1. YA General Assembly: Your Voice Matters
The AESOP Young Academics General Assembly at WPSC 2026 is open to all young planning academics worldwide, whether or not you are currently affiliated with AESOP. Everyone is welcome! This year's Assembly will report on AESOP YA's contributions to supporting young planning academics over the past term, hear directly from young academics across regions about their needs and priorities, and shape our working agenda for the year ahead. This is one of the largest democratic gatherings for young planning academics globally, and your perspective truly matters. Come join the conversation and help us shape the future together.
2. YA Social Events: Let's Get to Know Each Other
Following the General Assembly, we warmly invite young academics from across the world to join our organised social events. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow planning scholars, build new connections, and strengthen our growing global network in a relaxed and friendly setting. More details on timing and venue will follow soon!
3. Education Track: Democratic Self-Organization in Planning Education
This paper presents the AESOP Young Academics Network (YAN) as a case study of how democratic, self-organizing networks contribute to planning education. Drawing on the pragmatist community of inquiry framework, it argues that collaborative inquiry offers distinct advantages when addressing complex social problems. The analysis examines YAN's organizational structure, including its democratic governance, institutional interdependencies, and digital infrastructure, before explaining how this structure enables educational initiatives. We identify two complementary forms: centralized community building through coordinated knowledge delivery, and decentralized learning through spontaneous encounters at social events and conferences. The argument is supported by qualitative and quantitative evidence from YAN's evaluation archives.
4. Roundtable: Connecting the Next Generation — Regional Networks and Global Alliances in Planning Academia
Young planning academics across regions have developed innovative forms of democratic self-organization to address shared challenges, from housing crises to climate change, yet these efforts remain largely disconnected. This roundtable brings together young academics leading regional initiatives alongside senior scholars to examine what enables meaningful participation, sustains engagement, and supports cross-regional connection. The goal is to move beyond isolated efforts toward building a cosmopolitan community of inquiry that engages productively with shared challenges across diverse contexts. If you're involved in or curious about young academic networks in your region, we'd love to have you in the room.
5. Publication Event: Conversations in Planning — Encounters with John Forester, and More
The latest instalment of the Conversations in Planning booklet series features John Forester in dialogue with Giusy Pappalardo and Martin Westin. This roundtable revisits Forester's influential contributions to deliberative practice, conflict transformation, and the ethics of professional action through the lens of critical pragmatism. The session will also preview two forthcoming booklets featuring Erik Swyngedouw in conversation with Elisa Privitera, and Ali Madanipour's upcoming issue, and outline future directions for the series. All young academics and the broader AESOP community are warmly encouraged to join.
6. Roundtable: PlaNext Special Session — Academic Publishing and Early Career Scholars
Navigating academic publishing as an early career scholar can feel daunting, and this roundtable is here to help. We'll explore the evolving dynamics of open-access publishing, the impact of digital platforms on dissemination and collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges, and the growing pressure of impact factors for those building academic careers. Whether you're working on your first publication or looking to expand your reach, this session offers practical insights and a supportive space for discussion.
