We invite you to participate in the Annual meeting of the Research Committee of Sociology of Law (RCSL) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) to be held in Milano, Italy, in July 9-12 2008 where IRGLUS will have one or various sessions depending on the number of participants.

We invite you to participate in the Annual meeting of the Research Committee of Sociology of Law (RCSL) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) to be held in Milano, Italy, in July 9-12 2008 where IRGLUS will have one or various sessions depending on the number of participants. As a subject for discussion we propose the following topic:

Urban territories and the law and development agenda: interconnections of two international debates.

In the contemporary global scene, there are two debates that have been kept apart. On the one hand, legal systems attract the attention of international development organizations (such as the WB and the IMF); a wide bibliography has been produced around the “law and development” question. On the other hand, urban development has been the object of international debates; amongst others, the Goals of the Millennium, in the context of the UN system, entail a number of initiatives to transform the institutions related to urban areas.
The consequences of both debates relate directly to the meaning of legal issues in urban life; however, there seems to be a lack of dialogue between them, probably due to the (institutional and ideological) logic that governs each of them. The law and development agenda is a de-spatialized legal discussion, whereas the urban development agenda sees the law as a mere policy “instrument”.
The panel on “Urban territories and the law and development agenda: interconnections of two international debates.” is an invitation to socio-legal scholars to discuss the interrelations between international debates on urban development, on the one hand, and law and development, on the other. The main issues to be addressed include:

- Expropriation and urban development
- Gender and property rights
- Social conflicts over infrastructure privatization and sustainable development
- Indigenous rights, territory and the nation-state
- Federalism and the public interest in urban conflicts
- The role of international organizations in shaping urban law

As always new proposals for specific panels are welcomed.

The last date to submit abstract (not more than 200 words) is 15th February, 2008. If you are planning to participate, contact us and we will give you more information on registration fees and other administrative details.