The International Geography Union (ICU) is one of the oldest such geographical societies in the world, having formed a permanent body in 1922.
Its annual meeting gives practitioners the chance to discuss some of the most recent scholarship in the field. The 2019 event, which was held at the University of Luxembourg from August 4-9, focused on ‘the urban geographies of the new economy, services industries, and financial market places’. Some of the topics that were discussed were smart transportation in cities, urban conservation, and complex urban systems. Dozens of preeminent scholars from around the world presented their ideas during this five-day gathering of minds. The university, built on the remains of the steel industry that once sustained Belval and the surrounding area, was the ideal location for such an event that focuses on the nexus of human populations, shifting economies, and urban space.
