THEMATIC GROUPS
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Public Spaces and Urban Cultures
Within the Regions in Recovery Building. Sustainable Futures - Global E-Festival, 2nd-18th June 2021, the Thematic Group Public Space and Urban Culture has been invited to organize and chair the SS44. AESOP V – What’s going on in Public Spaces and Urban Cultures? Updates on Current Research, Policy and Practice
The SS44. AESOP V session, held on June 15 from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm CEST is divided into three sub-sessions:
*SS44 I AESOP. Struggles Around Inclusive Public Space: Gender, Care and Safety*
Tuesday, June 15, 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM CEST
Chair: Tihomir Viderman, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus, Germany
Stefania Ragozino | National Research Council of Italy
CaSa.Di. Women’s Network for an Inclusive Place-Making
Giuliana Di Mari | Politecnico di Torino
What Diversity Wants: The 'W' Point
Karina Landman | University of Pretoria
Unravelling the Fluidity of Identity in Public Spaces in South Africa through an Adaptation of the Genius Loci
Giulia Luciani | University of Rome La Sapienza
Ca.Sa. - Ca.re and Sa.fety, Feeling at Home in Urban Spaces
*SS44 II AESOP. Infrastructure of Inclusive Public Spaces*
Tuesday, June 15, 13:00 PM – 15:00 PM CEST
Chair: Christine Mady, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Lebanon
Antonio Coviello | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IRISS)
The Sarno Riverscape: Opportunities for Environmental Remediation and Economic Development at Local, Regional, and European Scales
Łukasz Drozda | University of Warsaw
Pandemic Urbanism from a Global Perspective: Between Urban Policy and Design
Anubhav Goyal | University of Lisbon
Flood Resilience in Urban Slums: Learning from Dharavi
Andreas Savvides | University of Cyprus
Regeneration of Enclaved and Underutilized Industrial Areas in the Urban Core - a Report from Cyprus
Dana Taplin | NYC Department of Environmental Protection
The Optimism of the Urban Landscape Park: Examples from Brooklyn and Boston
*SS44 III AESOP. The Making of Inclusive Public Spaces*
Tuesday, June 15, 16:00 PM – 18:00 PM CEST
Chair: Stefania Ragozino, National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development, Italy
Giulia Ciliberto| CNR-IRISS National Research Council of Italy
Prima-Vera Campana and Migrants’ Access to Social Services: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Foster the Enjoyment of their Socio-Economic Rights
Beatrice Galimberti | Politecnico di Milano
Public Spaces within Uncertainty: Exploring the Antifragile Strategies of Contemporary Design Processes to Discuss our Present Time
Aseem Inam| Cardiff University
Co-Designing Publics
Kundani Makakavhule|University of Pretoria
The Meaning of Democratic Public Space in South Africa: Going Beyond the Critique
Description
Regions and cities appear to have been shaped through responses to a series of challenges and crises, including health or climate hazards, interruptions in economic growth, political upheavals or social transformations. Urban scholars and policy-makers frequently observe and engage with public spaces as arenas which embody both the challenges and responses. The challenges have been articulated in themes such as accessibility, healthy living, democracy, justice, social movements. Against a seemingly bleak outlook, public spaces and urban cultures also nurture optimistic responses. ‘The New Urban Agenda’, adopted by the UN-Habitat Conference, Habitat III, promotes public space as a key ingredient of ‘inclusive, connected, safe and accessible’ cities (UN Habitat, 2016).
This special session on “What’s going on in public spaces and urban cultures? Updates on current research, policy and practice” asks how public spaces can inform research, policy and practice towards creating ‘inclusive, connected, safe and accessible’ cities.
Contributions are invited, but are not limited to address one of the following topics:
- Changing typologies and roles of players and actors: multiplicity of publics and public space cultures, arenas for rebuilding participation
- Public spaces and changes: climate change, social movements, circular economy;
- Changing needs and roles: homelessness, refugees, immigrants and integration, age, gender, social, cultural, ethnic and religious considerations and urban justice;
- Questioning the global north-south divide and public space dynamics;
- Changing role of public spaces in political conflict zones;
- Changing environmental awareness: public space as a buffer zone, contribution to public health (mental and physical well-being);
- Changing intangible cultural heritage: adapting the genius loci to multiple and dynamic cultural identities;
- The impact of technological innovation on public space research and practice.
The E-Festival includes a rich program accessible here
Registration is required to take part in all E-festival events. You can do it (free of charge) here
- Details
- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Resilience and Risks Mitigation Strategies
Urban Planning is recognised as a relevant instrument to address some of the many challenges associated with climate change. However, relatively little is known about the state of planning education and practice for climate related action in planning communities across different world regions. This project will undertake a review of how European Planning Schools are addressing climate change and climate action in their urban or spatial planning courses. Follow the link for more detai
https://www.aesop-youngacademics.net/meetings/en/2021/05/24/readabout/open-call-climate-action-in-planning-education-and-practice
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Resilience and Risks Mitigation Strategies
The authors offers a unique ‘bird’s eye’ view of the immense logistical and political challenges of addressing a worst-case scenario that would prove the ultimate stress test for societies, governments, governing institutions and political leaders.The book appeals to anyone seeking to understand ‘what’s going on?’, but particularly academics and students across multiple disciplines, journalists, public officials, politicians, non-governmental organisations and citizen groups.
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- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Ethics, Values and Planning
First OPEN SPACE* event: What are AESOP’s shared values?
While AESOP is a European association, its network extends beyond such boundaries. What does it mean for the community? What are (or should be) the primary and shared values of the AESOP community? What could this mean for AESOP’s future? The purpose of the event is to foster an open discussion about the values of the association. Its goal is to explore ongoing questions, challenges and find new connections.
On June 8th from 4.00 to 6.00 pm (CET) invited speakers will deal with this issue and respond to three questions: 1. What are the fundamental values that all members of the AESOP community should share and promote? 2. How would or should AESOP like to be seen by planning schools outside of Europe? 3. Does the current AESOP logo represent AESOP's fundamental values? Does the logo present AESOP to planning schools outside Europe in a suitable fashion?
After a panel presentation, the floor will be open for a discussion by participants of the TG session. The session will be recorded for further use in future debate.
Participants to the panel discussion:
- Rachelle Alterman (Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Neaman Institute for National Policy Research - AESOP Honorary Member)
- Claudia Basta (PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency)
- Tijana Dabovic (University of Belgrade)
- Pinar Dörder (Technical University of Darmstadt – Chair of YA Coordination Team)
- Francesco Lo Piccolo (University of Palermo)
- Izabela Mironowicz (Gdansk University of Technology)
- Paulo Silva (University of Aveiro)
Register to the event by sending an e-mail to
- This TG aims to facilitate lively debates on relevant ethical urban planning issues. It organizes monthly colloquiums, an annual conference and provides an open space for members to initiate debates and workshops. This event is an idea of Ben Davy. Everybody, who is interested in why Ben had this idea, should watch his 2021 JAMMAL INTERNATIONAL LECTURE: [“Random Planning Values?” at https://buffalo.zoom.us/rec/share/134jyJTIsc8RLi4MxIOntJLgDirUuEx7XbX1lMzHK0s0uIhCp9CzKnYK1rwRu3.xjihdl8Z4o_9270f .]
- Details
- Parent Category: THEMATIC GROUPS
- Category: Ethics, Values and Planning
There is a lot of speculation on the lasting effects of COVID-19 and how it will change (urban) life and planning. One way to cope with such uncertainties in our field is to study different scenarios. In this fourth colloquium on Wednesday May 26, from 5 to 6 pm (CET), we will together explore the potential consequences in regards to what we value in (urban) life of two extreme scenarios:
1) The threat of COVID-19 and it’s mutations will pass;
2) Vaccines will not result in the high level of containment of the virus as hoped and the threat of COVID-19 and other viruses will remain present.
The colloquium will be divided in two parts, both focused on one scenario.
In this exploratory collective thought-experiment we will explore the effects on urban life and planning, not from what we think will happen, but from these two opposing perspectives. We hope to better understand the uncertainty that lies ahead, explore the consequences of possible futures and the possibly different roles of planning in different futures.
You are welcome to participate. Please consider the following:
- Register to the event by sending an e-mail to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; - You will receive a brief text which describes the two scenario’s that will be explored;
- You are invited to reflect on the two scenario’s up front and share your initial ideas in advance.
Stefano Cozzolino & Arend Jonkman
