Regional development in the context of sustainability

A symposium on regional sustainable development will be held in Graz, Austria, from 28 to 30 October 1998. The conference will be organized by the Austrian Network for Environmental Research to coincide with the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU, in close cooperation with the European Commission, DG XII.

The aim of this symposium is to further discussions on the impact of regional activities in the sustainable development process, and to survey the state of current research into the various aspects linking sustainable development and regional activities. It will also present case studies from all over Europe that address solutions to various challenges to regional development within the ecological, social and economic dimension of this development concept.

The future direction of political and scientific action aimed at supporting regional sustainable development will be discussed by the working groups during the symposium. They will aim to define the best regional setting to pursue different environmental, social and economic goals and will present an agenda for cooperation between regions to help accelerate sustainable development. The results of these discussions will be formulated into a set of guidelines for scientific action in the context of sustainable regional development.

Specific topics to be addressed during the conference will include the following:

- Research - the key to sustainable development;
- Regional sustainable development - European diversity;
- Planning and supporting sustainable development;
- Participation and involvement of various actors with particular reference to Local Agenda 21;
- Sustainable regional development through cooperation.
For further information, please contact:

SUSTAIN
Ms. Sibylle Braunegg
25 Inffeldgasse
A-1080 Graz
Tel. +43-316-8737465; Fax +43-316-8737469
E-mail: Braunegg@glvt.tu-graz.ac.at
URL: http://scc.co.at/sustain/conference2.html(opens in new window)