Global changes and particularly the development of information, including geo-information, technologies are radically changing the ways in which economic, social, and public systems function. Our conceptualizations of basic geographic notions, such as “place”, “space”, “environment”, “sustainability”, etc., are also constantly being amended. Access to the ever-increasing information flows becomes a key feature describing location, along with its situation, boundaries, and other characteristics.
Geospatial databases, generated by the new technology, play an increasingly important role in the choice of policies for governing regions, as well as managing and adapting to the consequences of global change. It is the geographers, who play a key role in the utilization of the “flood” of geospatial information to uncover processes and interconnections in geosystems, evaluate and predict their sustainability and future development. Research on ecosystems and their services has proven its value to environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources. In view of the intensive migration and urbanization processes in today’s world, cities are trying to offer “smart” solutions in order to deal effectively with demographic and environmental pressures. The complex interdependence among these processes raises a number of geographic problems that require innovative approaches and solutions and contribute to the implementation of the EU Smart Specialization Strategies.
Geography of the 21st century is expected to facilitate the development of human capital and the knowledge society, offer place-specific solutions for sustainable regional development and utilization of the planet’s natural and human capital to improve social wellbeing. We entrust this conference to provoke a discussion on how to stimulate “smart” geographical thinking, as an aspect of the genius that has led mankind throughout the millennia to better understand and adapt to its beautiful planet. We believe that the participation of colleagues from all geographic and “sister” disciplines will make a real contribution to this process.
The Organization Committee
