The
2009 Meetings of the World Society for Ekistics
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Dates:
20 to 27 October, 2009
Location:
Sheraton Voyager Hotel,
Theme:
“The Future of Urbanization – Megalopolis and Beyond: Networking,
education and interdisciplinarity”
GENERAL
INFORMATION
The 2009 programs of the
World Society for Ekistics are scheduled to take place from 20 to 27 October at
the Sheraton Voyager Hotel, 100. Yıl Bulvarı,
Participants in the
annual meetings are members of the WSE and other experts in the field of Human
Settlements from a variety of countries and disciplines as contributors or
observers.
In addition to two
working sessions (an Executive Council meeting and a General Assembly for
members of the Society only), the main part of the program will focus on the
theme “The Future of Urbanization –
Megalopolis and Beyond: Networking, education and
interdisciplinarity”, and will include:
1. a 6-day Symposion on
this theme with presentations of papers and discussions;
and,
2. the 2009 C.A. Doxiadis Lecture
(in memory of the founder of Ekistics, the Science of Human Settlements, and
co-founder of the Society) to be delivered by Prof. Dr.
Dogan Kuban, the well-known Turkish architect and art historian, and former Dean
of the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical
University.
Participants are expected
to cover their travel and living expenses themselves or from their
institutions.
Anyone interested in
attending may apply to the Secretariat, World Society for Ekistics, email: ekistics@otenet.gr.
The detailed program is
now in preparation and will soon be available.
Background
Material
As a reminder of the
effort on Megalopolis in the early years of the Society, and as a source of
basic information, the following documents will serve as background
material:
A.
From Ekistics, February 1976, pp. 109-113, a
paper on “Megalopolitan systems around the world” reflecting the keynote speech
of Jean Gottmann at this Symposion in
To facilitate thought,
attention is drawn to the cases Gottmann considers in this
paper:
1)
The American Northeastern
Megalopolis
2)
The
3)
The Tokaido Megalopolis
in
4)
The megalopolis in
5)
The megalopolis of
northwestern Europe extending from
6)
The Urban Constellation
in Mainland
7)
Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo
complex in
8)
Milan-Turin-Genoa
extending along the Mediterranean seashore southward to
9)
Megalopolis in
10)
- Further to the above, a
large number of important references to Megalopolis exist in the three issues of
Ekistics (vol. 70, Jan.-Dec.
2003), “In the steps of Jean Gottmann” in which we had as guest editor Professor
Calogero Muscarà and, as one of the major contributors, Professor Luca Muscarà,
who is one of the younger authorities on the theme internationally. Read more.
- In addition vol. 71 of
Ekistics (Jan.-Dec. 2004) on “The Natural City”, with guest editor
Professor Ingrid Leman Stefanovic, refers to more recent developments and the
problematique about the future in one of the major regions of the Great Lakes
Megalopolis. Read more.
B.
Those interested in being briefed on the many years’ intense research
effort of the Athens Center of Ekistics on global urbanization may see the
summary of the contents of the large number of documents available in a text
written by John Papaioannou six years after the publication of the book Ecumenopolis, the Inevitable City of the Future
(co-authored by him and C.A. Doxiadis) and published in the
May-June 1980 issue
of Ekistics, p 175
ff.
Of course for direct reference to
Megalopolis, one could select a few pages from this document including page 204
with the Ekistic Grid and the schematic presentation of the hierarchy of human
settlements. However, the entire issue of Ekistics will certainly give those who
have been through this kind of experience a chance to refresh their memory and
will also constitute a very important source of information for all
others.
It is good that this summary is
preceded by a statement on “Planning at two scales: the work of C.A. Doxiadis”
by Professor Suzanne Keller, immediate past president of the Society. Read
more: May-June 1980 issue of Ekistics p 172-174.