘ACCRA’ part will be dropped in the near future. ACCRA has in the orderof 500 members in the U.S. and Canada, with a few from elsewhere. Members of ACCRA are
predominantly from chambers of commerce and regional development organisations, but it
also includes academic researchers and teachers. ACCRA undertakes a substantial amount oftraining activities including an accredited course in regional and local economic
development, and one of its professional development programs results in enrollees becoming
a Certified Community Researcher. In addition, ACCRA publishes the Cost of Living Index foralmost 300 metro areas; it lobbies federal agencies on data availability and quality; itdisseminates data of members; and it has a consulting arm for economic development. Within
ACCRA there is a degree of cross-over of membership in North America with RSAI members,
and there are strong connections with the Executive MBA program at the U Southern
Mississippi. Many of the classes in the education and professional development programs run
by ACCRA are taught by members of the RSAI. Following some preliminary informal discussions
with officers of ACCRA, there may well be interest in entering into a joint venture with RSAI inresurrecting the journal Economic Development Review which has lapsed and was edited outof U Southern Mississippi. It would seem sensible for at least formal discussions be entered into
between RSAI and ACCRA to explore the possibilities for collaboration and the possible‘sharing’ of member services, and to specifically evaluate the potential and desirability of acollaboration on a journal initiative which could involve the resurrection of EDR in some form
with RSAI.
Recommendation 6: The RSAI Council establish a Sub-committee of the Member Services Task
Force to undertake a detailed investigation of the feasibility for an initiative for starting a newjournal in regional science ‘policy and practice’, with a full report recommending further action,
including an implementation strategy if that initiative is shown to be feasible, to come to the metingof the RSAI Council at the August 2006 ERSA conference. In conducting this task, the Subcommittee should address the issues set out in Section 5 of this Report. The Sub-Committee shouldbe empowered to spend up to British Pounds 10,000 to obtain independent advice necessary incarrying out the evaluation of the feasibility of this initiative.

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RSAI NEWSLETTER

6. A ‘policy and practice news’ web facility
6.1 The RSAI web-site could be expanded to incorporate an initiative which provided a facility for:(a) The hosting of ‘News Notes’ on regional development and planning policy andprogram initiatives.
(b) Submission of reports and papers on policy, plans, practice, and businessapplications of regional science approaches through a “gatekeeper” to ensure
quality control for access by researchers, policy and planning bureaucrats andconsultants.
(c) A ‘chat room’ for applications of regional science approaches and regional
economic development and planning for participation by researchers,
bureaucrats and consultants.
6.2 This development might occur as a collaborative venture with an appropriate otherprofessional association(s), and that might result in the service being run through an existing
web site with a direct link from the RSAI web site. Such collaboration might also lead to RSAI
members gaining access to existing information sources that might be of interest to the diverse
membership if RSAI.
Recommendation 7: The members Task Force should consider further the feasibility of RSAI initiatinga ‘policy and practice news’ web facility and report back with a detailed proposal to the meetingof the RSAI Council at the August 2006 ERSA conference.
7. Funding expansion of existing and new initiatives in member services
7.1 The expansion in existing member services and the new initiatives proposed for consideration inthis Report will require the allocation of funds, both for the conduct of the detailed feasibility ofsome of the new initiatives proposed and the implementation of expansion in existing services.
7.2 It will be necessary to incorporate within the RSAI 2006 budget an allocation to fund the service
innovations proposed in this Report, and annual allocations are likely to be required beyond
that year to keep the new services going. However, the impact on the RSAI annual budget
should not be great, and it is likely that the surpluses that are envisaged to accrue from thearrangements with Blackwell vis-à-vis universal membership and its implementation from 2005
will be sufficient to underwrite a considerable expansion of member services in the coming
years.
7.3 The RSAI Executive Director will need to begin discussions with Blackwell regarding theimplementation of extension of some of the existing member services proposed in this Reportthat relate to the RSAI web site and Paper in Regional Science, and to determine those things
that can be implemented within the current contract between RSAI and Blackwell and wherean additional fee paid by RSAI can achieve implementation within the existing contract
and/or an amendment to the contract will be necessary.
7.4 It is suggested that an allocation of up to British Pounds 20,000 be provided in 2006 (nornecessarily to be fully expended in that year) to begin the implementation of member services
expansion and to undertake the feasibility analysis that will be necessary with respect to the
new initiative for a regional science ‘policy and practice’ journal.
Recommendation 8: The RSAI Council allocate up to British Pounds 20,000, with spending tocommence in 2006, for the implementation of the extension in existing member services and forthe investigation and possible implementation of the new initiatives in member services that areproposed in this Report.