Cluster 6: ACCESSIBILITY

Joint NECTAR-RSAI Call for Papers on the Theme: “Accessibility, Resilience and Vulnerability”

NECTAR (Network on European Communications and Transport Activities Research) – in cooperation with RSAI (Regional Science Association International) – is organizing a Special Session focusing on the topic “Accessibility, Resilience and Vulnerability”. This special session aims to bring together leading researchers from Europe, the United States and elsewhere. Arrangements for publication of the papers presented are under consideration.

Topics of Interest

The literature on network infrastructures, which explores the vulnerability/robustness to shocks, has grown considerably in recent years. In parallel, a number of different approaches, aiming to study network resilience and vulnerability, have also been investigated: approaches that also show the complexity of the related models and analyses. The concept of accessibility, able to identify potential weak/vulnerable points in the network, as well to enhance resilience, is currently receiving a great deal of attention in resilience and vulnerability analysis. Accessibility measurements seem also to be a powerful tool for addressing short-term as well as long-term vulnerability analyses.

This Special Cluster 6-Session on “Accessibility, Resilience and Vulnerability” at the NECTAR International Conference in Ann Arbor (USA) intends to discuss and create a perspective on the state of the art in this context (e.g., definitions, measurements and interpretations of accessibility vs resilience and vulnerability), as well as on recent advances concerning the potential applications in the transport, communication and socio-economic networks.

Topics of Interest include

• Accessibility concept for the resilience/vulnerability analyses in transport and socio-economic networks

• Accessibility measures for critical infrastructures

• Accessibility for short- and long-term impact studies of network criticalities

• Resilience/vulnerability analysis in supply chains: role of accessibility

• Accessibility and the vulnerability/resilience of tourist systems

Papers on other topics related to the Cluster Theme “Accessibility” are also welcome, and there will be room for these topics in other conference sessions.

Deadline for submissions: 5 January 2015

Abstracts should be submitted electronically using the form located here.

A copy of the abstract should also be sent to:

Aura Reggiani, University of Bologna, Italy: aura.reggiani@unibo.it

Juan Carlos Martín, University of Las Palmas, Spain: jcmartin@daea.ulpgc.es

Jean-Claude Thill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA: Jean-Claude.Thill@uncc.edu

Notification of acceptance: 2 February 2015.

Registration, meals and accommodation for two nights will be offered to NECTAR members, for only one author per paper. All practical details will be communicated through the conference website. In order to participate in the Conference, a consecutive and current two-year NECTAR membership is necessary. Non-members can find details of how to join the association on the “Membership” page of NECTAR’s website: www.nectar-eu.org.

Looking forward to meeting you in the spring of 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan!

Aura Reggiani, Juan Carlos Martín, Jean-Claude Thill