The CARS Conference 2019 focused on “Institutions, Governance and Regional Development” and was organized by the Caucasus Association of Regional Science (CARS) and the Regional Science Association International (RSAI). The Conference took place in Yerevan, Armenia, from 5 to 6 September 2019, at the Armenian State University of Economics.

About the conference:
“This conference aims at providing a scientific platform for academics and young researchers interested in spatial economics and planning, regional and local development and related issues. That creates unique opportunity of networking and exchanging ideas on ongoing research in the field.
The conference includes but not limited following topics: Smart cities in the innovation age, Smart Cities: Governing, Modelling and Analysing the Transition, Urban and Regional Planning Models and GIS, Quality and Inequality in Urban and Regional Systems, Creative Capital, Information and Communication Technologies, and Economic Growth in Smart Cities, Modeling Regional Growth and Innovation, The Future of the New Urban World.”

Professor T.J.A. Barrett gave a presentation on Smart Privacy on the Smart City. Day 2 of the conference focused on Smart Cities. Professor Barrett is one of the founders of Tbilisi Tomorrow Institute and teaches at the University of Georgia.
Beyond Professor Barrett, other presenters also discussed AI technology. This led to some interesting discussions – during the Q&A sessions and the breaks.Many of the attendees were interested and smart cities and the possibilities of Tomorrow.
The CARS Conference 2019 keynote speakers were some of the leading researchers in the field of regional science:
- Peter Nijkamp, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands
- Tomaz Dentinho, University of Azores, Portugal
- Roberto Camagni , Politecnico di Milano, Italy
- Karima Kourtit, Vrije Universiteit, The Netherlands

The Armenian State University of Economics was a great venue and the lecture hall was very impressive. (More photos are available on their website.)
Thank you to CARS and RSAI for organizing this exciting conference! Thank you to ASUE for hosting the CARS Conference 2019! Special thank you to Anahit Harutyunian, the Executive Director of CARS, who did so much to organize the conference!
