CFP: Temporality in the City

Conference of Irish Geographers, University College Cork. 
Thursday 4 May - Saturday 6 May 2017. 
 
Call for Papers (Deadline 20th March 2017). Early bird registration closes 20th March. 
 
Organisers: Temporality in the City.  Rachel.McArdle@nuim.ie
 
Session abstract
 
Space and time are key concepts in Geography but often space is prioritised over time. Temporality within the urban is often focused on understanding temporary uses of vacant spaces and this has been an increasing narrative in the literature in recent years. These types of temporary uses are often critiqued as fitting neatly into neoliberal city agendas (O’ Callaghan and Lawton, 201). The often temporariness of these sites can lessen their impact on urban discourse, thus, in this session we want to illustrate alternative narratives of temporariness.  We wish to explore temporality more broadly to include not only temporary spaces, but also events in the city which are temporary, such as emergencies or politics. Exploring issues such as, in what ways do these narratives merge, diverge, illuminate one another, and create one another? What can be learned from expanding the concepts of temporary use to other examples in the city? Examples could include the temporariness of emergencies, elected officials, governance and acts of governmentality, public response, protest, technology, governance and work amongst others. Simply, this session is interested in exploring the idea of urban temporariness, which is seen as a distinct form of modernity (Benko, 1997), beyond just its effects on spaces but on how they are connected and constantly re-create, sustain and dismantle each other.
 
Thus, this session is not prescriptive and welcomes academics and postgraduate students interested in urban temporality and its effect on different urban systems, infrastructures, phenomenon’s and issues.   We particularly welcome case studies that add to the limited empirical work in the area of urban temporality in the context of permanent systems with a temporary element such as emergencies and elected officials.
 
Areas of potential interest for research papers may include, but are not limited to:

• A temporary space evolving out of temporary politics or  a semi- permanent emergency;
• How ‘temporary’ emergencies become embedded in permanent policy;
• How temporary but sustained protest can change cities, policy and even countries;
• What can temporality as a concept tell us about the city?
• How ever-evolving technology creates a temporariness in its use and yet, it is being invested in highly within cities.
• The idea of modernity and the city.
• Vacancy, homelessness and emergency.
• Governmentality in a temporary city. 

 
Instructions for authors
Please submit your abstract through the CIG paper abstract form and select 'Temporality in the City' as the themed session and forward your abstract and interest to session convenors.  Form can be found here: http://www.conferenceofirishgeographers.ie/abstract-submission-form-c1r5x
Please note: You cannot submit an abstract until you have registered for the conference which we urge you to do asap. 
The expected format is 15 minutes with 5 minutes for Q&A but is subject to change.