PRE-CONFERENCE

37th Annual Preconference to the 2025 AAG Annual Meeting

(Detroit, MI — March 22-23)

We’re excited to invite you to the 2025 Detroit Pre-Conference to the AAG annual meeting! This year, we’re hosting a special, two-day collaborative event that centers the city of Detroit and the people who call it home.

2025 Preconference program now available!

Conference program: Preconference Program (3-20)

Conference program abstracts: Abstracts (3-20)

Recommended Sites + Restaurants to Visit: Suggested Sites and Restaurants Detroit 

Dates

  • Saturday, March 22: Paper sessions (9:05am-4:50pm, with optional dinner to follow; check-in begins at 8:45am)
  • Sunday, March 23: D-tour (8:45am-12:00pm) with Detroit organizers 

Location

  • Saturday: UM – Detroit Center 3663 Woodward Ave #150

Local Institutional Hosts

  • Dept. of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University (Katie Brown, Mehmet Eroğlu, Dr. Kyle Evered) 
  • School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan (Dr. Bilal Butt)

Sponsors

  • Black Ecologies Lab (Rutgers; Drs. J.T. Roane and Teona Williams)
  • Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space (Journal)
  • Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy (UCLA; Dr. Ananya Roy)
  • Political Geography Specialty Group (AAG)
  • School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), University of Michigan (via Dr. Bilal Butt)

Events  

March 22
  • Paper Sessions: 9:05am-4:50pm; check-in at 8:45am
  • Lunch: small groups, near pre-conference location (self-pay; see program for suggestions)
  • Dinner: Buddy’s Pizza; pre-registered and confirmed participants only (FULL)
March 23
  • D-tour (morning) with Jamon Jordan, Detroit’s first official historian; pre-registered and confirmed participants only (FULL)

Possible Paper Themes (not exhaustive/exclusive)

  • Black Ecologies and Geographies
  • Borders and Migration
  • Indigenous Geographies
  • Inequality and Democracy
  • Latinx Geographies
  • Political Geographies
  • Problematizing ‘Eurasia’

Deadlines and Registration

  • Registration (non-presenters): February 20, 2025
    • Complete this form. 
    • The March 22 dinner and March 23 D-Tour are now full, with a waitlist for both events. We are no longer accepting names for the waitlist.

Costs and Payment

Costs
  • Paper Sessions on Saturday, March 22
    • Tenure-Track and Permanent Faculty: $25
    • Students, Contingent Faculty, and Public: Free 
  • Dinner on Saturday, March 22 [FULL]
    • All participants: $24
  • D-tour on Sunday, March 23 [FULL]
    • All participants: $35
    • Thank you to Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space for donating to this event! EPC‘s donation has reduced the cost by $15/participant.
Payment
  • We will use electronic payment via the AAG’s central infrastructure. Payments can be made via credit card. If needed, Meredith can also process Venmo, Zelle, or cash (please bring exact change) on site.
  • Submit your payment via the AAG’s PGSG donation site here. 
    • Ensure that “Political Geography Specialty Group” is listed under “Fund.”
    • Please write “Preconference” in the “In Honor/Memory Of” section.
    • Include your full name and contact information. 
    • You will receive a receipt via email. 
  • Please maintain a printed or digital copy of your receipt (or screenshot). You will be asked to confirm your payment at event check-in.

Lodging and Transport

  • We recommend using the same lodging that you will use for the main AAG conference.
  • The pre-conference location is an easy commute from the main conference location using public transportation (QLINE or Bus Route 4) or rideshare.    

Participant Funding Opportunities

  • Graduate students are encouraged to apply for a $225 PGSG Student Travel Grant to attend the preconference. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2024. We expect to award 7-10 grants. Preference is given to individuals presenting a paper at the preconference.
  • The PGSG will fund a $300 Morrill Engagement Travel Award to support the attendance of an individual who has used their political geographic work to affect change. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2024.

Questions?

Updates will be posted to the PGSG website. Please direct any questions to the Preconference Co-Organizers as follows:

Past Preconferences