<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://dev.iclrd.org/iclrd2/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ICLRD_2013Conference_ProgrammeFinal-1.pdf" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3414" title="2013conference-cover" src="http://dev.iclrd.org/iclrd2/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2013conference-cover-final-1.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="300" /></a></p>
Please join us for our Eighth Annual ICLRD conference entitled <strong>Cooperating Across Boundaries: Resilience, Imagination, Vision and Information</strong>. As local government reform continues to emerge in both jurisdictions on the island of Ireland there are new challenges and opportunities in how local authorities, communities and central government policy-makers bring together different disciplines to ensure clear connections are made between community, work and place.
The Conference programme<strong>, </strong>which includes the names of our panel members together with a full conference agenda, is now available for <strong><a href="http://dev.iclrd.org/iclrd2/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ICLRD_2013Conference_ProgrammeFinal-1.pdf" target="_blank">download</a></strong>.
The forthcoming Eighth ICLRD Annual Conference considers what type of cooperative models we should be pursuing in the context of planning for communities, ongoing local government reform, continued austerity, the increasing availability of data, and the unceasing need for strategic development. The conference will address these topics over three sessions:
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>New Thinking and Ongoing Challenges in Planning for Places and Communities</em></span>– exploring the role of planning and regeneration in creating resilient places and connected communities. Confirmed speakers include:
<ul>
	<li> Prof. Frank Gaffikin, The Institute of Spatial and Environmental Planning, Queens University Belfast--<em>The Development Paradox in the Divided City: Imagining a New Model of Spatial Planning.</em></li>
	<li>John Fitzgerald, Former Chairman, Limerick Regeneration Agencies -- <em>Neighbourhood Regeneration in Limerick, Dublin and Elsewhere: The Importance of Active Leadership</em>.</li>
	<li>Prof. Deborah Peel, Professor of Planning Research &amp; Scholarship, University of Ulster -- T<em>he Role of Planning in Creating Resilient Places and Communities.</em></li>
</ul>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>The Shared Services Agenda Cooperation Across Boundaries?</em></span> – how to encourage and support shared opportunities in providing services and strategic cooperation.
<ul>
	<li>Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe, Department of Geography, Mary Immaculate College &amp; University of Limerick -- S<em>hared Services Through Inter-Municipal Cooperation.</em></li>
	<li>C<em>itizen-Centric Model of Shared Services: Experiences from the U.K.</em> (to be confirmed).</li>
</ul>
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Open Foum--Advocating Strategic Agendas and Pathways to Decision Making Strategic Agendas.</em></span>
To provide ample opportunity for discussion among conference delegates and speakers within a one-day conference format we have organized the final session after lunch as a series of strategic discussions among a distinguished panel of academics, practitioners and policy makers and conference delegates, proposed topics include:
<ul>
	<li>Models of collaborative working that are locally owned and centrally supported;</li>
	<li>The role of evidence-based planning in decision making;</li>
	<li>Effective and efficient service delivery; and</li>
	<li>Building capacity for new responsibilities.</li>
</ul>
Please mark<strong> 7th February 2013</strong> in your diaries.
Keeping up with our tradition, we are working to make this year’s conference a thought provoking and interesting event where practitioners, policy-makers and academics involved in different aspects of cross-border cooperation, spatial planning and local and regional development can come together to explore new ideas and meet with their colleagues.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Eimear Donnelly, ICLRD Events Coordinator at +44 (0)28 3751 1550 (048 from Republic of Ireland) or by email at <a href="mailto: eimear.donnelly@qub.ac.uk">eimear.donnelly@qub.ac.uk</a>.
Looking forward to seeing you on 7th February in Newry.
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