Download the Congress Brochure.
Congress Theme and Objectives
by Jim Colman, General Rapporteur
Australia, January 2002
ISoCaRP 2002 Congress will examine one of the most formidable and demanding challenges facing contemporary urban planners and managers: how to cope with the ‘pulsar effect’ as it relates to the provision of urban services, facilities and infrastructure.
In exploring this theme, the Congress offers a focussed opportunity for the exchange of professional experiences, lessons and knowledge amongst planners and researchers who have dealt with “pulses” – these being the peaks, troughs and recurrent or repeat events which have a distorting effect on the day-to-day operations of the modern city.
These events may be shaped by a formal planning process or by haphazard and unpredictable forces, which put them beyond normal control mechanisms. They often demand new operational arrangements, new forms of governance, and new approaches to participation and partnership. The context for urban professionals is one within which traditional and well-tested rationales may have to be discarded in favour of expedient procedures, inadequate research and analysis, and superficial assessments of supply and demand. Importantly, it is a context in which it is easy to make mistakes whose consequences for society may be far-reaching and costly.
Within this thematic context, Congress 2002 will address key questions including the following:
- How should planners cope with “pulse” events?
- Does our traditional focus on spatial planning adequately equip us to respond successfully to peak and recurrent demands in a context where the time dimension is uncertain, unexpected and unpredictable?
- How should we deal with the post-event situation – the ‘hand-over’ syndrome – when the city has to recover and revert to normality?
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Congress Structure
Download the overview of the Congress Structure.
Congress Team
Download the List of Congress Team Members.
Registration and Fees
ISoCaRP and the Greek Local Organising Committee welcome all interested parties in related disciplines and encourage early registration at reduced fees until 15 July 2002.
The Congress is open to any interested professional or party. ISoCaRP members and Greek Residents can profit from special reduced rates.
Download the Registration Form:
General Congress Information
Download General Information.
The Pre-Congress Day
(22nd September 2002, whole day), optional
Following the preliminary registrations received after the First Announcement, the pre-Congress will now focus on GREATER ATHENS (Attica region) and will last one entire day, thus giving all participants the opportunity to get acquainted with the City of Athens and its surroundings. A detailed programme follows in the Congress Brochure.
Technical Congress Tour
(25th September 2002, afternoon), included
The technical tour, which will be held on one of the actual Congress days, focuses on specific places within the metropolitan area of Athens. A detailed programme follows in the Congress Brochure.
Post-Congress Tour
(27-29 September 2002), optional
During the post-Congress tour the group will visit some areas in the region of Thessalia. Specifically the tour will include touristic visits in the mounts of Pilio and Meteora as well as visits of scientific interest to the lake of Plastira (eco-tourism development area) and in the area of Volos (University of Thessaly / pilot urban regeneration area). The scientists in charge will provide all the appropriate information.
About ISoCaRP
The International Society of City and Regional Planners is a global association of professional planners. It was founded in 1965 with the objective of bringing together recognised and highly qualified individual planners in an international network. Its members now come from 64 countries on all continents.
ISoCaRP is a Non-Governmental Organisation officially recognised by the UN, UNCHS and the Council of Europe. It has the official consultative status with UNESCO.
The objectives of ISoCaRP include the improvement of planning practice through the creation of a platform for the exchange between planners from different countries, promotion of the planning profession in all its aspects; promoting of planning research; improvement of planning education and training; increase information, awareness and advice, particularly on major planning issues.
