Call for Contributions
Walking with Hope: Public Spaces for Wellbeing
AESOP Thematic Group Public Spaces and Urban Cultures Event
Dates: 16-18 June 2025
Locations: Ljubljana (Slovenia), Rijeka and Cres (Croatia)
For the first event in a series “Urban Cultures, Public Space, and Hope” we invite contributions from a wide range of disciplines including and not limited to architecture, urban planning and design, cultural studies, heritage studies, social sciences, environmental studies, contemporary art, philosophy, community activism and policymaking.
Submit an abstract of not more than 500 words and up to 5 keywords by 28 April 2025 to
Organizers
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (Ljubljana),
Polygon – Center for Cultural Research and Project Development (Zagreb),
University of Rijeka – DELTALAB – Center for Urban Transition, Architecture and Urbanism (Rijeka),
In collaboration with University of Rijeka, Palace Moise
Theme
We invite you to actively participate in 'Walking with Hope: Public Spaces for Wellbeing,' a unique three-day event exploring the profound connection between our built environments and human wellbeing. We will examine walkability and the role of hope within public spaces through two distinct epistemological perspectives: urban design and artistic expression. This event will explore how the pedestrian experience of public spaces - from streets and squares to parks and community areas - shapes our mood, mental health and sense of community. We aim to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue, bringing together scholars, practitioners, artists, policymakers and community members to envision and create more hopeful, human-centered urban spaces.
The core themes of this event include exploring walkability as a catalyst for social, economic and cultural vitality, understanding the pedestrian's role in politics, urban innovation, art and social change as cultural resistance, and investigating the relationship between urban syntax, architecture and the concept of an error. The event is conceptualised as a combination of lectures, discussions and site visits which will examine urban evolution and adaptation through case studies from Ljubljana, Rijeka and Cres, focusing on balancing preservation of walkable environments with contemporary needs and socio-economic transformation. To differentiate between epistemological approaches in art and urbanism regarding the pedestrian experience and drawing on historical urban pedagogies we will also address human-centered spatial planning and design, focusing on the "errors" in current urban environments and advocating for a renewed focus on human wellbeing, explore the psychological dimensions of spatial experience and aim to understand how urban design and contemporary art can foster positive social interaction and wellbeing.
This event transcends the traditional understanding of walkability, examining it as a critical lens through which we can assess the accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability of our cities and towns. We will investigate how walkability intersects with social equity, environmental justice and the creation of vibrant, community-oriented places, emphasizing the role of art as a tool for critical engagement and transformative intervention. We will address the challenges and opportunities presented by contemporary urban planning, including artistic critical perspectives on emerging urban models. We encourage a discussion that acknowledges both the benefits and potential drawbacks of current trends in urban matters and explores how artistic approaches can illuminate and challenge these trends.
This call is dedicated to the intersection of the two epistemological approaches on how different positions generate knowledge, perception about walking, movement, and public space in relation to the spatial interpretations and transforming experience into identity, atmosphere and consequently the hope.
Preliminary Program
The event will feature keynote speeches by leading experts, paper sessions presenting selected contributions from this call, discussions, case study visits, on-site talks and a hands-on workshop in a small settlement of medieval origin, exploring historical urban pedagogies.
- Monday, 16 June: Ljubljana Session with a focus on Research and Policy Making
- Tuesday, 17 June: Rijeka Session with a focus on Urban Studies and Errors of Hope
- Wednesday, 18 June: Practicum and the case study of the Cres Neighbourhood, focusing on the preservation of vernacular architecture and Renaissance urbanism alongside contemporary citizen-led urban initiatives
Invited Speakers
Sanja Bojanić, University of Rijeka, Academy of Applied Arts
Nikola Bojić, University of Zagreb, Academy of Fine Arts
Branka Cvjetičanin, Polygon, Center for Cultural Research and Project Development
Marin Gregorović, Mayor of City of Cres
Blaž Križnik, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts
Ida Križaj Leko, University of Rijeka, DeltaLab Urban Studies
Luka Mladenovič, Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia
Marcell Mars and Miro Šarić
Inge Solis, senior curator, City Museum Cres
Tadej Žaucer, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy of the Republic of Slovenia
Logistics
Participants are responsible for their own accommodation arrangements (15-17 June in Ljubljana, and 17-19 June in Cres).
- Sunday, 15 June: Arrivals to Ljubljana
- Tuesday, 17 June: travel to Rijeka in the morning hours, travel to Cres in the evening hours
- Thursday, 19 June: Return to Ljubljana
Transportation between event locations (from Ljubljana, via Rijeka, to Cres, and back to Ljubljana) will be provided by the organisers, however, seats are limited.
Please note the Ferry-boat location and schedule - Valbiska (island of Krk) to Merag (island of Cres): https://www.jadrolinija.hr/en/travel/valbiska_krk_-_merag_cres
Further information will be provided closer to the event.
Publishing options
A book of abstracts will be published for the event. Furthermore, selected contributors will be invited to prepare full papers for publication in the blind peer-reviewed scientific journal Urbani izziv (Urban Challenge - https://urbani-izziv.uirs.si/en-us/).
How to submit an abstract
An abstract of not more than 500 words and up to 5 keywords should be submitted by 28 April 2025 to
The abstract shall articulate your unique perspective on the “Walking with Hope” event’s central themes, demonstrating a connection between your work and the exploration of walkability’s impact on urban life. This includes specifying how your research or practice addresses walkability as a driver of social, economic and cultural development, and how it considers the pedestrian’s role in shaping urban spaces through politics, planning, art, social change, innovation etc.
Explicitly state the preferred place of your presentation or contribution (Ljubljana, Rijeka or Cres) - to allow for appropriate consideration within the event’s program.
Abstracts will be peer-reviewed, the final decisions of acceptance will be communicated by 5 May 2025.
The contributors are most welcome to join the whole 3-day programme but can also opt for attendance at one or more of the three locations of the event.
Organisational Information
Local organisers:
- Branka Cvjetičanin, Polygon – Center for Cultural Research and Project Development:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Matej Nikšič, Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Representatives of AESOP Thematic Group Public Spaces and Urban Cultures:
- Chiara Belingardi, LAPEI University of Florence, Italy
- Mohamed Saleh, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
- Tihomir Viderman, BTU Cottbus – Senftenberg, Germany
Do not hesitate to contact local organisers for more information.
We look forward to your participation in this engaging and thought-provoking event!
More information on AESOP Thematic Group Public Spaces and Urban Cultures series on Hope can be reached here: https://aesop-planning.eu/tg-news/public-spaces-and-urban-cultures/call-for-expressions-of-interest-to-host-the-thematic-groups-meeting-2024-2026-public-spaces-urban-cultures-and-hope
