Community activities: Synthesizing population, health, and place

Vespucci Institutes (http: www.vespucci.org) aim to advance Geographic Information in Science. Celebrating the fifth centenary of Vespucci’s discoveries [1], the Vespucci Initiative recaptures his spirit of multi-disciplinary intellectual inquiry to explore new frontiers of knowledge and new territories. To that end it organizes and conducts a range of research and teaching activities, bringing together senior scientists and promising young researchers from around the world. This unique interdisciplinary mix creates what has been called the Medici Effect [2] and perhaps it is no coincidence that most Vespucci Institutes have been held in Florence, Italy since 2003. The topics covered in the past range from locationbased services, spatial data infrastructures, geo-sensor web, and virtual globes to cognitive and linguistic aspects of geographic space [4], environmental modeling, volunteered geographic information, spatial simulation, and spatial ontology. Vespucci Institute participants share a special interest in the locational aspects of societal challenges. These aspects are being studied and exploited in the field of Geographic Information Science and are being implemented within the GIS, GPS, location-based services (LBS) and related industries (see http: www.giscience.org, http: www.agile-online.org, http: www.ucgis.org). The Institutes and other events sponsored by the Vespucci Initiative are open to postgraduate researchers and graduate students at all stages of their careers in the academic, public, not-for-profit, and private sectors. Attendees get selected on a competitive basis through an open call for expression of interest. The unique atmosphere of the Institutes creates an environment where, in contrast to most conferences and other meetings, participants are especially encouraged to be creative and challenge the status quo in the respected area. This is supported through facilitators, slow food for thought, and a flexible time schedule.