The Madrid Association of Regional Science and the Spanish Association of Regional Science are pleased to invite you to participate in the XLVI International Conference on Regional Science (Reunión de Estudios Regionales – RER), which will take place at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid on November 24, 25 and 26, 2021.

After a year with mobility restrictions and confinements, hopefully we able to meet at the RER. In any case, given the uncertainties that we are experiencing, we have planned a mixed conference, with face-to-face presentations and online participations for those who decide not to travel.

The RER is the main multidisciplinary meeting point of regional science in Spain with great international projection, mainly in Europe and Latin America. It is the main annual event that takes place in Spain related to research, debate and presentation of academic works, on territorial and regional concepts.

In the XLVI edition we will deal intensively with issues related to the theme: “Full cities, empty territories.” We will think over the problems that affect unpopulated territories with less productive activity. The agglomeration of population and production in cities and metropolitan regions often leads to the emptying of other territories. This dynamic has demographic, social, economic, political, environmental, and many other consequences. It is not a new phenomenon. What is most exciting is the social interest reached by this problem and the new alternatives that are currently being presented to address it. The celebration in Madrid, the largest urban and metropolitan agglomeration in Spain, surrounded by territories that suffer the relative decline in activity and population, allows a broad vision of the main theme of the conference.

We understand regional science as a point of confluence of multiple approaches. Although it is usual to analyze the questions based on their economic perspective, placing the economy at the center of territorial policy decisions, it is also necessary to introduce other approaches to territorial development such as aspects related to population, geography, sustainability, etc. Issues such as demographic evolution are decisive in a society like ours, which is increasingly aging, and with a lower rate of generational renewal. On the other hand, the depopulation problem, widespread in many of the Spanish regions, has highlighted the need to face the demographic challenge from different perspectives. The need to provide the territories with development opportunities is central to cover the gap between the peripheral spaces that receive less attention and the most central cities, while guaranteeing the differentiating elements of one and the other. The XLVI RER aims to contribute to a broad and constructive debate on regional science. This year, as a novelty, in addition to the article sessions we will have specific sessions for the presentation of posters.

As Organizing Committee, we want to invite you to participate actively in the XLVI International Conference on Regional Science. We meet in Madrid (in person or online) on November 24, 25 and 26, 2021. We also encourage you to enjoy our city within the magnificent provincial environment. We are looking forward to welcoming you.

ISBN: 978-84-09-35144-2