Alongside to the annual world congress, ISOCARP is starting to experiment smaller-scale symposia which focus on issues of local importance, and which can be repeated on several occasions throughout the year in different regional and macro-regional contexts. These exclusive international symposia, but with a strong local significance, are called: ISOCARP REGIONAL EVENTS (IREs).

For questions and concerns regarding this activity, please reach out to: ire at isocarp.org

The first of ISOCARP International Regional Events (IREs), will be held in symbiosis with an international event held in Austria from 7-10 of September: The CORP 2021. ISOCARP has already had excellent collaborations with CORP in the past and we believe it is the best place to launch this new form of dynamic conference, more linked to macroregional and local themes, more aimed at investigating specific issues of planning and research in and for the city.

The first IRE places itself under the general theme of this year’s CORP 2021 conference: CREATING HABITATS FOR THE 3RD MILLENNIUM, where ISOCARP wants to open a call for papers connected to three crucial issues for the economies of the contemporary city:

1. Designing and planning the post-pandemic city. Which planning contexts have priority? How to design hybrid models (places, functions, governance models, city platforms…) for planning the post covid city? How to make paths of urban innovation sustainable?

This section of the event aims to bring out the problems both of an urban and operational scale, but also those of a vast and territorial area that must have priority when a new development cycle begins in a “new normal”. For example, how to manage the phenomenon of urbanisation and the relationship between urban and rural; how to deal with and manage continuous innovation in the field of digital technologies and the enormous production of data that characterise this period of our history; and which are the tools for an adequate governance for urban contexts, both small and large, increasingly immersed in a network of global socio-cultural and economic relationships.

2. Nature Based Solutions as a way to shape a sustainable future for our cities. How to make theme effective to promote sustainable urban development and launching coherent and stable processes of urban regeneration?

This section aims to address an evident phenomenon of the return of greenery and economies connected to ecosystem services within the consolidated city fabric. Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly gaining prominence and priority within the development strategies of cities. NBS are an opportunity for urban regeneration, to recover vacant and abandoned spaces (brownfields) and re-contextualise them in the economies of the contemporary city. NBS are a link that redefines the relationship between “the building” and “the neighbourhood”, building, as a place of living, and neighbourhood, as a place for social life as well as for the creation of sustainable economies. NBS provide a context for generating innovative forms of urban mobility and low environmental impact, but also to redefine a new way of thinking, designing and living the public space. urban mobility, accessibility and use of innovative and low environmental impact public spaces.

3. Culture and Culture Heritage (C&CH) can make the difference in the transition towards the “New Normal”. How do can culture and C&CH can promote new sustainable economies in the city? How to place cultural heritage in the context of current urban policies? What is the role of local communities? How to harmonise, protect, use and enhance the cultural heritage in the contemporary city?

Culture and Cultural Heritage (C&CH) can be considered as a set of tangible and intangible assets, both inherited from the past and created in the present, both
human and natural. Through selection operated by current societal values are they:
• To be protected,
• to be openly used for educational purposes,
• to be promoted as driver for sustainable development.
This section aims to exploit the topics related to C&CH as drivers for the creation of stable economies both for small and medium-sized towns and big cities. How to design plans for promoting new economies, C&CH led, in the urban realm (e.g. Regeneration, Accessibility, Location Based Services…)? How to organise and sustainably manage the relationship between C&CH and tourism in the context of the incoming “new normal”? How can we help the formative and educational role of the C&CH in promoting a better management of the many diversities (ethnic, cultural, economic and financial…), which often lead to disparities that distinguish the contemporary city?

The CALL FOR ABSTRACTS is now open until June 6, 2021. For submissions please proceed to the CORP21 registration page.
Participation fees will be the same as for CORP21 as this will allow you to register for and participate in both, the first ISOCARP IRE and CORP 21.
For any additional questions and concerns regarding this event, please contact ire at isocarp.org.

The selected papers will certainly be published with ISSN online on the ISOCARP website in a special section that will be dedicated to the results of the IREs. The possibility of a paper publication with classic ISBN is also being considered at the moment.

• isocarp.org/activities/member-activities/international-regional-events/
• isocarp.org/event/isocarp-ire-1-x-real-corp21/
• www.facebook.com/ISOCARP1965/posts/4031666646903231
• www.linkedin.com/posts/isocarp_isocarp-ire-1-real-corp21-isocarp-activity-6796347738310213632-rzmf
• twitter.com/ISOCARP/status/1390583703173320705