Call for papers

The Urban Freight Platform invites you to submit papers for the

The VREF conference on Urban Freight 2016: Plan for the future - sharing urban space

17-19th of October 2016, Gothenburg
The second international conference organised by the Urban Freight Platform will discuss the complexity of freight transport in urban areas with a focus on the need to share space both at the city and regional level. Topics will include:

1. sharing space for freight and passenger transport,
2. how we can plan for better use of space with cities becoming denser,
3. the need to consider a regional dimension,
4. how we can change behaviour and achieve change.

We will discuss innovative solutions that consider the perspectives from transport operators, shippers and receivers, architects and planners, and other stakeholders concerned with urban development. Papers for the conference should address the theme of the conference, and we encourage collaboration in co-authorship across knowledge areas, research groups and actor groups.

The first day of the conference will be organised around paper presentations (oral and poster) while days two and three will concentrate on interactive sessions involving a wide range of participants as noted above.

Papers presented during the first day of the conference, on the 17th of October, will focus on academic/research discussions. Papers will be divided into two groups (i) full papers based on completed research findings or projects and (ii) discussion papers that will be about work in progress. In both cases there will be a mix of oral and poster presentation. All submitted abstracts will go through a review process. Full papers can be submitted after the conference for consideration in special issues of one or more journals (details to be confirmed).

More details on types of paper

Full papers with an oral presentation are typically papers that are ready for publication/ submitting to review and will be given the potential to be submitted to a special issue. Presentations during conference will follow an ordinary academic conference presentation with 15-20 minutes oral presentation, followed by time for questions. A draft full paper needs to be submitted prior to the conference.

Full papers with a poster presentation are typically papers containing research project results and could also be finalised work ready for publication, but offering a different way to present through organised poster sessions. Each poster will be part of a dedicated time slot where the author/-s are expected to present their work and discuss with attendees.

Discussion papers provide an opportunity for research and paper ideas to be presented in round table discussions. This gives the author/-s the possibility to further develop the idea through prepared discussions with participants at the round table. Each participant will receive the papers from the round table prior to the conference in order to prepare discussions. No full papers need to be submitted for this category of presentations.

Timeline

Format

Abstracts should be written in English and not be longer than 3 pages, including references. The abstract should include: (i) a statement of the research (ii) methodology either finalized or proposed (iii) findings if available (iv) implications for policy (v) implications for business or change in practice. Where appropriate there should be a brief summary of results and conclusions. Papers should be submitted as a word document. The full paper should be written in English, no longer than 15 pages. The full paper should include references and a short abstract of no more than 250 words. Headings should be according to the above and also including conclusion. A template will be provided after acceptance of abstract.

Submission

Submit the abstract as an attached file to [email protected] and indicate type of presentation in the email: Full paper with oral presentation; Full paper with poster presentation; or, Discussion paper.

For a PDF version, click here