The 17th AESOP Young Academics Conference will take place from 28 to 31 March 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium. The conference will be hosted by young academics of the Research group for Urban Development at the University of Antwerp's Faculty of Design Sciences.
Cities and regions in every part of the world are being challenged by evolutions of which the pace is rapidly increasing, and the impacts and outcomes are more uncertain than ever. Climate change, growing urban populations, migration flows, technological revolutions, the digitalization of economies and everyday life, growing inequalities, geopolitical shifts, increasing polarization, and increasing diversity. Additionally, the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have alerted us about the global, national, and local impact of disruptive events. The time for action is immediate as pressure on cities and territories is increasing because of these challenges. Sustainable transformations are required to ensure there is space and opportunity for both people and natural species to live and thrive in the near and far future. Planning and other disciplines have spoiled us with a rich body of literature that helps understand the way forward, but we need to turn theory into practice through planning for action.
Spatial planning and urban design play an important role in this and must help harmonize the spatial reality of various disciplines, including public policy, housing, transportation, climate impacts, environment, heritage, law, agriculture, and health. The rapidly changing environment forces planning itself as a discipline to look critically at its past and current state, reinvent itself, and look ahead for innovative ways to foster the sustainable transformations of cities and territories. Planning for action and action through planning are required, action to address the many challenges facing cities and territories, and action to change how spatial planning and urban design are being done. This conference focuses on the role of the researcher and action-oriented and applied research for designing innovative spatial projects, instruments, and policies for sustainable transformations.
We invite young academics and practitioners of all relevant disciplines and welcome contributions that have an action oriented or applied perspective, as an opportunity to learn about innovative approaches and methods, empirical studies, the impact of research on practice, and research that actively engages with communities, practitioners, private sector stakeholders, and policy makers.
We offer five tracks to which you can contribute. The submission deadline is extended until 21 November 2022.
Track 1: Upscaling and delivering sustainable transformations. Implementation and governance
Track 2: Flows of people and goods: Active and inclusive mobility in cities and territories
Track 3: Healthy and resilient cities and territories: Impact and design
Track 4: Complex and unpredictable cities and territories: Planning approaches and institutions
Track 5: Action-oriented research to make sustainable transformations happen: Research methods
We are looking forward to your contributions!
The Local Organising Committee and AESOP Young Academics Network
