Emory Atlanta Studies Symposium
The Eleventh Annual Atlanta Studies Symposium, titled "Visions of Atlanta," was convened on April 12, 2024, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The symposium explored the diverse facets of the greater metropolitan Atlanta region, considering its pasts and potential futures through the lens of various disciplines.
The organizers invited submissions from the humanities, social sciences, planning, engineering, sciences, and the arts that investigate questions surrounding urban landscapes and technology, historical policies' influence on visions of Atlanta, the arts' role in imagining the city, perspectives on urban engineering, and the impact of visionaries, activists, and policymakers on Atlanta's development.
Under the theme of urban landscapes and technology, inquiries included the role of emerging technologies like generative AI, smart city initiatives, and sustainable urban planning in shaping inclusive and equitable urban environments. Historical policies' influence on visions of Atlanta prompts exploration of policies related to segregation, redlining, zoning, public transportation, finance, and education. The arts' contributions to envisioning Atlanta examine how creative expressions influence local and external perceptions of the city. Perspectives on urban engineering explore how different disciplines collaborate or clash in shaping Atlanta's physical environment.
Visionaries, activists, and policymakers were spotlighted, with a focus on individuals, organizations, and community leaders working towards specific changes or preservation in Atlanta. The multidisciplinary approach aimed to provide a broad perspective on the complex interplay of forces shaping the city's trajectory.
The symposium welcomed a variety of session formats, including fully constituted panels, individual papers or posters, lightning round sessions, roundtable discussions, interactive workshops, film screenings, and other creative forms of presentation. The deadline for abstract submissions was January 22, 2024, with notifications sent out by mid-February 2024. Scholars and practitioners from academic institutions, public, private, and nonprofit organizations were invited to contribute to this exploration of Atlanta's rich and evolving narratives. Look for the Twelfth Annual Atlanta Studies Symposium in Spring 2025!
