The appearance of urban ghettos or the location of mosques are some of the current issues that illustrate the connection between public policy on land use and the social and territorial cohesion of a population. These urban land uses are increasing in Catalonia, as this region of Spain receive considerable immigration from outside the European Union. To discuss these issues, on 16 and 17 December, the Institute for Public Law (IDP), part of the UB, and located at the Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB, Barcelona Science Park), will organise a conference in the Auditorium and Fèlix Serratosa Hall at the PCB (c/Baldiri Reixac, 4-6 i c/Josep Samitier 1-5, respectively).

During the conference, several specialists from European and North American academia as well as public administrators and social agents will share their experiences; experiences that could be used to develop initiatives to overcome unbalanced territorial situations caused by the increasing urban segregation and social exclusion that arise from the present-day social changes. Among the participants, we give special mention to the director general for Housing of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Regional Government), Carme Trilla, the member of the Catalan parliament, Dolors Clavell, and the director of the Consumer Organisation of Catalonia (OCUC), Montserrat Torrent, who will all participate in a round table on Friday 17 December at 9.30 h. In addition, the conference will include a presentation by the renowned specialist in Urbanistic Law and professor of Law at the University of Denver, Edward Ziegler, on urban expansion, social cohesion, ghettos and discrimination in the United States of America. For more information please consult the conference programme