History & Officers

Background and History

The mission of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) is to promote the scholarly exchange of ideas and knowledge that apply to urban and regional phenomena in North America and across the globe.

The Council fosters exchange across academic disciplines and builds on the understanding that urban and regional issues are best addressed by utilizing tools, methods, and theoretical frameworks specifically designed for regional analysis, as well as concepts, procedures, and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences. The Council organizes an annual national conference that provides a forum for interaction and discussion and the dissemination of research and ideas. NARSC is an objective, scientific body without political, social, financial, or nationalistic bias.

NARSC represents the interests of regional scientists in North America. We operate under the umbrella of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI), which coordinates the activities of regional scientists globally. Other regional science organizations operating under the umbrella of the RSAI are the European Regional Science Association (ERSA), the Pacific Regional Science Conference Association (PRSCO) and the Latin America Regional Science Association (LARSA).

NARSC sponsors and organizes the annual North American meetings of the RSAI, and promotes Regional Science across the continent through its five regional organizations. These organizations serve the needs of regional scientists in Canada, and the northeast, southern, mid-continent, and western regions of the United States. Visit the Regional Organizations page for additional information.

NARSC, and all regional science associations, emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to urban and regional analysis. In North America, members of NARSC and the five regional organizations work in the fields of economics, geography, urban and regional planning, civil engineering, geographic information science, public policy, sociology, demography, finance, agricultural economics, and other fields. This interdisciplinary approach distinguishes regional science from many other scholarly organizations. While the bulk of members hold faculty positions at universities, many others are employed by federal, state, and local branches of government or research institutes.

NARSC fosters scholarship and the exchange of ideas and knowledge in several ways. First, in addition to organizing the annual North American Meetings of the RSAI, three of the five North American regional associations (WRSA, SRSA, and MCRSA) organizes its own annual conference. In addition to general regional science topics, some of the content of these meetings focuses on the region where the group is meeting. Second, all regional science organizations–global and regional–sponsor journals that serve as outlets for the dissemination of scholarly research. Collectively, these journals accommodate a broad range of research agendas, ranging from theory and analytic methods, to applied problems and policy analysis. Finally, NARSC and the five regional organizations in North America celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of members by bestowing awards and prizes. Regional science in North America is especially interested in promoting graduate student education, and sponsors fellowships and competitive prizes and awards for outstanding papers and/or dissertations. Visit the Awards & Prizes page for further information.

NARSC and the five regional organizations invite participation from scholars located in North America and in countries across the globe. For membership information, visit the RSAI website, or the websites of regional organizations which can be accessed from the Regional Organizations page.

History
The field of regional science was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1954. From the outset, Regional Science sought to develop theories, methods and tools that bring understanding to urban, regional, and spatial phenomena, and this mission remain central to regional science today. Given the breadth of processes that play out in urban and regional settings, regional science emphasized an interdisciplinary perspective, and soon members from a range of academic disciplines became active in the Association.

Over time, the Regional Science Association grew in popularity and gained members from many countries. The growth of regional science internationally signaled the need for reorganization and, in 1990, the Association changed its structure to better reflect the growth and development of the field. Since 1990, NARSC has benefited from the leadership of a number of scholars and professionals to foster its mission and sustain intellectually stimulating conferences and other broad based activities. Here are some of the key leaders who have distinguished themselves by our professional organization:

 

Executive Director

President

Chair

1989

John CurrentBenjamin ChinitzDavid Boyce

1990

John CurrentBenjamin ChinitzDavid Boyce

1991

John CurrentNiles HansenJarvin Emerson

1992

John CurrentWilbur MakiJarvin Emerson

1993

John CurrentMichael GreenwoodHugh Knox

1994

J.W. HarringtonLarry BourneBarry Moriarty

1995

J.W. HarringtonLarry BrownWilliam Milne

1996

J.W. HarringtonWilliam SchaferJohn Rees

1997

J.W. HarringtonDaniel GriffithSam Cole

1998

J.W. HarringtonGeoffrey HewingsEric Sheppard

1999

J.W. HarringtonJacques LedentMaureen Kilkenny

2000

Adrian EsparzaAnn MarkusenGordon Mulligan

2001

Adrian EsparzaHugh KnoxJohn Kort

2002

Adrian EsparzaRodney EricksonMichael Lahr

2003

Adrian EsparzaWalter IsardJanet Kohlhase

2004

Adrian EsparzaWilliam BeyersDavid Plane

2005

Jean-Claude ThillAndrew IssermanPeter Schaeffer

2006

Jean-Claude ThillPavlos KanaroglouRandall Jackson

2007

Jean-Claude ThillJames LeSageMark Brown

2008

Jean-Claude ThillVernon HendersonBruce Newbold

2009

Jean-Claude ThillJohn QuigleyKara Kockelman

2010

Jean-Claude ThillDavid PlaneJanice Madden

2011

Jean-Claude ThillGiles DurantonAndrew Haughwout

2012

Jean-Claude ThillWilliam AndersonKieran Donaghy

2013

Neil ReidDouglas WoodwardNancy White

2014

Neil ReidJanice MaddenChristine Bae

2015

Neil ReidRichard ChurchMark Partridge

2016

Neil ReidDan RickmanPeter Stenberg

2017

Neil ReidAlessandra FaggianPeter Stenberg

2018

Neil ReidMark PartridgeMark Brown

2019

Neil ReidStephan GoetzTony Grubesic

2020

Neil ReidKara KockelmanHaifeng Qian
2021Neil Reid
2022John Sporing

The Regional Science Association International (RSAI) now serves as an umbrella organization overseeing three major super-regional organizations in North America, Latin America, Europe and the Pacific.

Today, the RSAI meets the needs of regional scientists located in countries throughout the world. From Indonesia to Brazil, members of the RSAI uphold the spirit of regional science as they build theories and apply methods of analysis to cities and regions across the globe.