Track 1: Theoretical Perspectives on Urban Development, Social Resilience and Sustainability
This track emphasizes theoretical perspectives or conceptual approaches on urban planning, sustainable development and community resilience. Potential papers might focus on strategies enhancing (social) resilience and the sustainable development of urban neighborhoods (e.g. resilient urban design, sustainable development practices, climate adaptation strategies, green infrastructure) or might address strategies fostering cultural and social diversity in urban areas (e.g. inclusive urban design, inclusive public spaces for marginalized communities, multicultural neighborhoods, preserving cultural heritage, social cohesion). Additionally, papers can examine the role of public spaces for creating vibrant, accessible, and functional urban areas (e.g. design and management of public spaces, public art and placemaking, reinvent streets and public spaces as enablers of multimodality and car-free mobility). Finally, papers can explore how urban planning can promote community health and well-being, and address health disparities in urban neighborhoods (e.g. health-oriented urban design, access to green spaces, urban health equity).
Track 2: Governance and Policy: Conditions to Increase Civic Engagement in Urban Development
Contributions in this track will, first, explore and share methods for increasing social participation and civic engagement in urban planning processes (e.g. strategies to enhance civic engagement, capacities and capabilities for social participation and civic engagement). Second, papers might also discuss the role of policy and governance modes in fostering resilient urban neighborhoods (e.g. enabling structures for civic engagement in urban development or regeneration, regulatory approaches and policy frameworks, community-based governance models, participatory policy-making processes). The intention further is to explore the role of communities in the decision-making and policy-making processes, highlighting the importance of civic engagement and participatory governance in urban development (e.g. methods for community involvement, benefits of participatory governance, strategies for enhancing civic engagement, challenges and solutions in community participation). Finally, papers can also discuss how collaboration and co-production can improve policy implementation and community resilience.
Track 3: Innovations in Teaching to Increase the Recognition of Civic Engagement and Citizens’ Activities in the Education of Planners
The paper in this track are dedicated to educational innovations that equip future planners with the necessary skills and knowledge for resilient urban development. This might encompass (critical) reflections on hybrid teaching methods, experiential learning in urban studies, and collaborations with local communities in planning education and similar issues that might contribute to increase the recognition of civic engagement and citizens’ activities in the education of planners. Furthermore, papers are invited to address the role of technological innovations in enhancing social resilience and sustainability (e.g. IoT in urban planning, data-driven decision-making, smart infrastructure, citizen science in urban planning, virtual reality in urban planning
Track 4: Presentation of and Walkway through Successful Projects
In this track, we especially invite practitioners (urban planners, citizen initiatives, community organizations etc.) to present their initiatives, actions and approaches, either as a presentation or a poster, to highlight the outcomes but also the success factors and pitfalls in building resilient urban communities. We are particularly interested in the following questions: What can be learned from your initiatives? How can citizen-led initiatives become part of co-productive urban planning or regeneration projects and private-public partnerships?