VIRTUAL CORP 2020 starts in some time.

Manfred Schrenk studied spatial planning and regional science at Vienna University of Technology where he extensively worked on urban and transport planning. His fields of specialisation are urban planning and spatial development in information and knowledge society, mobility and transport planning, international urban development, urban, transport and environmental technologies, GIS and planning technologies. He is organiser of the annual international CORP conferences since foundation in 1996. He has been Vice President Events & Treasurer ISOCARP (International Society of City and Regional Planners), board member ÖGR (Austrian Society of Spatial Planning), and Deputy President AGEO (Austrian Umbrella Organisation for Geoinformation). He is currently Chairman of CORP (Competence Center for Urban and Regional Planning) and Lecturer at TU Wien, Institute of Spatial Planning. | Website

Christa Reicher is Professor for Urban Design and Director of the Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism at RWTH Aachen since 2018. From 2002 to 2018 she was Head of Department of Urban Design and Land Use Planning at TU Dortmund and from 1998 to 2002 Professor for Urban Design at Bochum University of Applied Science. From 2010 to 2016 she was chairperson of the Scientific Board of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. Since 2014 she has been speaker of the Graduate School “Energy Efficiency in the Quarter”, an interdisciplinary PhD college in which 12 doctoral students conduct research on creative, technical and social topics relating to the future of the city and the neighbourhood. She has been a member of various advisory boards: Baukollegium Zürich (2010-2014), Baukollegium Berlin (2012-2017), design board of the city of Dortmund (since 2004) and the advisory council of Seestadt Aspern in Vienna (since 2014). | Website

The explosive growth is a challenge many metropolises around the world have to face on interrelated issues as Transport, Housing, Development Governance, Environment, Social, Economic, Infrastructures, etc. It is a new phenomenon which requires new knowledge, new approaches and new management procedures. Pedro B. Oritz is one of the very few professionals around the world with extensive experience in this issue. He approaches metropolitan issues in a integrated way. He has recently published with McGraw Hill “The Art of Shaping the Metropolis” which is changing the approach to Metropolitan Management and Planning many cities are taking around the world. He was in charge of the Metropolitan Plan of Madrid 1996 and had to integrate environment, transport, economic activities, social facilities and housing, under the scope of governance. | Website

Dirk Engelke is a spatial planner and professor for spatial development at the HSR, Universities of Applied Science Rapperswil, Switzerland. He is heading the study programme on urban, transport and spatial planning and his research is focused on the spatial context of digitalisation. Dirk studied civil engineering and applied cultural studies at University of Karlsruhe, Germany. After his PhD in 2002 on “new media as an instrument of spatial planning” at the same university he founded his own planning company. From 2008 to 2012 he was a member of the board of the International Society of City and Regional Planners ISOCARP based in The Netherlands. After ten years of practise Dirk became in 2012 professor for spatial development in Switzerland. Among others he is co-leader of the HSR competence center geoinformation. | Website

Ali Asgary is an expert in disaster, emergency, and business continuity management. His extensive research and effective teaching are enhanced by his active contributions to the profession and by translating them into real world practices at different levels. He is dynamic, engaging, and an award-winning researcher, educator, urban planner, and consultant. Because of his research and training for different organizations, Dr. Asgary is always on the cutting edge of the emerging disaster and emergency management field. He was among the faculty members who established this discipline in Canadian Universities, including York University and Brandon University. Ali is the author or coauthor of numerous scholarly and practitioner articles and his work has been extensively cited and referenced by other researchers. Source: http://gsia.tums.ac.ir | Website

Stefan Greiving received his doctorate in urban planning in 1998 and his habilitation in 2001 with the venia legendi "Spatial Planning and Administration". In 1999 he founded the planning office plan + risk consult. Since 2011 he is head of the Institute of Spatial Planning at the TU Dortmund University. One of Prof. Greiving's main fields of research is climate change and risk management. He has led more than 50 national and international funded projects. | Website

Pietro Elisei is an experienced urban and regional planner skilled in sustainable development, strategic planning, urban planning, feasibility studiesand policy design (focus urban regeneration, urban poverty and strategic planning). He is a strong cities related business development professional, graduated from University of Rome La Sapienza, doctorate in urban policy design from University of Roma 3 and post-doc activities from both Roma 3 and University of Roma 2 (Tor Vergata). Currently he is managing director of Urbasofia, a Romanian Company focusing on urban and regional planning topic based in Bucharest and mainly working at EU scale (expertise for EU Territorial Cohesion Policy); special geographical focus is the Danube area and South-Eastern Europe. He has been European Commission UIA (Urban Innovative Actions) expert, European Commission URBACT expert, former planum.net Secretary General and former ISOCARP Vice President. | Website