THEMATIC GROUPS
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Urban Futures
A growing response to the poly-crisis in planning is futuring: practices that create futures by exploring how today’s challenges might evolve and - not least - what kinds of urban futures we desire. In recent workshops of the TG Urban Futures, and during the AESOP 2025 Congress in Istanbul, the question “Who says future?” sparked rich discussions, touching on an equally pressing question: “How do we say future?” The way we envision and narrate futures is shaped not only by who is involved, but also by which types of tools and approaches we use, from which disciplines they originate, and for what purposes we use them.
To work on these and related questions, we are curently preparing a workshop that will take place in Istanbul, running for three days on 2-4 February 2026 and hosted by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Urban Regional Planning Department (https://msgsu.edu.tr/). Istanbul's city centre was selected as the local case for the workshop, and “The rising sea level” in the face of the climate change was chosen as the topic to guide the discussions.
Further details will be announced soon - but safe the date already!
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Planning and Complexity
INVITATION
Pre-Conference Seminar (ONLINE)
We are looking forward to the upcoming 23rd meeting of our thematic group on Planning and Complexity in Gothenburg (Sweden) on 27 and 28 November 2025. To keep us connected and inspired, we have organised an online pre-conference seminar. Open to all members of the thematic group and everyone who feels connected to the group and/or the topic. You can download the invitation as PDF file here.
Adaptive governance: systems perspectives
Kristof van Assche & Monica Gruezmacher
University of Alberta, Edmonton (Canada)
Wednesday, 1st October 2025
16.00 – 17.00 hrs CET
ONLINE in Google Meet
https://meet.google.com/sud-bgns-fmd
No registration required.
In this presentation, we interrogate the possibilities and limits of adaptive governance, by revisiting the diverse landscape of systems theories, with a special interest in social-ecological systems thinking and social systems theory, but also paying homage to the classic systems thinking of Ludwig von Bertalanffy and Kenneth Boulding. We then reinterpret adaptive governance in the frame of evolutionary governance theory (EGT), which gives central place to processes of co-evolution, and highlight the importance of epistemic negatives, i.e. non- observation, non-thinking and non-learning. We distinguish infrastructures relevant when radical adaptation is required at community level.
The event is organised by Nils Björling and the research area Local-Regional Transformations at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden (local organising team 2025) together with Christian Lamker and Jenni Partanen (thematic group coordinators).
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Transboundary Planning and Governance
Ukraine's European Path: Historical Legacy, Regional Development, and Future Integration
The hybrid event is a two-part academic lecture series hosted in Bratislava, organized within the framework of the EU-funded project “Project Management for EU Urban Transformation in the Context of Climate Change and Energy Transition” (PM4U), and supported by AESOP and the TG Transboundary Planning and Governance. It focuses on Ukraine’s path toward European integration, offering a comprehensive exploration of the country’s regional development, modern history, and evolving identity amidst geopolitical challenges.
Bringing together academics, policymakers, and practitioners, the event provides a platform for analyzing Ukraine’s European trajectory in light of historical, political, and military developments, particularly in the context of Russian aggression. The lectures are aimed at fostering critical dialogue, drawing lessons for EU cohesion policies, and deepening understanding of Ukraine’s transformation. Through expert-led sessions, participants will examine key agreements, the effects of war, the resilience of Ukrainian society, and current EU accession efforts, contributing to broader discussions on democratic transformation and post-war development in Eastern Europe.
Lecture 1: Eurointegration and Regional Development of Ukraine
This lecture examines Ukraine’s trajectory toward European integration within a broader geopolitical and historical context, emphasizing how EU orientation has influenced regional development strategies amid ongoing external aggression. Key lessons will be discussed in the context of governance, cohesion policy, and sustainable transformation.
Date: Tuesday, 30 September 2025
Time: 16:00–18:00 CET
Venue: Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Institute of Management
Speaker: Dr. Ivan Balykin (University of Mannheim, Germany)
Target Audience:
- Lecturers and researchers in regional development, political science, EU studies
- Urban planners and project managers
- Public sector professionals involved in EU policy and regional governance
- Bachelor's, Master’s and PhD students in related disciplines
Key Topics:
- The origins of EU–Ukraine cooperation and the 1994 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
- Regional development under EU influence
- The impact of Russian aggression on governance and planning
- Ukraine’s contribution to EU cohesion and policy reflections
- Prospects for Ukraine’s regional transformation and EU membership
Details:
- Lecture format: Hybrid (online and onsite)
- Registration: https://forms.gle/hTAh1o4Kz1ei3BzJ9
- Registration deadline: September 22, 2025
- Venue (onsite part): Institute of Management of Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Vazovova 5, Bratislava, 812 43
- Participation: Free of charge
- Language: English
Lecture 2: Modern History of Ukraine: The Path to Eurointegration
This lecture provides an in-depth look at Ukraine’s modern history since independence, exploring the political and military challenges that shaped its identity and aspirations. Emphasis will be placed on civic resilience, the impact of Russian aggression, and Ukraine’s evolving relationship with the European Union.
Date: Thursday, 2 October 2025
Time: 16:30–18:30 CET
Venue: Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Institute of Management
Speaker: Dr. Ivan Balykin (University of Mannheim, Germany)
Target Audience:
- Historians, political scientists, and researchers in Eastern European studies
- Educators and students of EU enlargement and post-socialist transitions
- Practitioners in international relations and democracy-building
- Civil servants and analysts engaged in strategic planning or governance
Key Topics:
- Key historical milestones from 1991 to 2025
- The EU–Ukraine Association Agreement: significance and consequences
- Russian strategy and Ukrainian state-building
- The 2022 full-scale invasion and its implications
- Ukrainian national identity, resilience, and EU accession process
Details:
- Lecture format: Hybrid (online and onsite)
- Registration: Opening soon, check here: https://pm4u.priestoroveplanovanie.sk/content/events/event-uip/
- Registration deadline: To be announced
- Participation: Free of charge
- Language: English
About The Speaker
With over 15 years of academic and public sector experience, Dr. Balykin has authored more than 45 scientific publications and has taught in leading universities in Ukraine and Germany. His research focuses on Ukraine’s modern statehood, democratic development, and the impact of Russian aggression on national identity and regional transformation. He is actively involved in educational reform, civic initiatives, and international academic collaboration.
As an expert in the accreditation of educational programs for both the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance and the State Service for Education Quality of Ukraine, Dr. Balykin contributes to the modernization of Ukraine’s higher education system. He is also known for his dynamic public speaking, strategic thinking, and commitment to educational excellence.
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Small Towns
First European Lecture Series on Small Towns will start in autumn/winter 2025. This lecture series explores current research and practices relating to the development of small and medium-sized towns in selected European countries. It discusses ongoing spatial dynamics, ranging from small neighbourhoods and inner cities to regional and national perspectives. These dynamics are closely linked to political debates and planning strategies in the relevant countries, as well as to the wider European context. Small towns are not only peripheral -both geographically and mentally- but also represent strategic stepping stones for large-scale spatial issues and future development challenges. This applies to the quality of services in regions undergoing demographic change and housing provision in both metropolitan areas and decentralised regions. Small and medium-sized towns are therefore confronted with questions of adaptability and renewal in existing settlement areas, as well as questions of innovation. We explore how current and future planning cultures can be inspired by small towns and what lessons can be learned from the experiences of various European towns. This lecture series brings together scholars and experts from a variety of disciplines across Europe. It addresses researchers, students and practitioners alike.
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Planning/Conflict
Registration is now open until 15 August.
Please register at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNWPO24gMGyikIk3Kpnw0mGw2ukkHVAfBbYuLGES1KOFMBRw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=101925520454545353151
Call for papers closed on 15 July.
A final program of the conference will be available after the closing of registrations.
Best regards
the Organizers and Scientific Committee
‘Contested urban policy: breeding concrete utopias’
AESOP Planning/Conflict thematic conference 2025
Contacts:
https://www.tu.berlin/en/planningtheory/research-publications
Conference link:
http://www.planningtheory.tu-berlin.de
AESOP Planning/Conflict thematic group link:
https://aesop-planning.eu/thematic-groups/planning-conflict
