How do European Small Towns Face Metropolitan Development?
ARL Lunch Talk #8
25 November 2024, 13:00-14:00 (CET), online
In the era of globalization, large cities and metropolitan regions are often regarded as key hubs of knowledge, innovation, and creativity-based societies. However, while much focus is placed on these larger urban centres, small towns — home to 38% of the EU population — are frequently overlooked, despite their crucial role in regional development. Small towns are notably diverse in terms of their spatial context, as they can be situated within urban regions, isolated in rural areas, or part of a network of similarly sized towns. To date, research on small towns within metropolitan areas across Europe has been limited, with even fewer studies addressing the mutual benefits or challenges of territorial cooperation between metropolitan cores and small urban centres.
In the past three years, the ARL International Working Group "Small Towns and Metropolitan Cores: Towards Cooperation?” has been exploring how small European towns, in all their diversity, confront metropolitan development and its associated challenges. This initiative also emphasizes the importance of developing a transnational and interdisciplinary approach to the topic, building on existing research traditions across Europe. Their work has deepened the understanding of the complex relationship between small towns and metropolitan regions.
The outcomes of their collaborative efforts were published in a two-part Special Issue of the European Journal of Spatial Development (ESDJ), shedding new light on the importance of small urban centres in shaping the development of metropolitan regions in Europe and contributing to ongoing scientific discussions, and will be presented and discussed with all interested participants as part of this Lunch Talk.
The Speakers:
- Christophe Demazière, Professor at University of Lille and Chair of the ARL International Working Group “Small Towns and Metropolitan Cores: Towards Cooperation?”
- Sebastian Dembski, Senior Lecturer at University of Liverpool and Member of the ARL International Working Group
Dr Sebastian Dembski | University of Liverpool
Sebastian Krätzig heads the Spatial Planning and Policy department at the ARL Headquarters and is moderating the Lunch Talk.
Registration
Please register by November 24, 2024, using the following form:
https://forms.office.com/e/a4DggbNpmw
You will receive the link to participate in the event in advance of the start time. Please note that we do not send registration confirmations.
Find the Special Issues here:
