We welcome paper/poster abstracts and session proposals on urban studies-related research topics from all disciplines. UAA conferences typically attract researchers from fields such as sociology, geography, public policy, planning, political science, urban studies, environmental studies, law, social work, education, women’s studies, area studies, and many others.
51st Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association
April 26-29, 2023 | Renaissance Hotel | Nashville, TN
From Global to Local: Urban Communities in Flux
As the 21st century unfolds, urban centers continue to experience new and unexpected challenges, while historical ones remain. Pandemics, protests, and restructuring raise new questions about the future of urban centers. We are witnessing multiple globalisms as cities and urbanized regions are transformed by unprecedented shifts in work, security, and immigration. And, while technology continues to reshape our concept of place, recent constraints on human interactions (e.g., global pandemic) remind us of the basic preference for direct contact, and the importance of social connections to family, friends, communities and neighborhoods. Many urban places are redefining themselves as nodes of entertainment, tourism, creative industries, and technology. As they transform, questions emerge surrounding their local relevance, uneven opportunity structures, and environmental impacts. Uneven patterns of development continue from the global to the metropolitan level. From quality of life to basic needs, urban centers are in transition. Our biggest challenge: how do we direct the process of change to yield equitable and sustainable outcomes?
Nashville as a Redevelopment Center
Internationally known as the home of country music, Nashville epitomizes the recent booming development found in the American South sunbelt. The rebirth of its core also seeks to reframe a troubled history: a century of Jim Crow segregation, race riots in the 1960’s, a declining downtown in the 1970s, and white flight to the suburbs. In 1963, Nashville and Davidson County consolidated, forming a metropolitan government facing problems with expanded suburban infrastructure demands against a declining central city tax base. In the 1990’s, Nashville’s downtown revitalized around country music entertainment and professional sports arenas. Rebounding from the 2008 recession, the central city attracted corporate centers expanding its music production economic base into health care. Nashville’s growth is a combination of relocations within the U.S., as well as growing international immigrant populations. The region is one of the United States’ hottest housing markets and the city is a trendy location for young adults. Simultaneously, this success created a homelessness crisis from a combination of rising home prices and opioid abuse. Nashville offers a unique opportunity to examine how urban centers are changing, and how the “success” of redevelopment directly challenges goals of equitable and sustainable development.
Conference Topical Categories
In keeping with UAA tradition, we encourage proposals that focus on an array of research topics including:
Local Host Committee
Cara Robinson (Chair), Tennessee State University
Kimberly Triplett, Tennessee State University
Rafael Harun, Tennessee State University
Michelle Steele, Meharry Medical College
Sekou Franklin, Middle Tennessee State University
Chris Da Silvia, Vanderbilt University
Michael Harris, Tennessee State University
2023 Program Committee
William G Holt (Chair), Birmingham-Southern College
Santina L. Contreras, University of Southern California
Kathryn Howell, Virginia Commonwealth University
Montserrat Pareja-Eastaway, University of Barcelona
Nathaniel S. Wright, Rutgers University-Camden
Proposal Submission Formats and Policies
To maximize participation and minimize scheduling conflicts, individuals are limited to participation (as presenter, speaker or moderator) in one (1) session. There is no limit to the number of papers/posters for which you are a co-author. Persons in sponsored panels can participate in one additional session. A proposal (one per participant) can be submitted through the UAA website (starting July 1, 2022) for a:
DEADLINE: November 1, 2022 – Abstract/Proposal Submission Ends
Add to Calendar
DEADLINE: January 26, 2023 – Registration deadline for all accepted participants (presenters and moderators)
Add to Calendar
Abstracts and pre-organized session proposals may be submitted until 12 midnight Central Daylight Time (CDT) or 5:00am GMT on November 1. Acceptance or rejection notices will be sent by November 18, 2022.
To maximize opportunities and minimize scheduling conflicts, UAA limits your participation (as presenter, speaker and/or moderator) to one (1) session.
See also: General Conference Policies | One-session Exception Request Form
DEADLINE: January 26, 2023 (11:50pm CST) – Registration deadline for all accepted participants (presenters and moderators) Add to Calendar
See also: General Conference Policies