About URRN
URRN- URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK
URRN- URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK was established in 2004 by a group of volunteers in Middle East Technical University, Department of Regional Planning-Ankara/Turkey to provide a platform of cooperation and knowledge dissemination among individuals who are actively engaged in urban and regional research.
The main aim of this research network is to create a collaborative work for exploring and understanding on contemporary spatial issues, to facilitate exchange of information between the people that work on different aspects of urban and regional subjects, to support common areas of interest and to enable the preparation of joint activities among the different members of this network.
The collaborative action is defined as the core of the successful performance of not only academicians, but also the practitioners in public and private sector. In order to enhance the benefits of collaboration there is need for a network between the people that share the same interests. That is why Urban and Regional Studies Research Network is composed of the people from different disciplines, from different universities, institutions and from different places sharing an interest on different issues on spatial development. We believe that sustaining collaborative relations between academics, technical experts and policymakers are important, but also generating new networks are vital for building new perspectives, policies, methods and discourses.
AIM
The main aim of this network is to encourage joint academic work and projects in order to increase scientific knowledge on different issues in urban and regional levels. The network endeavours to create a group of experts that share existing knowledge and research findings and learn from each other, to facilitate joint research projects, and to initiate different kinds of collaborative work. In this respect URRN is a network not only aims disseminating new knowledge, but also anticipates being a medium of new ideas and discourses that will be introduced by joint efforts. It aims to enable its members and participants to find the people having same questions and interests in mind.
The research network is therefore has the mission to bring the new issues on the agenda, to deal with the important problems of the country and to act as linkage with the outside world especially with the EU. It now has about 600 members from all over Turkey. Up to 2014, KBAM initiated nationwide activities, however, beginning from this year t has been decided to extend its activities beyond Turkey.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
The Network organises a Symposium each year under a different theme. In these Thematic Symposiums, we aim;
- To introduce new discourses and debates on the theme defined for that year
- To enhance building a new language and consensus on the definition of the recently introduced concepts
- To share the findings of the research projects and provide a medium for
- discussing different findings
- To prepare a Proceeding for each Symposium
- To provide a meeting forum for young and senior scholars
The Urban and Regional Network (URRN-KBAM) also organises meeting on current subjects or among people with a certain expertise. Every member of the Network is free to ask for a special meeting on relevant subjects.
THE WEB PAGE
The webpage is designed to provide a platform for knowledge sharing on different issues, including meetings and all publications of KBAM in digital form.
MEMBERSHIP
KBAM is open for all people, who are interested on urban and regional issues especially researcher in relevant fields. In order to become a member of there is only need to fill the form in the webpage and send it to kbam@metu.edu.tr
On behalf of KBAM STREETING COMMITEE
Ayda Eraydın
Middle East Technical University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning