Spa-ce.net is a common-interest network of Central, Eastern and South Eastern European institutes and organisations active in the field of spatial research and planning. The network serves to share common visions, and to develop trust and an interest in cooperation, as well as to motivate and mobilise major actors, and to encourage research. It also provides a forum for a meeting of minds and an exchange of information, experience and research results. The network is always open to new members. The mission is to support sustainable development on the European continent by providing spatial research results to scientists, policy-makers and the interested public. It can contribute significantly to improving the quality of life, to enhance the protection and management of Europe´s cultural and natural heritage, and to creating new jobs and spurring economic growth.

The network Conference 2017 is focusing on the local economic development, and its impact on spatial development thus addressing the traditional and smart approaches, mechanisms, and tools and planning instruments for territorial development and management.

The main objectives of the conference are: to foster the academic debate on impacts of public policy and market economic development on local and regional development and planning in Central and Eastern Europe; to Identify similarities and differences between the drivers of local economies and their spatial development patterns; to share case studies about leadership and participation in territorial economic development under different planning cultures and responsibility patterns, and to explore possibilities for seizing opportunities by utilizing global and macro-regional strategic policy directives.

The Conference addressees are researches, academics, professionals, administrators, policy and decisionmakers. The conference is co-organized by the Urban Planning Department at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (Sofia), Spectra Centre of Excellence at the Slovak University of Technology (Bratislava), Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER, Dresden) and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The preliminary conference programme includes official opening with invited key-note speakers, three tracks with parallel paper presentations, and three round tables.