TRACK 9: URBAN FUTURES

Changing mindset: Novel and innovative narratives for an equitable and just future.

Chairs:

• Peter Ache, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen
• Mete Başar Baypinar, Istanbul University
• Varvara Toura, EHESS/ Géographie-Cités

Planning, as a transformative action amidst complex challenges, relies, to a large extent, on various communicative actions. Part of planning power results from strong narratives regarding the intended changes and the ways to get there. At the same time, technology convergence and innovations like AI, moving global agendas or the increasing power of metropolitan cities, change the objective or material conditions of the planning exercise. Ultimately, these forces – and their embedded narratives - will shape the planning community and its discourses, too.

To reach to what is envisaged by the Sustainable Development Agenda, that is a just and peaceful transition towards a safe and equitable living environment, and to avoid disastrous routes to dystopia, we need to reflect on new and old narratives, on new and old discourses, on new and old models, norms or visions, old and new strategies and tactics that often guide the planning endeavour with their established structures, institutions, routines. This track invites you for a vivid and challenging discussion of these and more dimensions, including the following main aspects:

• Experiences regarding the workings of old and new narratives guiding the transformative actions of planning,
• Experiments to introduce new narratives in transformative planning actions,
• Reflections on narratives and their operations in planning processes.

We invite scholars, academics, practitioners, established or ‘young’, from the planning field to consider Track 9 as a platform of discussion where we will address the importance of changing mindsets and share our thinking about and actions towards more equitable and just futures. We invite you to start from real world settings and explore further the professional and conceptual implications for planning and its ambition to be a transformative action. We seek to learn from each other about innovative approaches to challenge old narratives, establish new approaches, and build pathways toward environmental sustainability and equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities in the future.

Track 9 builds partially on activities promoted by the AESOP Thematic Group Urban Futures.