Regional Planning: A Fresh Start for the Capital Region

<div class="flexinode-body flexinode-1"><div class="flexinode-textarea-1"><div class="form-item"> <label>Description: </label> <h3>Free presentation and panel discussion</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> <strong>Location:</strong> University of Alberta, NRE (Natural Resource Engineering Facility) Room 1-001 (<a href="http://www.campusmap.ualberta.ca/index.cfm?campus=1&amp;sector=1&amp;feature=24">map</a>)<br /><strong>Cost:</strong> FREE <br /> Please feel free to share this invitation. </p> <p>Contact:<br /> Tel: 780-492-9957 <br /> Fax: 780-492-8265 <br /> Email: <a href="mailto:%[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p> <h3> <a name="c"></a> About the Speaker </h3> <p><a href="http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/people/display2.php?user=partridge.27">Mark Partridge</a> is the <a href="http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/programs/Swank/">C. William Swank Chair of Rural-Urban Policy</a> at <a href="http://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a> and a Professor in AED Economics Department. Prior to that, he was the Canada Research Chair in the New Rural Economy at the University of Saskatchewan, where he is an Adjunct Professor. Dr. Partridge has published over 60 academic and scholarly papers and his work has been ranked among the top-1000 economists in the world. </p> <p>He is currently the lead investigator on an Infrastructure Canada grant to examine rural-urban interactions and the role of infrastructure. His current research interests include investigating rural-urban interdependence, why some communities grow faster than others, and innovations in regional policy and governance. </p> <h3> <a name="d"></a> Background</h3>Economic, social, and environmental health are presumed to be best achieved when communities work together. Strong economic and population growth in Alberta demand an informed plan around industry attraction and retention, labour supply, and supporting infrastructure and services. <p>There is a need to determine how and to what extent industry partners are working together, and with public partners, to form economic clusters and enhance competitiveness. This, in turn, leads to the necessity to determine what alliances, agreements, linkages, and relationships exist that not only have an impact on the economic development in any particular region but also possibly define the region at a functional level. </p> <h3> <a name="e"></a> About the City-Region Studies Centre</h3> <p>The <a href="http://www.crsc.ualberta.ca/">City-Region Studies Centre</a> is a University of Alberta inter- and multi-disciplinary based research unit whose mission is to engage with communities, particularly within the Alberta Capital Region, and explore the nature of &#39;city-regions&#39; in all of its complexities. </p> <p>The Centre&#39;s goal is to increase understanding of the interactions and inter-dependencies of the human (political, economic, socio-cultural) relationships within the city-region and thus to inform public policy and improve the well-being of those who dwell within. </p> </div> </div></div>