Generations of economic historians have written extensively about the economic impact of the transportation improvements. Nevertheless, new tools, new data, and new techniques derived from geographic information systems, economic geography, and the like continue to offer better measures of the impact of the improvements in roads, ships, railroads, and planes (and the infrastructure which support them). They also provide new insights into the short and long term effects of these changes and how they have shaped our world by diminishing the importance of space and place. Once upon a time, distance in the form of time and money protected producers and isolated communities and cultures. Improved communications and transportation have eroded these—a process which continues to this day as these technologies evolve.

The Program Committee (Robert Margo, Boston University (Chair); Ran Abramitzky, Stanford University; Leah Boustan, UCLA; and Eugene White, Rutgers University) welcomes submissions on all subjects in economic history, though some preference will be given to papers that specifically fit the above theme. All papers should be submitted individually. Authors may suggest that three particular papers would fit well together in a session but such suggestions are in no way binding upon the Committee.

Papers should in all cases be works in progress rather than accepted or published work and authors should let the program committee know, at the time of application, if the paper they are proposing has already been submitted for publication. Individuals who presented or co-authored a paper at the 2011 meeting are generally not eligible for inclusion in the 2012 program.

Papers and session proposals should be submitted online: www.eh.net/eha/meetings/submissions. The submission system is open from October 24 onwards. Paper proposals should include a 3-5 page précis and a 150-word abstract suitable for publication in the Journal of Economic History. Papers should be submitted by Friday, 27 January, 2012 to ensure consideration.

Graduate students are encouraged to attend the meeting. The Association offers subsidies for travel, hotel, registration, and meals, including a special graduate student dinner. A poster session welcomes work from dissertations in progress. Applications for the poster session should be submitted online and are due no later than May 18, 2012. Information on how to submit will be posted at http://eh.net/eha/meetings/2012-meeting. The dissertation session convened by Naomi Lamoreaux (Yale University) and Joachim Voth (Pompeu Fabra University) will honor six dissertations completed during the 2011-2012 academic year. The submission deadline is May 15, 2012. The Allan Nevins and Alexander Gerschenkron prizes will be awarded to the best dissertations on North American and non-North American topics respectively.

For further information, check http://eh.net/eha/meetings/2012-meeting, which also includes information on travel options to Vancouver, Canada; or contact Meetings Coordinator Jari Eloranta at elorantaj@appstate.edu.