The paper provides insights into the preservation of cultural heritage through toponymic research, emphasizing the importance of place-name collection for understanding historical, cultural and ecological transformations, using the names of mounds as examples.

Mounds are remarkable geographical features of the Great Hungarian Plain. Most of them are ancient burial sites of significant historical and cultural value, they also have ecological importance, as they are the last remnants of the loess grasslands that once covered the flatland. Mounds are relatively distinct spatial features that, along with their associated functions, serve as important organizing elements of the cognitive map, which is why they are typically named. However, quite many names have been gradually falling into oblivion due to changes in the use and knowledge of the landscape. People no longer have the same direct, everyday relationship with their geographical environment as before.

The paper analyzes the names of mounds in two districts of the Hortobágy region. This approach allows us to gain insight into the spatial perception and use of space in the past. Additionally, the study highlights the advantages of the ongoing comprehensive place-name survey (Hungarian National Toponym Registry), with the first two volumes of the survey forming the basis of this analysis.

Based on functional-semantic analysis, naming motifs and narratives embedded in the names of mounds can be revealed. As the semantic content of the specific elements shows, mounds are generally conceptualized and linguistically construed as parts of the man-shaped landscape (e.g., Tikos-domb: Tikos settlement name and 'hill'; Szász János laponyagja 'János Szász’s hill'; Tedeji-templomdomb 'Tedej church mound'; Szőlő-halom referring to a vineyard). Many mound names are also linked to local legends and beliefs, such as tales of hidden treasures. These stories are preserved in names like Kincses-halom 'treasure mound' or Pénzes-halom 'money mound'.

Today, mounds are legally protected, but proper conservation requires systematic registration, often based on historical maps. Collections of place names, including both contemporary and historical forms, can make a substantial contribution to these interdisciplinary efforts.

This paper explores the relationship between micro-toponyms and the geo-morphology of a glaciated valley, from source to sea. This case study draws on the methodology of my academic research in Ardudwy, in the south of Eryri (formerly Snowdonia) where 15,000 micro-toponyms were analysed and used as a basis for cultural and historic landscape deconstructions. Those results showed that micro-toponyms are ancient and act as linguistic palimpsests, indicating how previous generations viewed and used their physical environment. The results of this research in the Ogwen valley are entirely consistent with the earlier research.

This area is a stunning location, much valued by local people, tourists, climbers, geomorphologists and geologists. It has world-wide recognition as a classic glaciated valley. Alongside and above the U-shaped valley are several glacial hanging valleys or cwms (cirques). The most well-known is Cwm Idwal (Cwm + personal name Idwal). It is now protected by a partnership of three national organizations and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). Its steep cliffs house Alpine plants, which are extremely rare elsewhere in Britain.

The geology is spectacular. A syncline with brachiopod fossils, of marine origin, forms the high cliffs at the end of the cwm. Unsurprisingly, such riches attracted early academics such as the remarkable Edward Llwyd, botanist, geologist, antiquary, and philologist who discovered rare Alpine plants on the cliffs here in 1688. Geologist Professor Adam Sedgwick and his pupil, Charles Darwin visited Cwm Idwal almost a century and a half later. All referred to specific locations of interest, by the ancient, Welsh micro-toponyms used by farmers and shepherds, names which are still in use today.

These rocks have also attracted climbers who bring much needed income. Technology has opened up a new journalistic world where individuals create attractive websites and blogs to promote their favourite climbs. Unfortunately, they import new micro-toponyms or translate ancient names into English, rather than interpreting them. These new names soon take root, displacing centuries old names which are full of important cultural and environmental references.

Urban sociolinguistics rethinks the city beyond its mere geographical dimension, considering it as a discursive matrix shaped by the demographic and cultural diversity it encompasses. In this perspective, the city becomes a space of linguistic production, where place names play a central role in expressing local identities and migratory dynamics.

This approach defines the city as a complex cultural entity that must be analyzed through various levels of interaction and geographical scales. Within this framework, our contribution examines urban resilience through the lens of place-name standardization and their balance within the sustainable development of the city.

The study focuses on the city of Boussemghoun, once structured around traditional housing in the Ksar and now undergoing significant urban transformations. The new place names, imposed by administrative commissions, raise a fundamental question: do the place names of this new city reflect the linguistic diversity of Boussemghoun?

Through field research, we will explore how traditional place names are transposed and reinterpreted by the inhabitants, particularly the autochthonous population, Ksouriens, and new users of this urban space. This neo-toponymy thus becomes a site of renewed spatial appropriation, where linguistic practices reveal a plurality of uses and cultural diversity.

In conclusion, this research aims to shed light on how migratory dynamics and socio-cultural transformations shape a resilient city, where place names oscillate between heritage preservation and adaptation to new linguistic and geographical references.

Street toponymy is not merely a tool for organizing urban spaces; it is not a neutral element devoid of meaning or intention. On the contrary, it should be seen as a direct reflection of the ideology and collective identity that different political regimes have sought to impose on their territories and populations. It is, therefore, an instrument that creates not only physical maps but also maps of identity, authentic geographies of memory.

By analyzing the evolution of street names in a specific city, it is possible to observe the urban memory map that each political regime has tried to shape for its citizens. This research focuses on the historical evolution of street names in the city of Elda, located in southeastern Spain, from 1931 to the present. It explores how the city's street toponymy evolved across three key periods in Spain's recent history: the Second Republic and Civil War (1931–1939), the Francoist Dictatorship (1939–1975), and the Transition to Democracy and current democratic period (1975–present).

This study does not merely describe changes in street names but examines the relationship between political regimes and the names they assigned to urban spaces. It classifies these names through statistical charts based on the dominant categories in each period (military, religious, cultural, historical, political, etc.) and compares the findings across the different historical stages studied. The data for this research was obtained from the Historical Municipal Archive of Elda.

The research provides a critical analysis of how urban street names reflect shifts in cultural and political landscapes. Although it focuses on the case of Elda, its findings have broader implications for understanding similar processes in other Spanish and European cities. It highlights the role of street names and their evolution over time as tools for fostering identification between citizens and the political culture of the ruling regime - in other words, as instruments for the ideological homogenization of society.

This paper explores the efforts of an interdisciplinary and transnational team to create a transdisciplinary and intersectional framework for analyzing youth from different geopolitical contexts, their practices of using and occupying public spaces, and the impact of digital media technologies on these practices. The central hypothesis is that technology increasingly mediates young people's access to and experience of public spaces, affecting their (dis)information, (dis)mobilisation, and appropriation of these spaces.

Three key research questions guide the study: How do mediation, social media, streaming platforms, and messaging services contribute to shaping young people's engagement with urban public spaces? How do intersecting forms of marginalisation affect their ability to engage in both urban and digital public spaces, considering the need for physical, social, and digital infrastructures? What spatial strategies and digital tactics do young people use to reshape social, cultural, and political routines in public spaces?

Empirical research was conducted in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Vienna (Austria), and Tel Aviv (Israel) with young people aged 18 to 29. The study used various methodological strategies such as interviews, online and offline participant observation, focus groups, and social mapping. In Belo Horizonte, the focus was on comparing elite and peripheral youth, highlighting social inequalities. In Tel Aviv, the study concentrated on youth involved in protests, while in Vienna, it examined changes in geographical mobilities among self-identified female youth.

The findings in all three cities reveal that social inequalities and power structures significantly shape how young people experience and appropriate public spaces. Issues such as (in)security, urban mobility access, police violence, and the dynamics of gender, sexual orientation, social class, and race directly influence young people's ability to fully access and utilise public spaces. Youth adapt strategically to these challenges, either through collective organisation, new protest strategies, or digital security tactics. Patriarchal structures, particularly the vulnerability of women, are also a common theme, with specific forms of exclusion or oppression in both physical and digital spaces.

Despite socioeconomic, cultural, and political obstacles, the findings highlight that socio-technological changes are not hindering young people's pursuit of greater equality and autonomy in public spaces.

This paper takes the 2024 European Parliament elections as an empirical starting point to examine the circulation of extremist discourses in urban space during the elections campaign in and across three European countries and regions: Sweden (northern Europe), Austria (central Europe), and Bulgaria (eastern Europe). As a significant political event, the 2024 EP elections acted as a catalyst of violent discourse and actions, bringing underlying tensions and grievances among European populations to the fore and into the streets.

The research presented in this paper draws on a hybrid ethnography, combining non-participant observations across digital and urban spaces in Europe in the lead-up to election day. Drawing on an extensive and multi-modal data set, we examine how extremist discourse emerged around political campaigning and discussions surrounding the election period across online and offline settings.

During the election period, the cities of Vienna (Austria), Malmö (Sweden) and Sofia (Bulgaria) were turned into deeply politized hybrid spaces that were partly informed by political discussions unfolding online. Our analysis highlights the hybridity and interconnections between interactions in these two spheres, demonstrating how extremist discourse travels back and forth between digital platforms and urban spaces, turning both into arenas of political struggle. Physical artefacts, such as election posters, flyers, and photographs, were often transformed into memes circulating online. Conversely, digital ephemera, including memes and slogans from online conversations, found their way into physical spaces through graffiti, stickers, and other visual manifestations.

We observed how political contestation and resentment towards institutional politics often slid into or merged with extremist and violent discourse in particular around contentious topics such as migration, climate change, and gender identity and expressions, and how such discourse seamlessly flowed between online and offline realms. The findings indicate a troubling normalisation of violent rhetoric in a development towards what we term ”everyday extremism” in which anti-democratic and violent ideas increasingly seep into mundane political discussions and public space.

Public spaces set the frame for encounters between individuals and groups with varying backgrounds, not least in super-diverse cities like Vienna. They are places where different social realities meet and cohabitate while being at the same time not equally accessible and important to everyone. Furthermore, there is a strong connection between public space and social inequality: For lower-income and/or marginalized groups, urban public space is more important as a place to meet and spend leisure time than for better-off city dwellers. Conflicts of use in densely built-up urban areas, which are characterised by ethnic segregation, are on the daily agenda.

Currently, urban public space is coming under increasing pressure due to multiple events and crises: Population growth, the climate crisis, the pandemic and inflation are contributing to the fact that public space in Vienna is demanded by more and more users with different interests and backgrounds. These developments may lead to increasing tensions when it comes to the use of public spaces. Notions of inclusion and exclusion and the question of belonging in the form of “us” versus “them” are increasingly observable.

The paper is based on data collected through the Horizon 2020 project D.Rad – DeRadicalisation in Europe and Beyond – Detect, Resolve, Reintegrate. By means of expert interviews, non-participant observation, focus group interviews with stakeholders as well as young urban residents in a contested urban area, we aim to understand how public space becomes a tool for steering the inclusion and exclusion of marginalized youths and how different actors claim urban space.

Public spaces bear witness to the growth in control policies and socio-spatial inequalities, and at the same time reflect changes in urban practices and the concept of the ‘public’. Embedded in the capitalist, racist and sexist structure of society and fuelled by media discourse, the rhetoric of security weighs all the more heavily on public night-time spaces in southern Europe. It contributes to a ‘colonisation’ of the night, generating spatial micro-segregations and forms of resistance. The analysis focuses on these two aspects, in two fragments of Mediterranean city centres - those of Palermo and Marseilles - confronted with the phenomena of gentrification and touristification and a staging of their popular and Mediterranean public spaces. Moreover, while the night is in fact a more subversive and complex space-time, it is becoming increasingly controlled and integrated into daytime economic and spatial dynamics. Using an ethnographic approach, the study identifies everyday micro-violence linked to the application of policies that reinforce the control and standardisation of night-time rhythms and spaces. This violence takes the form of dictating the times and spaces to be frequented, as well as the behaviour to be adopted. They highlight the fact that public policies do not reflect the complexity of the night-time public spaces studied and the presence of structural inequalities, and therefore reinforce the marginalisation of certain residents. The second aspect of the study concerns the forms of resistance found in the practices observed. On the one hand, the proliferation and unpredictability of meeting places and times makes it more difficult to read and control the streets at night. On the other hand, nocturnal micro-movements, characterised by their spontaneity and complexity, make it possible to create alternative spaces for socialisation and reveal spontaneous moments of attention to the Other, of self-safety in the street. Through other modes and rhythms of communication and consumption, these time-spaces are less subject to the imposition of ‘normality’ in practices, bodies and behaviour. Using rhythm as a starting point allows us to consider the phenomena of resistance to a fixed night, which would like to dictate times and spaces, outside the security logic of exclusion and surveillance. It opens the way to an ontological reflection on public space that moves away from Western-centric logics.

The 15-Minute City concept has emerged as a transformative approach to urban planning, aiming to create sustainable, livable, and resilient urban environments by ensuring essential services and amenities are accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Beyond its functional goals, the concept represents a paradigm shift towards fostering community, inclusivity, and human-centered urban design. This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the 15-Minute City concept, addressing its spatial and social characteristics, sustainable mobility.

Using data from the Web of Science and Scopus, and employing tools such as Vos Viewer, the study identifies key trends, research gaps, and influential contributions within the field. Three types of bibliometric indicators—quantity, quality, and structural—are applied alongside network analyses, including co-keyword, co-authorship, and co-citation mapping, to cover significant clusters in the 15-Minute City literature.

Despite its growing prominence, the concept lacks a unified definition, with interpretations ranging from 15-minute neighborhoods to similar initiatives like healthy streets. This study systematically examines global research patterns, offering insights into the most productive authors, institutions, and countries, as well as influential topics and sources. It highlights the challenges of integrating theoretical frameworks with practical implementations and addresses gaps in longitudinal and interdisciplinary research.

Findings from this analysis provide actionable insights for researchers and practitioners to develop strategic publication plans and advance the discourse on the 15-Minute City. By identifying critical research directions and fostering collaboration across disciplines, this study contributes to refining the concept’s framework and enhancing its practical applicability. Ultimately, the research underscores the potential of the 15-Minute City to transform urban living by promoting sustainability, accessibility, and community well-being. This study is part of the DUT-funded project, AccessCity4All.

The proposal addresses the concept of accessibility by proximity to reframe the role of proximity in planning initiatives, pursuing the X min city model. It challenges the conventional view of proximity as a purely functional issue – focused on physical spatial-temporal access conditions – and moves beyond the traditional emphasis on dense, compact urban contexts of X min city policies. The paper reconceptualizes proximity as both a functional and relational construct. The latter highlights the impact of collective exchanges of resources spontaneously activated through collaborations within a community sharing specific accessibility-related needs, problems and mobility opportunities. Recognising the collective nature of accessibility and proximity can enhance the inclusivity, sustainability, and accessibility of X-minute city policies. However, the paper argues this is achievable if i) new metrics are developed that capture the dual contribution of functional and relational proximity to accessibility; and ii) accessibility by proximity is pursued, by planning policy, as a proper normative goal rather than (only) as a positive/evaluative one. These objectives are complementary within the X min city model: normative uses of accessibility by proximity require its positive application and both are crucial for dealing with the emerging criticalities of this model such as neglecting relational aspects, standardising or underestimating diverse needs, and perpetuating existing inequalities (Cooke et al. 2022). Additional risks involve limited replicability in suburban, peri-urban and rural areas (Guzman et al., 2021) or potential gentrification and displacement of vulnerable populations (Dunning et al. 2021; Haarstad et al., 2022: Poorthuis & Zook, 2023; Guironnet & Halbert, 2020).

The paper presents a novel interpretation of accessibility by proximity, emphasising its dual dimensions and normative implications to address the challenges of implementing the X-minute city model. Drawing on findings from two research projects (EX-TRA Project and Common Access Project), it offers an operational framework for dealing with new metrics of functional and relational accessibility by proximity - and its positive and normative dimensions – especially in peri-urban regions and urban outskirts.

The 15-minute city concept has become a popular and actionable framework for accessibility-based planning. However, narrow interpretations of the concept are problematic as they prescribe a complete decentralization of urban functions overlooking the holistic nature of the 15 min city concept. Such narrow interpretations may lead to unrealistic goals or adverse effects on sustainability and social inclusion, particularly in less dense urban areas, limiting the concept’s applicability and its ability to achieve desired outcomes. Therefore, this paper proposes pathways for place-based, people-centered accessibility planning to achieve the underlying ideals of the 15-minute city across diverse urban forms. Departing from the view that cities function as complex adaptive systems, characterized by dynamic and partly uncoordinated interactions among urban agents, the paper calls for a condition-based approach that fosters various potential transport and land-use configurations within set but adaptable normative boundaries. Participatory processes and adaptability are central to this approach, as they enable co-exploration of development pathways and responsiveness to change through generating situational accessibility knowledge, mutual learning, and cyclical assessment of normative boundaries.

The 15-minute City has emerged as a promising solution to many challenges associated with urbanisation. However, implementing this model is complex, given the stratified, dynamic, and animated nature of cities. Across Europe, numerous initiatives inspired by the 15-minute City concept are transforming urban spaces. This paper examines the case study of Haakon VII Street (H7) in Trondheim, Norway, focusing on its transition from a car-centred area to a people-centred urban space. Historically, H7 functioned as a peripheral and frequently repurposed site. However, the increasing demand for housing in Trondheim has prompted plans for its redevelopment. Using walking interviews and participatory mapping as data collection methods, this research employs thematic analysis to interpret findings. Three key themes have emerged: (1) centralit-ies, as H7 is analysed not as an isolated fragment but as a generative part of the city, with the potential to evolve into a significant urban centre. This theme explores its role in redefining Trondheim’s polycentric landscape within the 15-minute City paradigm; (2) integration, exploring how the emerging centrality of H7 can be harmonised with the broader urban fabric. The research highlights the importance of fostering connections with other parts of the city while ensuring H7 retains its unique identity, avoiding homogenisation; (3) verticality, inspired by plans to densify the area through mixed-function vertical buildings, this theme examines physical and digital verticalities (the latter being: exploring this site connections with related sites and cities) to support sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive urban development. This study contributes to the discourse on the 15-minute City by examining the identification and potential development of a “new centre” within Trondheim. It offers insights into how a historically peripheral space can be reimagined and provides insights into the implications of such transformations at the city level. The research set the stage to explore what it truly means for a city to embrace the principles of the 15-minute City and how such transformations can inform future urban development strategies.

The institutionalization of geography emerged in the 19th century with the establishment of geographical societies and university departments. In many nation-states, the discipline primarily served to support colonization and imperialist ambitions. However, the development of geography within the Habsburg Empire was significantly more complex, particularly in relation to its legal system. The empire underwent profound transformations in governance, transitioning from a centralized absolutist system to a dualistic state structure following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. This compromise created a distinctly divided political framework between Austria and Hungary, where the science policy was also bifurcated. Given this intricate administrative-legal context, a critical question arises: How did the discipline of geography respond to this complex legal and political structure in terms of institutionalization and intellectual development? This paper addresses this question by examining three key aspects of the development of Austrian and Hungarian geography from the mid-19th century to the end of World War I. First, it explores the evolution of geography’s institutionalization within the empire’s two halves. Second, it introduces the most influential scholars in Austrian and Hungarian geography across generations, analyzing their intellectual impacts within the broader international scientific context. Finally, the paper investigates the shifting research agendas of Austrian and Hungarian geographers through an analysis of articles published in the leading journals of the Austrian and Hungarian Geographical Societies between 1857 and 1918. The findings reveal that geography’s role in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was more complex than in other nation-states. The institutional division of geography between Austria and Hungary profoundly influenced both the intellectual development of the discipline and the way its research agendas were shaped by the political narratives of the respective governments. However, the findings also demonstrate that the common foreign policy objectives of the shared government played a significant role in aligning their research agendas, particularly in studies concerning regions beyond the empire's borders. As an epilogue, the paper briefly examines the legacy of geographical knowledge produced during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, shedding light on its impact in the post-imperial era.

Erwin Hanslik (1880-1940) has been an object of a limited number of biography-oriented studies. A student of the renown (and notorious) German geomorphologist, Albrecht Penck (1858-1945), Hanslik developed a holistic ‘philosophy of humanity’ and cooperated broadly with Austrian artists and men of culture at the turn of the 20^th century. During the First World War his pamphlets, published under the auspices of the Institut für Kulturforschung, advocated the Habsburg cause by means of cultural geography inspired by his earlier work on Galician/Silesian borderland. Both his philosophical musings and undeterred Habsburg patriotism contributed to Hanslik’s marginal position among his peers, a cohort including such strong personalities (and ardent nationalists) as Eugeniusz Romer (1871-1954), Jovan Cvijić (1865-1927), or Stepan Rudnytskyi (1877-1937). Perceived as incurably idealist and, later in his life, mentally ill, he has not been seen as a political actor.

This paper situates Hanslik’s wartime writings and cartography within the context of the Austro-Hungarian politics and the debate on the Monarchy’s war aims. Basing on Hanslik’s writings, cartographic works, and sparse archival documents, it establishes a link between his eccentric worldview and Austria’s unfulfilled expansionism during the First World War.

This paper examines competing ideas on geography and boundaries held by different British and Hungarian geographers during and immediately following WWI. There are two strands to the analysis. The first is epistemological: how and why did different geographers develop the ideas they did on Europe’s political boundaries in this period? Among British geographers, attention is paid to the work of Lionel Lyde and his Some Frontiers of Tomorrow: An Aspiration for Europe (1915), to Thomas Holdich’s Frontiers and Boundary Making (1916) and his Boundaries in Europe and the Near East (1918), and to Cyril Fawcett’s Frontiers. A Study in Political Geography (1918). Hungarian geographers include Pál Teleki and Ferenc Fodor, and we analyse the Manifesto of the Hungarian Geographical Society to the Geographical Societies of the World (fundamentally the work of Teleki, and published in Hungarian in 1918, and French in 1919). The second is historiographical: how should we conceive of the geographical community at this time? Lyde and Fawcett were leading figures in the development of a ‘modern’ academic British geography. Holdich was a prominent geographically minded civil servant within the Royal Geographical Society. Teleki was a politician and a leading academic geographer at a time when Hungary’s boundaries were dramatically altered after WWI. His protégé Fodor was a schoolteacher prior to the peace talks. Arguably the leading figure in Britain over discussions on how to map the borders of the ‘new’ Europe was also a schoolteacher, Bertram (‘Bertie’) Cotterrell Wallis. Wallis was a significant figure in the geographical and British military intelligence communities in this period. In his teaching, he was also a leading advocate of statistical approaches in teaching geography – themes quite different from those of Holdich, Lyde, and Fawcett. How then should we understand these different histories within early twentieth century geography? How may we think of ‘the geographical community’ at this time given international similarities and intranational differences?

Zoltán Hajdú

Abstract

Since the last third of the 19th century, and largely due to changing foreign policy circumstances, modern Hungarian geography has become increasingly interested in Russia. If we review the material of the volumes of the most important journal of Hungarian geography - Geographical Bulletins - from 1873 to 1923 with the help of the Arcanum internet database, we can conclude that there is hardly a volume in which there has not been some kind of material (geographical exploration, railway construction, statistics, territorial conflict, nationality, emigration of Jews, etc.) about the Russian Empire. The question of Ukrainian hostel territories and Ukrainians (Little Russians) appeared only rarely and incidentally. In 1914, István Rudnickyj's basic work on Ukraine was published in Budapest, which received substantial criticism. During World War I, interest in the internal affairs of hostile Russia increased. A part of Hungarian science (history, literary history, linguistics, ethnography, geography), especially with the financial support of Miklós Szemere, focused on research into the complexities of Ukraine. This work became organised through the publication of the journal "Ukrania". The journal, published in 1916, made a significant contribution to raising awareness of Ukrainians. Ukrainian ideas concerning the territory of the Hungarian state were not only criticised but also rejected.

Increasingly, studies and projects declare areas of different scales as “left-behind“, ranging from neighbourhood to whole countries, while often neglecting the perspective of local population. Instead of setting container spaces and measuring aspects such as (im)mobility and migration inside these containers, we plea for an actual place-based perspective, which first examines the perspective of local population on their place of living, and its development, and only then measures their perceived “left-behindness“ and its influence on their (im)mobility aspirations.
Based on a mixed methods approach that combines data from the Re-Place survey and qualitative interviews, we analyse the impact of “left-behindness“ on the intention to stay. Our understanding of “left-behindness” goes beyond a mere statistical categorization but rather includes the perception of development on the local (municipality) level through the eyes of their inhabitants.We therefore developed an index which measures perceived local development. By employing regression analysis, we show the extent of self-perceived “left-behindness“ on a personal expectation to stay. To expand our research, we conducted in-depth interviews with the local population in a German municipality containing different (im)mobility groups. The perspectives of permanent/long-term stayers, returnees, as well as internal and international immigrants were analysed with qualitative content analysis. They revealed how one´s own perception of municipality development impacts future aspirations to stay.
This paper argues for a more sensitive implementation of the “left-behind” places concept in academic research by highlighting the importance of a people-centred place-based approach. It brings differentiation to the discussion about (im)mobility in “left-behind“ places by focusing on people as agents and not only seeing them as involuntary stayers.

The paper examines feelings of place attachment among immigrants and returnees in several European countries. We ask what kind of influences international mobility has on levels of place attachment. While leaving can disrupt the bonds of place attachment, returning can reinforce them, potentially leading to returnees having a stronger sense of place attachment compared to natives with no mobility experiences. On the other hand, some returnees might find that they no longer feel at home after return. We ask whether living in a new country is systematically linked with weaker levels of place attachment and whether return does indeed reinforce and strengthen individuals’ bonds to their places of origin. We also explore how a large array of other important determinants of place attachment, e.g., socio-economic status, employment, social capital, duration and movements in and out of the locality, locality characteristics and individuals’ perceptions about the locality moderate and mediate the relationship between migration status and place attachment. In developing and interpreting our model results, we rely on several theoretical frameworks, such as place identity, social capital, social integration, and transnationalism.

We explore these questions using data from the 2024 Re-Place survey, a survey on nationally representative online panels for Germany, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. The survey also included oversamples of returnees and immigrants, allowing for more in-depth analyses and conclusions regarding these groups and comparisons with natives with no international migration experience.

We pay particular attention to the construction of a cross-nationally comparable, multi-dimensional measure of place attachment, by employing a confirmatory factor analysis approach and tests of cross-national measurement invariance. We then construct a series of regression models adding blocks of predictors in a sequential order (hierarchical regressions) aimed at disentangling the role of other predictors in explaining the relationship between mobility status and place attachment.

The investigation of migration aspirations has a long tradition in migration studies, but the topic has benefited from a substantial increase in attention during the last decade. This is connected with the rise in interest in predicting international flows as well as with finding out more about the determinants of migration. The recent increase in interest for aspirations to internationally migrate is paralleled in migration studies by the interest in immobility. Immobility is more and more conceptualized not only as the reference for mobility (rather the result of difficulties or lack of resources to migrate), but also as a voluntary choice.

Starting from these recent developments, we formulated our research questions: what are the determinants of the preferences for international migration or stay (understood here as non-international migration)? How does the previous own experience with international migration (i.e. being a non-international migrant; an immigrant or a returnee) impact these preferences?

We explore these questions using data from the 2024 Re-Place survey, a survey on nationally representative online samples for Germany, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. The survey also included oversamples of returnees and immigrants, allowing for more in-depth analyses and conclusions regarding these groups and comparisons with natives with no international migration experience.

Our preliminary results, based on multiple regressions models, show that immigrants and returnees are more likely to express preferences for residence in another country, compared to natives, with immigrants being more likely than returnees to prefer to move.

Even after controlling for relevant socio-demographic characteristics, the presence of relatives abroad is a factor that increases the likelihood of expressing preferences for future international mobility.

In accordance with the previous studies, our analyses indicate well-being and place attachment as a pair of factors that lower the probability of a future international move. The same pair of factors (well-being and place attachment) play an important role in the decision to not internationally migrate, with place attachment playing a more important role.

Left-behind regions in Europe are often characterized as areas from which people — particularly the younger population — tend to migrate, primarily due to limited employment opportunities, especially in advanced sectors. These regions face challenges of progressive depopulation driven by out-migration and aging populations. To date, regional development policies have struggled to reverse these trends. However, emerging “weak signals” suggest the possibility of alternative futures for such areas.
This paper adopts a theoretical framework centred on human mobility and explores diverse mobility patterns to identify and interpret these “weak signals.” We conduct a comparative analysis of 12 case studies across six EU countries (Germany, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain), leveraging insights from key stakeholders, including representatives of institutions, businesses, and local communities. Our study examines the local factors influencing individuals' decisions to stay, move, or return, with a focus on dynamics that extend beyond purely economic considerations. By doing so, we aim to classify left-behind areas based on varying types of (im)mobilities.
The findings presented in this paper stem from preliminary results of research conducted as part of the Horizon Europe Re-Place project (https://replace-horizon.eu/).

Environmental conflicts emerge across scales in configurations transcending temporal and spatial boundaries in search of new materials and energy sources to fuel growth-dependent economies. Increased visibility and politicization of socio-environmental debates today also place the focus on the winners and losers in these conflicts. Türkiye, with its expanding societal metabolism in its centennial, is a hotbed of contestation for such conflicts at the periphery of Europe. Despite existing tensions about the rollout of developmentalism much earlier, the two decades under Erdoğan’s authoritarian rule led to the emergence and transformation of place-based environmental movements against state-facilitated energy boom and mining rush. While the environmental movements in Türkiye spent much of this period opposing hydropower, mines, and breakneck-speed urban transformation, today there appears to be an increased frequency of ecological conflicts across the country in a time when the legal checks and balances on its non-human environment are being upheld more than ever. Then for the scholars of environmental movements, the question becomes: What does it mean to win? In an attempt to reflect on this question, our aim here is to examine the changing nature of environmental conflicts in parallel with the transforming political landscape of Turkey. We argue that the recent rise in both fossil fuel and renewable infrastructure conflicts were all but unexpected. In a time when oppositional politics is largely constrained, our findings also hint at the emergence of antagonistic and intersectional environmental politics as an avenue of manifesting broader societal dissent.

Political ecology critically examines environmental issues, recognising that they are deeply intertwined with social, economic, and political factors, as products of power dynamics and historical processes. In recent years, political ecology has been increasingly criticised for reproducing colonial approaches and prioritising Western-centered forms of knowledge production. Decolonising political ecology requires incorporating decolonial research methods into environmental and social science studies and adopting marginalised epistemologies, such as those grounded in feminism, decolonial, and Indigenous theories. Implementing this perspective in the field means, for example, involving local people in the research process not merely as participants, but as co-researchers. While this is ethically important for a more equitable knowledge co-production, it is not devoid of difficulties. In this light, drawing on our research on environmental conflicts in Latin America, particularly in Ecuador and Colombia, approached from a political ecology perspective, we present our attempts to construct non-extractivist research practices, highlighting both the positive outcomes and the challenges faced, expected and unexpected. In particular, the research in Ecuador was conducted in an oil context of the Amazon region, to explore the perceptions of an Indigenous population, regarding the impacts of extractive activities. Involving the local people in the study allowed to co-define the research objectives and methods, but also exposed the researchers to the pressures from the various actors involved, especially the oil company, Eni. Conversely, the fieldwork conducted in the Colombian Amazon focused on the social impact of a carbon forestry project involving a semi-nomad community living in a guerrilla-controlled territory. In this case, the attempt to co-define research objectives proved harder than expected due both to practical reasons and to the epistemological distance between researcher and research partners, as well as due to the risks (both real and perceived) involved. Based on our experience, a decolonial approach to field research requires a set of heuristic methodological tools through which we, as researchers, can critically reflect on our positionality, constantly renegotiate our identity and where necessary redefine research goals and practices in order to avoid (if at all possible) perpetuating colonial practices.

Over the last decade, the Central Asian region has been threatened by the effects of climate change and related socio-environmental challenges in terms of natural resources governance, land access as well as local communities’ everyday life. These processes, that increased social marginalization and vulnerability, are inherently political since they include institutional and social actors, their visions and interests, and are shaped by complex decision-making processes and power relations. However, governments in the region have tempted to minimize this political nature and hampered community mobilizations. Political ecology has emphasized these issues by highlighting the need to shed light on the socio-political dimension of environmental change, and especially embedded power and conflicting relations, and to repoliticize these processes. Indeed, political ecology is seeking to go beyond contemporary global capitalist development towards post-capitalist, radical democratic and degrowth futures. However, little attention so far has been paid by political ecology scholars to the Central Asian region, probably due to its diverse authoritarian socio-political regimes and limited spaces for grassroots political claims and engagement. Therefore, this paper aims to reflect on the adoption of political ecology’ theoretical and methodological lenses to Central Asia through the analysis of a transforming heritage-scape and related community engagement in Uzbekistan. The Kafir Kala heritage-scape, located in the outskirts of Samarkand, includes an important archaeological site, recenly inscribed in UNESCO world heritage list, together with a vast community pastureland. Since 2022, an international research project, Kalam, has been designing an open-air archaeological park, the first example in the country. Through community-based ethnographic methods, research highlights the complex socio-spatial and environmental dimension of the heritage-scape transformation process, analyzes diverse visions and interests of institutions and communities and unveils political and uneven power relations in the project’ decision-making processes. Indeed, through the analysis of research’ methodological and empirical challenges, this paper provides a space to advance the reflection on the “challenging” adoption of a political ecology approach to research in “authoritarian” states and on knowledge and its decolonization.

In what spaces does cosmopolitanism take place? This communication is situated within the framework of political ecology and decolonial thought (Torre 2024) and discusses cosmopolitanism in a time that has been defined as «capitalocene» (Moore 2017). Capitalocene is used as a concept of «terra-forming» describing the profound ecological transformations of the planet Earth driven by the historical and geographical dynamics of colonialism and capitalism. The spaces of cosmopolitanism have been intertwined with the spaces of capital, the latter meant as both a social relation and a socio-ecological system. This discussion argues that to recover cosmopolitanism and its purposes of planetary peaceful and sustainable conviviality, rather than adhering to the abstract notion of the «citizen of the world», a more viable alternative available to us is to explore decolonial options towards ecological cosmopolitanism. Ecological cosmopolitanism includes conceptions of the pluriverse (Kothari et al. 2019; Minoia 2024) and their transformative understandings of community, of the relations between space and time and between nature and humankind. Capitalism and ecological cosmopolitanism cannot go hand in hand, as they are two socio-ecological systems at odds with each other. Whereas capitalism is based on people and resources exploitation, ecological colonialism and imperialism, ecological cosmopolitanism offers an alternative to engage with the cosmos at large, emphasizing the interconnections between human and other-than-human living beings, where there is no dominance of time over space and where there is not a prevailing human over nature. In ecological cosmopolitanism, space and time, humans and nature, exist in a condition of consubstantiality and mutual interdependence.

Kothari A., Salleh H., Escobar A., Demaria F., Acosta A. (2019). Pluriverse. A Post-Development Dictionary. New Delhi: Tulika Books.

Minoia P. (2024). Post-sviluppo: critiche postcoloniali e alternative decoloniali. In: Bignante E., Bini V., Giunta I. e Minoia P. (eds). Geografie critiche della cooperazione internazionale. Milano: UTET, pp. 45-59.

Moore J.W. (2017). The Capitalocene, Part I: On the Nature and Origins of Our Ecological Crisis’. Journal of Peasant Studies, 44(3), pp. 594-630.

Torre S. (2024). Il pensiero decoloniale. Milano: UTET.

In Switzerland, as in many countries, the promotion and enhancement of outdoor learning have been noticed for several years (Wolf et al., 2022; Blondin & Letouzey-Pasquier, 2023). NGOs such as Silviva (2019), Pro Natura, and the Outdoor Learning Competence Center (Lausanne) promote outdoor education across various issues. At the Fribourg’s University of Teacher Education (Swiss), pre-service and in-service teachers are trained in relation to outdoor learning, primarily focusing on natural sciences and/or forest school approach.

Although numerous studies exist on experiential learning (Jose et al., 2017), place-based education (Dolan, 2016; Smith, 2002), experiential geography (Léninger-Frézal et al., 2020), fieldwork (Briand, 2014, Halocha, 2005), we have identified a need for support among in-service primary school teachers (KS 1) - with young students (ages 5–6) - on exploring and representing local spaces. Thus, how does outdoor learning enhance pupils' understanding of their local space? How do the teachers’ didactic strategies improve pupils’ fieldwork experiences?

Since 2021, our research has focused on the contribution of fieldwork to geography teaching essentially in KS 1. We implemented a collaborative research framework (Bednarz et al., 2017) and created a Community of Practice (Wenger, 2005; Marlot & Roy, 2020; Letouzey-Pasquier & Blondin, submitted), involving 10 teachers from KS1 classes across four schools from the Canton of Fribourg. This research-training initiative aims to study and enhance the in-service teachers‘ skills, emphasizing fieldwork learning. Initially, we collected data on outdoor teachers‘ practices, followed by the elaboration of an in-service training program related to geographic fieldwork. Teachers created teaching material which included at least one fieldwork trip under the guidance of researchers.

In this presentation, we analyze teaching material and recorded teaching sessions focused on the school area with a specific focus on the introduction of mapping concepts and skills.

In contemporary urban studies, the relationship between education, participation, and public spaces has gained increasing relevance. On the one hand, from the seminal work of Dewey (1916; 1938) and Ward (1978), which highlights the city as a pedagogical device fostering democratic education through engagement with urban environments, outdoor education has long been recognized as an effective strategy for inquiry-based learning in real-world contexts, fostering critical thinking and responsible citizenship (Rickinson et al., 2004; Lambert & Balderstone, 2010; Oost, De Vries & Van der Schee, 2011). On the other hand, recent work on participatory urban planning further emphasizes the need to integrate educational practices with participatory methods, bridging theory with practice and providing young people with opportunities for active involvement in reshaping their environments (Tonucci, 2005; Howard, 2010; Malatesta, 2015; Deinet, 2017; Dickens, 2017) through engaging meaningful, non-adult-led social learning tools and contexts (Percy-Smith, 2010).
At the same time, while the relationship between participation and research has been widely explored (Kindon, Pain, Kesby, 2007), few studies connect participation, research, and education within a single theoretical framework. Some authors (McNall et al., 2015) have begun to address this gap, suggesting that the integration of these dimensions can create opportunities for collaborative learning and knowledge production that meets real community needs.
Our contribution presents the GIOCANDO (Game-based Involvement Of young Citizens AND public Organizations) project, which aims at bridging the gap between outdoor education and participatory urban planning with young people through a collaborative, co-research approach in three marginalized neighbourhoods of Palermo (Italy). In partnership with three NGOs and several local schools, the project empowers young people to actively participate in the (re)imagination and regeneration of public spaces, acting as co-researchers. Combining fieldwork research activities with the design and development of a board game and a digital app simulating urban planning processes, the project offers a dynamic platform for decision-making, fostering spatial awareness and a deeper understanding of local urban challenges. Drawing on “the right to research” (Appadurai, 2006), we explore the tensions between participation and pedagogy, focusing on the role of young people as ‘primary researchers’ in knowledge production (Kim, 2016).

The focus of this research work lies on the critical assessment of an education-project called “Nature Lab”, established almost more the ten years ago in Altenberg/Rax (Austria). The integration of local and regional people with valuable knowledge about “their” region was one of the basic ideas of the Nature Lab, that can be understood as new lecture halls for - in the present case - Geographers. Also, the direct implementation of the Nature Park Mürzer Oberland was part of this education-concept for the university level. In a second step innovative and practice-oriented methods of applied teaching are illuminated on the example of the lab’s co-learning approach and the geomorphological educational trail, as an instrument of environmental education. An evaluation of the nature lab’s impacts on the communal development is given in a third section and factors of success for installing a nature lab are detected by evaluating lessons learned from 2013 until today. Altogether, the paper on hand can help to understand the focal points for running a nature lab. It also shows how new teaching methods in Geography can be applied in an innovative and practice-oriented way.

Since 2019 educational system in Croatia has undergone significant changes of all relevant curriculum documents. This triggered changes in practices of teaching and learning on all educational levels. The aim of this paper is to determine to what extent outdoor education has become an integral part of teaching and learning within Geography classes, but also when Geography is correlated with other school subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, etc.

Pedagogical interest is primarily directed towards the teaching process and the mutual relationships of its participants and little attention has been given so far to the analyses of outdoor activities on the education and upbringing of pupils in general. Education in an open environment is not sufficiently represented as a result of the organizational difficulties that teachers encounter during its organization. The value of fieldwork increases when conducted in an interdisciplinary manner, as it encourages cross-curricular connections and enables a more comprehensive understanding of topics such as climate changes and natural hazards.
In line with the research objectives focused on students, the semi-structured interview method together with survey were found to be the most effective for gathering detailed data, opinions, and insights. Sampling was based on the participation of Geography students on all educational levels. Interviews were conducted with ten participants, each of whom provided valuable information based on their experiences. Even though there are numerous possibilities of field work and outdoor education within Geography curriculum most teaching occurs in the classroom. Results indicate outdoor education develops numerous soft skills and also increases environmental awareness by integrating educational content with outdoor experiences during walking, camping, hiking, nature observation, etc.

The need for transformative geographical education is often justified by the general crisis nature of current processes. (cf. e.g. Nöthen/Schreiber 2023) In relation to the educational context, this implies a double crisis structure. On the one hand, this specifically concerns the education system and therefore also the subject of geography. On the other hand, the statement generally refers to the numerous crises with which late modern society is confronted, which is expressed not least in an acute crisis of meaning (cf. Schauer 2023). After the end of the grand narratives (Lyotard) and against the backdrop of an increasing questioning of modern narratives of progress and development (cf. e.g. Jaeggi 2023), education as a process for the empowerment of reflective shaping of the future must offer possibilities for dealing with the crisis narratives themselves. Crisis therefore not only functions here as a justification for the necessity of transformative education, but also as a central field of application for didactics based on this. It is argued that, although crisis knowledge is stressful, dealing with dystopian narratives (catastrophic crisis narratives) can also be implemented profitably independently of the decidedly problem-solving focus (e.g. Hoffmann 2021).

Consequently, this contribution asks how dystopian narratives (catastrophic crisis narratives) can be dealt with in terms of transformative geographical education. To this end, the concept of transformativity and the ‘guiding ideas’ of Nöthen and Schreiber (2023, 1) are used to discuss transformative education as a process of shaping the world in a way that is open to the future. Shaping the world, because transformation should be a conscious, meaningful process and not an arbitrary change. Future-oriented, as transformation is only legitimised in an educational context if it relates to the (increasingly threatened) future and includes a vision of it. Open, as transformative, unlike development, does not imply a normative narrative with clear guidelines for shaping the world, but instead means empowering people to shape their own narrative.

It is argued that world shaping, future-orientation and openness of this process each take place on three levels: 1) learning as transformation (subject level), 2) transformation of learning (system level), 3) transformation of the world (societal level). Following the conceptual-theoretical foundation outlined here, the aim is therefore to show the respective consequences of the levels presented for dealing with crisis narratives, so that these are not only experienced as oppressive challenges, but also act as an impetus for a narrative transformation with regard to a democratic and emancipatory, conscious shaping of the world. What this means in concrete terms is illustrated using a film example.

The current global landscape, marked by crises such as climate change, populism, and social inequalities, presents significant challenges for education. Geography education, with its inherent focus on the interconnections between society, economy, politics, and the environment, is uniquely positioned to address these issues. However, beyond content, teaching methods must also evolve to meet the needs of today’s students.

In response to this, the approach of Transformative (Geographic) Education has recently been increasingly discussed in geography didactics. However, the methodological and didactic recommendations presented in most of the publications associated with this approach often conflict with the structural and institutional logics inherent to the (German) school system. I argue that a fundamental reorientation of the structural and organizational framework of schooling is necessary to enable a more transformative (geographic) education in the first place. Accordingly, the focus of my research project is on the systemic and structural conditions necessary for this.

Considering its overarching goals and principles, as well as the structural framework within which the Dutch alternative educational approach Developmental Education (Ontwikkelingsgericht Onderwijs, ‘OGO’) (e. g. van Oers 2012) operates—and drawing on the argument that alternative educational approaches "can serve as meaningful models for the renewal of mainstream education across the globe" (Sliwka 2008: 108)— I propose that ‘OGO’ can provide valuable insights when it comes to define a framework in which Transformative (Geographic) Education might become possible. Using ethnographic methods, I therefore intended to explore the actual potential of ‘OGO’ in relation to my aforementioned research interest in a school in the Netherlands. In doing so, I explored key characteristics, implicit logics and success factors of ‘OGO’ that cannot be derived from its theoretical study alone.

By presenting first findings, my presentation will contribute to the discourse on integrating Transformative (Geographic) Education into practice. Through illustrative examples, I will discuss in how far ‘OGO’ can help defining structural, pedagogical and didactical adjustments necessary to support an education that not only addresses both the intellectual and emotional needs of students, but also fosters the development of critical thinking and agency, as well as resilience—required skills to navigate and actively engage in this increasingly complex world.

• Van Oers, B. (Ed.) (2012): Developmental Education for Young Children. Concept, Practice and Implementation. (Springer) Dordrecht.
• Sliwka, A. (2008): The contribution of alternative education. In: OECD – centre for Educational Research and Innovation: Innovating to learn – learning to innovate. (OECD) Paris.

Our prior collaboration, which integrated history and geography education through primary sources and combined teaching and research, highlighted shared value-based issues, which we see as a foundation for cooperative teaching. The lecturers assumed that students were interested in clarifying these issues. Developing teaching methods for students from diverse countries, religions, and backgrounds laid the foundation for joint learning, facilitated discussions, and encouraged the study of various humanitarian issues in the past and present. This collaborative approach improves students' learning experience by enabling them to engage with peers from diverse backgrounds.

The teaching objectives were to expose the students to moral value issues during the past, mainly Shoa education, and to make them investigate worldwide moral value issues today. A key focus was exploring avenues for personal involvement in humanitarian aid. This research asks how students from different backgrounds, religions, etc., approach ethical issues and what are the influencing factors that determine this?

Humanitarian emergencies arise from natural disasters, such as earthquakes or floods, or man-made causes including wars and human rights violations. Humanitarian aid is provided by groups, individuals, organizations (UN or USAID, for example), or nations. Significant differences exist in the type and scope of humanitarian aid provided to affected populations, often due to geopolitical factors: for example, action can be localized, or global aid, addressing health, economic, or other needs, and help is possible in a small geographic area or a large area. Assistance can range from immediate relief to long-term support.

Teaching methods combine online and distance learning tools, including films, Online resources, and Zoom. These tools supported Problem-Based Learning and discussions of ethical dilemmas. Learning in small, mixed-group work allows the students to get to know each other and build connections across cultural boundaries. Peer teaching is a fundamental issue of this study and will be discussed in this presentation.

Students' opinions, perceptions, and attitudes were examined at various stages of the process, and they will serve as a basis for comparative research. The students and lecturers from three continents consider this course a unique opportunity to engage in fascinating, valuable, and meaningful topics.

Transformative education, as a pedagogical approach, aims to empower learners to critically engage with complex global challenges, such as climate change, migration, and sustainability, by fostering systemic understanding and civic responsibility. Within this context, geography provides a unique platform to implement transformative education due to its focus on the interconnections between society, economy, politics, and the environment. This paper explores how transformative education principles can be operationalized in geography teaching by examining the cognitive processes involved in solving complex geographical tasks.

The study focused on transformative learning - the process by which students change their perspectives and develop new ways of understanding the world - and analysed the problem-solving strategies of 14 gifted high school students (aged 16-19) identified as gifted in geography in the national round of the Geography Olympiad. Using eye-tracking technology (Tobii Glasses 2), participants' visual attention was measured while solving model problems from the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo). These tasks required the integration of spatial and thematic data from maps, diagrams and textual descriptions in English. Supplementary qualitative data from post-task interviews were used to contextualize the findings from eye-tracking.

The analysis revealed that linguistic complexity in task instructions and an overemphasis on fact-based content posed significant obstacles to transformative learning. Students exhibited prolonged fixations on textual elements, suggesting cognitive overload, which hindered their ability to engage in higher-order reasoning. Tasks emphasizing open-ended inquiry and problem-solving, however, demonstrated potential for fostering transformative learning, as they encouraged students to synthesize information and critically evaluate global interdependencies.

This study argues for the integration of transformative education principles into geography curricula by prioritizing task designs that support transformative learning processes. Recommendations include incorporating problem-based questions, fostering critical reasoning, and providing linguistic scaffolding to reduce cognitive barriers. By aligning educational practices with transformative education, geography teaching can better equip students to critically engage with and address the complexities of an interconnected world.

Polycentricity is increasingly gaining global significance as a both a normative concept for spatial planning and management and an analytical construct in urban geography. One of the main challenges in the development of polycentric urban regions is achieving functional coherence between the centers that encompass them. This study examines how regions’ naming captures a specific dimension of this integration, namely residents’ regional identity and attachment. Our analysis is based on a survey conducted among residents of the eight largest metropolitan regions in Poland. Our findings confirm that a region’s name, when positively perceived in functional-organizational, strategic-image, and cultural-historical contexts, significantly strengthens residents’ identification with the region and fosters emotional attachment. This, in turn, contributes to the functional coherence of the region.

Particularly in times of (social and economic) crisis, sport as a historical grown and cultural phenomenon promotes sustainable social cohesion (Bas et al., 2020). Since 2021, community orientated sport club culture in Germany has even been part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage due to its historical, social and cultural significance for society as a whole, as a place for learning and practising rules, customs and traditions together (Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission, 2023). Organised major sporting events (MISE), such as the Olympic Games but also football World Cups also have an identity-forming effect, as (mythical) venues are built (Hüser et al., 2022) where sporting competitions are held together according to established rituals and rules, which in turn create shared formative memories and stabilise traditions (Horne et al., 2006). As central venues, stadiums, their architecture, their central geographical situation in the urban landscape as well as their post-sporting event legacy (Llorca, 2024), but above all their emblematic names, are of outstanding importance for cultural heritage (Kiuri et al., 2015).

Remarkably, stadiums that have hosted Olympic Games often retain their name (“Olympic stadium”), while even unique names of venerable football stadiums are often changed with the aim of generating additional revenue. A well-known recent example is the legendary football stadium in Barcelona, which was renamed “Spotify Camp Nou” in 2022. Besides the additional revenue, those responsible justified this agreement with the aim of bringing together the two sectors of the entertainment industry, music and sport (Brown, 2012). However, such business-orientated strategies are controversial (Koch et al., 2022). For example, the great rival in Spain, Real Madrid, like many other top European clubs, opposes the sale of the naming rights to its “Estadio Santiago Bernabéu” (Kroll, 2024). Moreover, numerous naming projects have to be abandoned because fan protests make successful naming impossible (Gerhardt et al., 2021) or fans decide in favour of other names in democratic votes, for example Roazhon Park in Rennes (Ceillier, 2015).

As part of the research project DISCLOSE (2022-2025) and the sub(sequent research project AGéoLinES, our contribution joining the session Place names between cultural heritage and cultural change, seeks to find out which factors influence the naming of stadiums and how fans from German-speaking countries – Austria (underdog league) and Germany (top league) – as well as French-speaking country – Belgium (underdog league) and France (top league) – evaluate the naming of ‘their’ stadiums.

The theoretical framework is a three-dimensional socio-discursive model (Bach et al., 2022) which is tested by means of a web-scraped data set (~3,500 cases). In addition, an online survey is conducted among football fans from these four countries to contextualise these results.

Preliminary results confirm that the language family and category, the league affiliation, and the year of construction are salient variables. Fan acceptance is determined by the sponsor’s image. Overall, the phenomenon of stadium naming oscillates between (wishful) identity-stabilising cultural heritage and (necessary) commercialisation.

References

Bach, Matthieu, Javier Fernández-Cruz, Laurent Gautier, Florian Koch & Matthieu Llorca. 2022. Néologismes en discours spécialisé. Analyse comparée des noms de stades de football dans quatre pays européens. Estudios Románicos 31. 309–327.

Bas, Daniela, Melissa Martin, Carol Pollack & Robert Venne. 2020. The Impact of COVID-19 on Sport, Physical Activity and Well-being and its Effects on Social Development. New York: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Policy Briefs, 73.

Brown, Luke. 2022. Barcelona agree Spotify deal for Camp Nou naming rights and shirt sponsorship. New York: New York Times.

Ceillier, Glenn. 2015. Appelez-le Roazhon Park : Le Stade Rennais a choisi le nouveau nom de son stade. Paris: Eurosport.

Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission. 2023. Bundesweites Verzeichnis Immaterielles Kulturerbe : Jubiläum 20 Jahre Konvention 10 Jahre Verzeichnis. Bonn: Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission e.V.

Gerhardt, Cornelia, Ben Clarke & Justin Lecarpentier. 2021. Naming rights sponsorship in Europe. AILA Review 34(2). 212–239.

Horne, John & Wolfram Manzenreiter. 2006. An Introduction to the Sociology of Sports Mega-Events. The Sociological Review 54(2). 1–24.

Hüser, Dietmar, Paul Dietschy & Philipp Didion. 2022. Einleitung: Aimez-vous toujours les stades?' Ansätze, Themen und Perspektiven einer deutsch-französischen und europäischen Stadionforschung im ‚langen‘ 20. Jahrhundert. In Dietmar Hüser, Philipp Didion & Paul Dietschy (eds.) Sport-Arenen – Sport-Kulturen – Sport-Welten: Deutsch-französisch-europäische Perspektiven im „langen“ 20. Jahrhundert = Arènes du sport – Cultures du sport – Mondes du sport : perspectives franco-allemandes et européennes dans le ‘long’ XXe siècle Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. 9–38.

Kiuri, Miranda & Jacques Teller. 2015. Olympic Stadiums and Cultural Heritage: On the Nature and Status of Heritage Values in Large Sport Facilities. The International Journal of the History of Sport 32(5). 684–707.

Koch, Florian & Laurent Gautier. 2022. Allianz-Arena, Orange Vélodrome & Co: Zum Framing kommerzieller Namen von Fußballstadien im deutsch-französischen Vergleich. Beiträge zur Namenforschung 58(3). 363–385.

Kroll. 2024. Why European Football Clubs Should Look to Stadium Naming Rights to Diversify Income: An Analysis of Potential Stadium Naming Rights Valuations. New York: European Stadium Naming Rights Report.

Llorca, Matthieu, Laurent Gautier & Florian Koch. 2024. Les multiples dimensions du stade olympique. Esprit Critique : Revue Internationale de Sociologie et de Sciences sociales 34(1). 195–212.

Ramshaw, Gregory & Sean Gammon. 2015. Heritage and Sport. In Emma Waterton and Steve Watson (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Heritage Research, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. 248–60.

The commercialization of urban space refers to the process by which public or private spaces are utilized for commercial purposes, most commonly for promoting companies and brands. This phenomenon is evident in urban landscapes when, for example, large advertising signs displaying company names and logos are placed on buildings as part of branding strategies. Frequently, these buildings become informally referred to by the names featured on the prominent advertising signs. As a result, the company’s name subtly embeds itself into the collective consciousness of residents, and the building transforms into a recognizable town landmark, acquiring brand-like characteristics.

Examples of this identity transfer—from the company name to the building name—can be found in many towns. In Zagreb, such transfers often refer to buildings named after major companies established in the second half of the 19th century and during the socialist period (e.g., Vjesnik, Ferimport, INA, Nama, Roma). With the transition to the capitalist system and the rise of private ownership, the urban landscape in Zagreb has witnessed the emergence of residential and office buildings, as well as mixed-use block buildings (e.g., Park kneževa [Princes’ Park]) constructed by domestic and foreign private investors to sell or rent premises for residential, entertainment, or business purposes.

To enhance the attractiveness of these buildings to potential residents and users, owners or investors assign them carefully selected, attractive names that evoke prestige, luxury, and cosmopolitanism. Such names are often in English and prominently displayed on advertising signs (e.g., Avenue Mall, Green Gold, Eurotower, Sky Office Towers). They are typically placed in visible locations on the buildings, such as their rooftops. As these names are used from the beginning of construction, they gradually become ingrained in the public space and, in the absence of alternative names, are adopted by residents as informal names.

This presentation examines selected examples of building names in Zagreb motivated by commercial goals from a cultural-geographical perspective. It highlights the increasing presence, aesthetics, meanings, history, and symbolism of such names and the buildings that carry these names within the urban fabric.

Names of streets, squares and other urban public spaces (urbanonyms) are among the most common symbols ascribed to public spaces in urban areas. They express both local history of a city or town, national history and other elements that are a reflection of both long-time historical processes, as well as currently dominant historical, political, cultural and ideological narratives. Thus, they usually serve as tools for the expression of identity and collective memory, which is a process that becomes the most apparent after significant shifts in political systems.

In the early 1990s, the Republic of Croatia proclaimed its independence from the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. In the process of seeking international recognition while defending against a military aggression, the new political shift from single-party socialism towards parliamentary democracy sought to replace the narratives expressed in urban landscapes from those mirroring strong socialist ideological, political and historical narratives into the ones emphasizing the Croatian national identity and history. The common practice throughout the 1990s was, thus, to intentionally replace most of the dominant symbols of socialism and its one-sided view of history and the emphasis on the common Yugoslav identity with those articulating and reaffirming the particular Croatian national identity, its history and the events that were unfolding at the time, which have turned out to be of the utmost historical importance for the Croatian nation and the modern Croatian state.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the actual urbanonyms (2025) in the Croatian city of Zadar and compare them to those from 1986, in order to find out and explain the extent of the changes that occurred in urbanonyms in terms of changes of political and historical narratives in the two politically contrasted periods. By analyzing and listing the existing urbanonyms from contemporary online sources such as Open Street Map and geographically comparing them to the data found in a Zadar Street Map published in 1986, a database of street names and their changes is created. A content analysis of urbanonyms from both observed years is performed in order to determine and quantify all the changes and reach conclusions about the extent and nature of the shifted identities and narratives expressed in the actual names of Zadar’s streets and public places.

This paper aims to explore the potential role of public spaces as social infrastructures by considering the results of a study conducted in Palermo as part of a research project funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research. The theoretical approach of the research is based on the importance of social infrastructures as crucial places that can foster contact, mutual support and collaboration among people. The presence of public spaces acting as social infrastructure is essential to place-making and the creation of territorial identity especially in deprived places. Despite the positive impact of green spaces on residents’ daily lives, Palermo is recently experiencing a crisis of public green spaces, caused by austerity measures and the lack of financial resources for local administrations and their social infrastructure policies. The unequal distribution of easily accessible green spaces in the city mainly affects the economically weaker groups with a considerable disparity between neighbourhoods and the resulting dynamics of exclusion. Urban policies and consumption-driven regeneration processes concentrate resources and funding mainly on specific central spaces, to the detriment of peripheral areas that remain on the margins. In this context, this paper investigates possible solutions to address these challenges and support a participatory model of urban governance. The research project relies on a qualitative methodology largely based on intensive fieldwork, participant observation, a collection of mental maps, participatory practices and in-depth interviews. With this methodological approach, the project addresses two main questions: 1) How do urban policies involve Palermo's neighbourhoods by differentially excluding or including their public spaces? 2) How can the material organisation and the perception of a public green space shape social interactions? To address these topics, this contribution will explore an example of a model of shared and inclusive management of public spaces in Palermo: Parco Uditore, a successful story of reclaiming spaces not intended for public use and turning them into powerful social infrastructures. Moreover, through the analysis of this experience, the contribution will reflect on the effects of an accessible public space on the neighbourhood and its inhabitants. On the one hand, we will observe how austerity policies affect neighbourhoods unevenly. On the other, we will highlight the exemplarity of a neighbourhood capable of catalysing its social capital into effective public space projects.

This contribution focuses on an urban public park in order to explore empirically the intersections of urban natures and cultures in relation to segregation processes. Le Cascine, the biggest park of Florence, Italy, has recently attracted ample attention in public debates characterized by two interrelated arguments promoted by local political and cultural stakeholders: On the one hand, informal and illegal activities, criminality, decay, and the imperative necessity of requalification become dominant elements of stratified discourses that have produced the park’s stigmatisation. On the other, the same stakeholders provide responses to this stigmatisation through an imaginary centred on the park’s “natural” value towards a sustainable future of a city that needs to finally deal with the climate crisis.

Suggesting a processual rather than static view on the segregation of urban public spaces, and based on ongoing qualitative and in-situ arts-based geographic research, the latter taking the form of public geography, our analysis approaches Le Cascine as a spatiality that is intertwined with segregation processes: How does the park allow us to rethink of segregation in terms of socio-economically advantaged groups expansion rather than seclusion? Which is the role of culture in its intersection with urban nature in a contested public space? And how does an urban public space commonly perceived as segregated become the active terrain of socio-spatial processes that might result in novel segregation patterns?

A critical reading of a selection of both top-down and bottom-up activities as forms of re-appropriation by the affluent urban populations, and exercises of control over diversity and informality, together with in-depth interviews and performative geographic experimentations, provide answers to our questions. Precisely, the gradual insertion of formal cultural activities into the urban green in question might result in a “soft expansion” of the socio-economically advantaged groups of Florence’s urban public space, and particularly green space. Nevertheless, this cultural expansion, however “soft”, intervenes onto the ordinary uses of the park by underprivileged and racialized populations, rendering it a contentious space. In an apparently homogeneous and pacified urban context, we read Le Cascine park as a public space where conflictual and exclusionary dynamics become evident.

Public spaces in Ulaanbaatar face unprecedented pressures due to rapid urbanization, climate change, and socio-economic change. In line with this, ambitious policies were set under the Green Development Policy and the Ulaanbaatar 2020 Master Plan, but the quantity of green space per capita still remains at a critically low level: 0.12-5 m² per person, against global recommendations. Challenges include weak policy implementation, fragmented institutional responsibilities, and limited financial resources. Moreover, informal settlements and chaotic urban expansion further complicate efforts to secure and enhance urban public spaces. The present study has critically assessed policy and institutional barriers impeding the development of public space in Ulaanbaatar. Critical document analysis and interviews with key stakeholders revealed four major issues: poor action plans, inadequate coordination of stakeholders, financial problems, and the failure to establish any kind of sustainable urban planning framework. As potential solutions, we evaluate the city’s capacity to increase green spaces through innovative interventions. These include converting neglected public spaces into pocket gardens, redeveloping school and kindergarten yards, utilizing university and educational institution campuses for greening, and adopting green parking lot designs. Additionally, integrating green space creation into ger area redevelopment and reallocating underutilized land are explored as ways to increase urban greenery. Preliminary calculations reveal the significant potential of these measures to boost per capita green space, contributing to Ulaanbaatar’s sustainability goals and improving residents' quality of life.

In recent years insecurity issues and the ‘fear of crime’ have become central concerns among analysts and policy-makers, due to the growth of perceived unsafety in different social groups and especially in vulnerable people. To approximate a realistic representation of demands for institutional intervention, it’s essential to document and analyse determining factors and particular profiles behind people’s preoccupations. The paper aims to mention data coming from international surveys (ESS and EQLS-Eurofound) to illustrate connections between sense of insecurity and territorially contextualised dimensions of life. For some vulnerable segments of society, the perception of disadvantaged urban neighborhoods appears crucial, which may be contrasted by social interventions aimed at the community.

On the other side, there’s need to deem what’s happening in EU Member States, where homeless’ situation goes on worsening. Usually described by epidemiological/pathological approaches, ‘people in the streets’ are considered as a threat for public order, neglecting spatial practices and mechanisms of reproduction of urban marginalities. Public sphere is the real and only place in which they can (and want at last) live, but they are continuously removed or even cancelled by ‘dark design’ and ‘hostile architecture’, because public spaces aren’t made for exhibition of vulnerable and defiant persons. So homeless people (traditionally coming from abroad: which means cumulative stigma) are really forced into constant motion, even if they have nowhere to go: they dramatically seem not to have any right to space. Are some measures planned in NextGeneration-Italy (for example ‘Stazioni di posta’) going to change homelessness situation combining institutional action with civil society efforts?

Some biblio references:

Allik M., Kearns A. (2017), ‘There goes the fear’. Feelings of safety at home and in the neighbourhood: the role of personal, social and service factors. Journal of Community Psychology, 45, n.4

Doucette-Préville, J.P. (2017), The challenge of homelessness to spatial practices. OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development 8

Jabareen Y., Eizenberg E., Zilberman O. (2017), Conceptualizing urban ontological security: ‘Being-in-the-city’ and its social and spatial dimensions. Cities, 68

Mc Carthy, L. (2018). (Re)conceptualising the boundaries between home and homelessness: the unheimlich. Housing Studies 33(6)

Zavattaro S. (2019), Using Feminist Geography to Understand Feelings of Safety and Neighborhood Image. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 42, n.2

The concept of the 15-minute city has been developing in a direction of greater flexibility and applicability to serve a broader variety of urbanization conditions. Peri-urban areas, where many people live and work across Europe, are an important frontier to implement the principles of liveability, accessibility and proximity that support the 15-minute city, as these dynamic areas are deeply embedded in ongoing socio-ecological transitions but may struggle to comply with sustainability goals and provide a high quality of life for their inhabitants. This is usually attributed to the difficulties in applying spatial development models designed for dense core cities to territories characterized by low density, spatial and demographic fragmentation, loose connections to mobility networks, and interdependence with vast natural and rural areas.

In this research, we argue that tackling these challenges requires a deeper engagement with peri-urban territories, their spaces, institutions and communities. Indeed, since the efforts to implement 15-minute city principles are substantially larger and the likelihood of quick rewards for policymakers is substantially smaller, peri-urban areas fly below the radar of policy and planning priorities. They are reduced to ‘peripheries’ as a generic urban type, with little attention paid to different spatial structures, functions, networks, socioeconomic conditions, cultural preferences and governance resources.

In response, we develop a typology of European peri-urban areas, differentiated according to their present conditions and future potentials regarding the alignment with 15-minute city principles of liveability, proximity and accessibility. Based on peri-urban areas in four European countries whose features are sufficiently representative, complementary and diverse, we conduct a cluster analysis based on spatial and demographic indicators that are relevant for the potential urban transitions along 15-minute city ideas. These areas vary spatially, functionally, culturally and institutionally, allowing transferable lessons to be learned across peri-urban Europe. A series of emerging peri-urban types are mapped and further characterized with additional governance analysis and data collected in focus groups, providing institutional and social insights that ground the understanding of the different types. The result is a typological catalogue informing further studies and policies about the conditions, potentials and development needs towards 15-minute city principles different peri-urban areas.

Ensuring equitable access to daily services within a 15-minute active travel window is a fundamental ambition of the “15-minute city” concept, which aims to contribute to the quality of life of all residents regardless of their ability and residential location. Although the concept is often linked to large urban areas, a growing number of practices by regional and provincial authorities indicate that the idea of 15-minute accessibility is becoming relevant in suburban and rural contexts despite the challenges involved. However, most research on disparities in 15-minute accessibility to essential services focuses on densely populated urban centers and accessibility by walking and biking, often neglecting areas with a mix of rural and urban characteristics and the importance of public transport in such settings. This paper investigates and compares disparities in 15-minute accessibility by walking, biking, and public transport within the Dutch province of Groningen, which encompasses a range of urban, suburban, and rural environments. Utilizing geospatial datasets, we compute accessibility scores based on access to 15 types of services. For the public transport accessibility score, we consider variations during rush hours, off-peak hours, and weekends. Furthermore, we measure accessibility for both standard and slower walking speeds to be sensitive to individuals with different abilities (i.e., the elderly). We then apply Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) to quantify and uncover spatial variations in the relationships between accessibility scores and socio-demographic/built-environment variables.

Research findings indicate that greater urbanization and population densities are strongly associated with higher accessibility, particularly regarding public transportation. While families with school-going children live in areas with less accessibility by walking and public transport and slightly higher accessibility by biking, young families tend to live in areas with higher accessibility, especially by public transportation. People with mobility disability, visual impairments, and older adults with fragile health tend to live in areas with better accessibility, especially when considering slower walking speeds. While very low-income households tend to live in areas with less accessibility, especially by biking, very high-income households live in areas with higher accessibility. Immigrants, who generally tend to cycle less than Dutch people, live in areas with higher accessibility, which is most pronounced by biking and public transport. While accessibility is higher in areas where more households without cars live, particularly for biking, households that own multiple vehicles are often situated in areas with lower accessibility by biking and other modes. The findings also highlight local differences in these relationships. These findings help policymakers target different interventions in areas where accessibility disparities are dominant if the goal is to improve accessibility equity.

Urban and suburban forests are essential for enhancing quality of life, offering opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and connection to nature. However, ensuring equitable accessibility to these spaces has become increasingly challenging due to urbanization, rising recreational demand, and the diverse needs of user groups. Addressing these challenges requires innovative approaches to green space management that prioritize sustainability and equitable access. The integration of big data and datafication offers significant opportunities in this context, providing insights for data-driven strategic decisions in recreation planning and natural resource management.

While extensive research exists on forest recreation, less attention has been given to accessibility dynamics of the "in-between" spaces connecting residential areas to forest destinations. This study provides a conceptual contribution by analyzing how recreational demand aligns with forest supply in the Vienna metropolitan area. Using mixed methods, including participatory GIS (PPGIS) data (n=3099) and spatial clustering techniques, it examines forest destination attractiveness, origin-destination flows, and accessibility patterns, focusing on factors such as network distance, transport modes, and proximity to residences. The analysis explores visitor transport modes, including walking, cycling, and car travel, and analyzed for their impact on spatial visitation trends.

Key findings highlight high-demand recreational zones and underutilized forests in suburban and peri-urban areas, where connectivity gaps and transport limitations hinder equitable access. Spatial clustering techniques reveal recreational flow patterns and opportunities for targeted infrastructure improvements. Generational differences in digital proficiency and recreational behavior emerge as important factors shaping access and engagement. These disparities underscore the importance of addressing individual and group-specific barriers to ensure equitable access. The findings emphasize the complementary role of digital and traditional tools and addressing individual and group-specific barriers in bridging accessibility gaps.

By examining the lived experiences of diverse of user groups, this research contributes to the discourse on the 15-minute city by expanding its principles to suburban and peri-urban contexts. It underscores the potential of participatory digital tools, spatial analytics, and data-driven strategies in addressing urbanization challenges. By tailoring urban planning to promote equity and sustainability, cities can enhance recreational access, support green infrastructure, and address dynamic urban needs.

The 15-minute-city concept aims to support a sustainable urban transition in European cities and active mobility, especially walking. In order to do so, urban neighbourhoods should provide good pedestrian infrastructures and access to relevant services and places.

While the concept is most promising for promoting the quality of life of citizens, the land use pattern and transport infrastructure, and thus accessibility, vary within the city and between neighbourhoods. There is also an individual dimension of accessibility, as the level of perceived accessibility is moderated by peoples’ needs and abilities and their personal circumstances. Lack of (walking) accessibility can lead to social exclusion, or poor health and wellbeing outcomes. Therefore, it is important to recognize the vital role of the neighbourhood level as well as to consider special needs to further develop the 15mC concept.

As part of the AccessCity4All project, we conducted qualitative Walk-Along-Interviews (WAI) with senior citizens and families with smaller children which are considered more vulnerable in terms of their mobility. We aim to better understand their mobility and accessibility needs and the perceptions at the street-level as well as their links to key components of the 15-minute-city concept. The interviews were conducted in autumn 2024 in five cities/regions: Vienna (Austria), Münster (Germany), Groningen (Netherlands), Lisbon (Portugal) and Ankara (Turkey). While walking together in the neighbourhood and directly experiencing the urban environment, the interviews centred around walking experiences and perceived accessibility.

In our presentation we will present first results from these interviews. We will look into similarities and differences from a cross-country comparison. This presentation will provide examples of perceived accessibility and about relevance of services for people’s everyday lives. We will also provide a deeper understanding of supporting and hindering factors for walking and discuss the special needs and perceptions of the vulnerable groups studied. In our conclusions, we will emphasize possibilities on the integration of our findings into future research and planning practices.

The paper examines the evolving scientific and political agendas of the geographical societies in Budapest and Vienna, focusing on their role in shaping colonial geographical research in the late Habsburg Monarchy and, later, interwar Austria and Hungary during the 1920s and 1930s. Although Austria-Hungary did not pursue direct forms of overseas colonization, it was indirectly involved in imperial pursuits by organizing expeditions and contributing to the production and dissemination of knowledge tied to colonial frameworks.

The geographical societies founded in Vienna in 1856 and in Budapest in 1872 played a distinguished role in this process as institutional platforms for the promotion of geographical research not just within the empire and its broader surroundings, but also in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the polar regions. Their activities included the accumulation and scientific accreditation of knowledge, the coordination of research projects, and the dissemination of findings that reinforced imperial or national identities and claims to global relevance. In addition to promoting the Habsburg Monarchy’s cultural and economic dominance, the geographical societies also contributed to articulating the particular and sometimes clearly conflicting geopolitical interests of the Austrian elites in Vienna and the Hungarian elites in Budapest.

Drawing on printed and archival materials, this paper analyzes how these societies navigated the political and social constraints of the prewar period and how their agendas were reconfigured after the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918. The comparative study highlights both geographical societies’ role as arenas for negotiating the tensions between imperialism, nationalism, and scientific internationalism. It also provides new insights into how these societies framed colonial aspirations through research and rhetoric, aligning them with broader imperial and national goals. We pay particular attention to how discourses of colonialism and exploration adapted to changing geopolitical and institutional contexts, reflecting wider transformations in the relationship between science, statehood, and civil society in Central Europe.

There is very little research on German colonial geography in general, and the boom in this subdiscipline during the National Socialist period has not received any scholarly attention so far. Against that backdrop, this paper aims to contribute: a) to a finer-grained picture of colonial, racial-Völkish thinking – and its application – in German geography during the National Socialist period and b) to our understanding of the continuities and ruptures in German (colonial) geographical scholarship after WW II. For that end, I focus on the biography of Oskar Schmieder (1891–1980) who, after holding professorships at the Argentine National University of Córdoba (1920–1924) and the University of California, Berkeley (1925–1930), moved to Kiel University and went on to become one of the most influential German (colonial) geographers of the 1930s and 1940s. More specifically, two strongly interrelated aspects of Schmieder’s writings will guide the analysis: firstly, his conceptualization of race, Volk, and soil with regard to South America and particularly South American Germans and, secondly, the political colonial project that he pursued for (Nazi) Germany drawing heavily on fascist colonization experience in Mussolini’s Italy. Studying Oskar Schmieder shows that German geographers not only stood up for the re-establishment of a German colonial empire during the National Socialist period, but also fought for its Fascist orientation – which, at least for Schmieder, was to differ from the German colonial empire pre-WW I in a number of key areas. Being primarily known as a representative of Länderkunde, Schmieder‘s institutionally and conceptually influential career after WW II can certainly be seen as a prime example of the continuities within the discipline in Germany.

Despite the renewed critical interest in the colonial traces of much geographical knowledge, many geographies and geographers from the era of inter-imperial rivalry (1875-1945) remain under-explored, for instance that of Dutch colonial geography. This paper traces Dutch colonial geopolitics of present-day Indonesia through a biobibliographical reading of the work of Louis van Vuuren (1873-1951), whose lifespan almost perfectly aligns with the era of late European imperialism. While Van Vuuren is mostly remembered for his contributions as one of the founding figures of Dutch human geography and spatial planning, navigating German and French influences, much less attention has been paid to his colonial career and geography. Born in colonial Indonesia in 1873, Van Vuuren participates as a young Dutch colonial officer in the final violent phase of the Aceh war, which was instrumental in bringing the outer reaches of present-day Indonesia under Dutch territorial control. Under the tutelage of his commanding officer and future oil magnate and prime minister of the Netherlands, Hendrik Colijn, he consecutively becomes a colonial administrator and director of an encyclopaedic bureau for regional geography of colonial Indonesia, which would eventually lead him to a professorship in human geography at Utrecht University in 1927. Because of his positionality and proximity to powerful colonial circles, Van Vuuren’s geography is indicative of an important conservative strand of Dutch geopolitical thought. In the paper we analyse Van Vuuren’s colonial writings and geographical theorizing from a critical geopolitics framework utilizing Agnew’s notion of the “geopolitical imagination” and Toal’s concept of geopower. We subsequently trace the civilizational, naturalised and ideological dimensions of Dutch interbellum geopolitics, including its alignment with German geopolitics. The sobering result is that the history of Dutch geography loses its innocence as a colonial legacy that equals its great-power counterparts comes into focus.

The influence of religious positionalities on late 19th- and early 20th-century geographical research has often been overlooked, despite its centrality to regional geographical discourses. In regional geographical accounts, religion served as a key criterion for spatial differentiation. Religious phenomena played a pivotal role in territorialization strategies, where religious affiliation delineated boundaries, defined group belonging, and reinforced geopolitical agendas. The intersection of religious beliefs and geographical concepts highlights religion’s dual role as both a stabilizing and disruptive force within the discipline.

This exploration will be framed within a transnational perspective, examining how religious spatial concepts were shaped not only by national contexts but also by broader global discourses, particularly in relation to imperialism and the rise of new nation-states. The analysis draws on regional geographical writings from various scholars around the turn of the century, who addressed religious phenomena from within their respective national communities. The role of Christian missions, for instance, was deeply contested in the context of territorial domination and colonial exploitation. Moreover, religious affiliation (e.g., with so-called "primitive religions") often served as an indicator through which societies were subjected to temporal frameworks of order, such as evolutionary cultural stage models. These frameworks, in turn, legitimized corresponding political practices, including "civilizing missions". Furthermore, the relationship between religious phenomena and physical-geographical factors warrants closer examination. This includes exploring how religious beliefs were linked to natural conditions and how these connections shaped interpretations of the relationship between religion and space.

Insights into the research processes shed light on the self-conception of geographers at the time. Examining research practices reveals how geographers' self-perception, often presented as impartial, was shaped by political and religious convictions. By focusing on religion's role in regional geographical research, this presentation will offer new insights into the social conditionality of geographical knowledge and its cultural influences.

Studies on diverse mobilities provide a broader holistic understanding of how mobilities impact social and economic life in left-behind areas. Spatial mobilities encompass a wide range of movements, including daily commuting, residential mobility, return, internal, circular mobility, international migration and geographical and spatialised mobilities related to life transitions (Geist & McManus, 2008; Kesselring, 2014; Greene & Rau, 2018). This innovative approach is used in the Horizon Europe project RE-PLACE to understand the experiences of people living in left-behind areas. The literature highlights the importance of spatial exclusion and its impact on social and economic structures in left-behind areas. Grasping the dynamics of mobilities or immobilities in left-behind areas hinges on a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of mobility and its far-reaching impact on various societal aspects. As a result, there is a need to examine the dynamics of (im)mobility at various scales and understand the experiences of individuals in these areas.

The study's findings reveal a complex interplay of factors shaping mobility profiles in the two case study areas in Latvia, with significant implications for local development and policy-making. Everyday substantive forms of mobility emerged as a critical theme, highlighting residents' routine travel behaviours and reliance on various modes of transportation. Limited public transportation options, particularly in rural and peripheral regions, often force residents to depend on private vehicles, creating disparities in accessibility based on income and car ownership.

The availability and quality of amenities also play a significant role in shaping mobility patterns. Participants highlighted challenges such as insufficient healthcare services, educational institutions, and cultural facilities within reasonable distances. These deficits compel residents to travel longer distances, exacerbating mobility inequalities and contributing to feelings of marginalisation.

Left-behind places are characterized by limited socio-economic opportunities, often reflected in restricted access to stable, well-paid employment due to local labor market constraints. These limitations may also manifest in other forms, such as inadequate educational resources or negative peer influences. An expected consequence is reduced intergenerational social mobility, where children raised in these areas frequently attain lower socio-economic status compared to their peers elsewhere.

This study investigates whether spatial mobility—through either moving or commuting—can serve as a strategy to counteract the disadvantages of growing up and living in left-behind places, and facilitate upward social mobility. Both forms of spatial mobility have the potential to mitigate the constraints of regional opportunity structures and contribute to individual socio-economic advancement.

In my presentation, I will explore the interplay between intergenerational social mobility, residential relocation, and commuting. Using comprehensive data from the Czech Household Panel Study, supplemented with contextual information on childhood and adulthood places of residence, I examine how social status achievement is influenced by the interaction of family background, early-life residence, and spatial mobility in adulthood. Particular emphasis is placed on individuals originating from left-behind places, shedding light on the spatial mechanisms that shape and potentially disrupt regional inequality in opportunity.

In the face of economic decline and rural depopulation, regions like Beiras e Serra da Estrela in Portugal are striving to revitalize their communities and combat their “left-behindness”. This presentation focuses on the policies and actions taken by the local government in the mid-sized city of Fundão, and how they successfully attracted new investments and new residents in a period of 10 years.

Local investment focused initially on business attraction strategies, generating employment opportunities for a labour force from abroad. Newcomers came with different backgrounds, expectations, capacities and needs, putting some pressure on local authorities for renewed integration and social cohesion policies. Inspired by other European cities, Fundão embraced the opportunity and built an awarded ecosystem for migrants’ integration[1] and autonomy that is recognized by both, migrant, and hosting communities.

Today, Fundão has a thriving migrant community that includes qualified workers in high tech jobs, lifestyle migrants, digital nomads, low skilled seasonal workers and international students. These migrants have changed the landscape of the city, adding new local shops, permaculture farms, religious sites and migrants’ associative movements.

For this presentation, data from the 2011 and 2021 Population Census was analysed, 20 in depth interviews with key stakeholders were conducted, including migrants’ organizations and registered businesses. Then, 8 focus groups with migrants and a World café to discuss some recommendations were held.

Participants shared their experiences, highlighting the barriers and strategies in achieving autonomy and their expectations for the future. Findings indicate that along with covering basic needs and rights as housing and employment, migrants are improving their social life, want to mix more with the Portuguese community, show their culture and live as new and full citizens of Fundão

The example of Fundão demonstrates how the local investment in welcoming a diverse workforce of migrants promotes positive leadership and successfully boosts the rural development process, well beyond issues of integration. This study highlights the importance of articulated local policies that promote the mix autonomous migrants and nationals in shared goals, in strengthening community connections and enabling migrants to not only adapt, but also support others and excel.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/items/795863/en

The proposed contribution considers the presence of foreign citizens in Italian left behind areas – with respect to which depopulation is a crucial issue (Albrecht et al., 2022) – as a potential resource for their repopulation and socioeconomic revitalisation (Membretti et al., 2022). In particular, I focus on people seeking international protection who, as a consequence of Italian migration policies and reception system, have been placed to live – not by choice – in these marginal areas. A strategy that combines the efforts in terms of repopulation, with a vision that wants the so-called integration of these people in small towns to be ‘easier’.

The logic that sees foreign nationals as resources for these areas, however, risks reducing their presence to a utilitarian purpose that reflects colonial approaches. In this sense, Mezzadra (2019) defines ‘reception logistics’ as the rationality that combines, in the migrant reception system in Italy, economic calculation, humanitarian logic, control and military logic with the aim of governing mobility in order to channel it to certain places and according to specific interests.

This contribution investigates the mobile sense of place (Butcher, 2010) of migrants. In particular, the following questions are central: what does it mean to move, live, work and operate in peripheral territories for these people? What kind of perceptions, representations and lived experiences do they have of peripheral areas? The contribution presents the results of interviews and mental mapping of two case studies located in mountainous areas of Abruzzo (Italy).

Albrecht, M., Halonen, M., Syssner, J. (2023). “Depopulation and shrinkage in a Northern context: geographical perspectives, spatial processes and policies”, Fennia - International Journal of Geography, 200(2), 91-97.

Butcher, M. (2010). From ‘fish out of water’ to ‘fitting in’: the challenge of re-placing home in a mobile world, Popul. Space Place, 16 (1), pp. 23-36.

Membretti, A., Dax, T., Krasteva, A. (2022). The Renaissance of Remote Places. MATILDE Manifesto, Routledge.

Mezzadra, S. (2022). “Logistica, mobilità e migrazioni. Un’agenda emergente per la ricerca sulle migrazioni?”, in Cuppini N., Peano, I., Un mondo logistico: Sguardi critici su lavoro, migrazioni, politica e globalizzazione, Milano, Ledizioni, 45‑62.

In recent years, non-point source pollution (NPSP) has become prominent in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) of China and seriously affects human survival and sustainable development. The Henan section was selected as an example region of the YRB in China, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model has been used to quantitatively evaluate nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The results show that (1) the cultivated land (CL), grassland (GL), and unused land (UL) decreased, while forest land (FL), water areas (WAs), and built-up areas (BAs) increased in 2000–2020, and precipitation increased from the northeast to the southwest in 2000–2020; (2) the N export was much more than P export in 2000, 2010, and 2020, and the N and P exports increased in 2000–2020; the spatial distribution of N and P export changes was different in the whole basin in 2000–2010, 2010–2020, and 2000–2020; (3) the N and P exports decreased in
2000–2010, 2010–2020, and 2000–2020 with increasing precipitation; and (4) the N and P exports on CL and BAs were more than those on the other land-use types, and the overall change trends of N and P exports on all land-use types increased from 2000 to 2020.

A significant part of the world's population lives around rivers. The riparian zone is not only a source of drinking water for urbanised areas; streams and rivers are also sinks for wastewater. As a result of the increased consumption of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in past decades, wastewater untreated and treated is a continuous load of these compounds (and their metabolites) to fluvial systems. The water supply for these kinds of urbanised areas is partly provided by riverbank filtration plants which can be significantly affected by PhACs loading. Riverbank filtration is effective for most pollutants. However, the filtering efficiency for these molecules is poorly known. This presentation focuses on the spatial and temporal distribution of more than a hundred PhACs in the streams and rivers of the Budapest Metropolitan Area. Our presentation demonstrates that bank filtration can also be effective for the filtration of organic micro-pollutants in highly urbanised areas.

Samples were collected during five sampling campaigns. The streams, rivers, and drinking water wells were sampled. The stream sediments were also sampled. Altogether 111 PhACs were measured. In small streams and rivers, eighty-one PhACs were systematically detected, while fifty-three PhACs were detected in the Danube. The quantification of 19 PhACs in the Budapest section of the river was without any precedent, and 10 PhACs were present in >80% of the samples. More PhACswere detectable in the small watercourses, and the concentrations were significantly higher than in the Danube. Sediments always contain fewer PhACs than water. This is mainly due to the high sorption capacity of sediments.

The most frequent PhACs showed higher concentrations in winter than in summer. In the drinking water wells 32 PhACs were quantified. For the majority of PhACs, the bank filtration efficiency was higher than 95%. Concentrations of the compounds did not influence the efficiency of filtering. For some PhACs (e.g. carbamazepine lidocaine, tramadol, and lamotrigine), low filtration efficiency was observed. These frequently occurring PhACs in surface waters have a relatively even distribution, and their sporadic appearance in wells is a function of both space and time, which may be caused by the constantly changing environment and micro-biological parameters, the dynamic operating schedule of abstraction wells, and the resulting sudden changes in flow rates.

This research was funded by the National Research, Development, and Innovation Office (NKFIH), grant numbers: K-142865, 2020-1.1.2-PIACI-KFI-2021-00309, 2021-1.2.4-TÉT-2021-00029.

DANSER aims at addressing the urgent need for sustainable sediment management solutions at the river basin scale, focusing on the Danube River-Black Sea system. Foci are demonstration of multidisciplinary innovative and holistic solutions and developing deeper insights into the sediment status and cause-effect relationships (e.g. via spatiotemporal mapping of natural and anthropogenic fluvial processes, sediment transport modelling, sediment dating, 3D historical reconstruction, river processes forecast simulations, sediment budget analysis, connectivity modelling and interventions, stakeholder-engaged sediment parametric evaluation and co-management, interlinkages with biodiversity (patterns), water quality and climate change effects.

This EU-funded (HORIZON-MISS-Danube & Black Sea Lighthouse) project seeks to restore sediment balance, improve sediment flow and quality together with EU- and other international stakeholders (existing bodies, digital platforms, events and know-how).

In an ample coverage throughout 3 DEMO (incl. 13 pilot) sites, 7 sibling locations, and 6 associated regions (AR), the DANSER approach will develop, validate, and promote key active and passive measures to mitigate human interference in the sediment flow, related biodiversity and ecological aspects and possibly recover the sediment balance and quality in critical stretches of the basin.

In this presentation, we aim to provide an overview of the strategies and actions that are foreseen for the Upper Danube region, specifically in DEMO area 1 located in Lower Austria with a specific focus on “urban” river sections.

Urbanization is strictly associated with severe geomorphic changes of fluvial systems.

The present work provides a quantitative and qualitative assessment of landscape changes driven by urbanization, which occurred from the mid-19th century to the present day along the lower reaches of the Bisagno and Polcevera rivers and their tributaries in the Mediterranean coastal city of Genova (NW Italy). This study is based on collection and review of historical data, photograph interpretation, GIS analysis, and field surveys.

Urbanization essentially occurred between the mid-19th century and the late 1930s. In this period the bankfull channel of the Bisagno and Polcevera rivers experienced large narrowing associated with widespread establishment of channelization structures. The minor hydrographic network essentially disappeared underground. After the 1930s, further minor anthropogenic interventions were implemented to accommodate urban expansion and consolidate channelization works; however, the overall geomorphological setting remained unchanged. Nowadays, the study area is completely urbanized, the fluvial stems flowing through the valley floor are totally disconnected from their adjacent areas, the main rivers show a relevant geomorphological stability induced by anthropogenic pressures, and the accessibility of river margins for people is rather limited.

The urban expansion that occurred over the valley floor of the Bisagno and Polcevera rivers, and overall over their catchments, resulted in flood risk increase, river ecosystem degradation and social disconnectivity.

Re-establishing the pre-urbanization landscape conditions is impossible as it would need social, political, and economic support far different from what it might have today. Thus, different management measures primarily focused on the reduction of vulnerability by increasing the community resilience to future hazardous events are required.

Emotions and their role in sustainability and (transformative) sustainability education have become more frequently discussed in the ESD and the geography education discourse (Schickl et al. 2024; Pettig & Ohl 2023; Grund et al. 2023). While there is a shifting focus away from predominantly understanding emotions as a tool for behavioral change towards a more complex approach to emotions, there are still many open questions on how to navigate emotions on sustainability in the ESD classroom. In current discussions a focus on negative emotions such as ‘climate anxiety’ (Pihkala 2020) and a connection to nature as emotional experience leading to behavioral change (Chawla 2020) is evident. A psychological and individualized understanding of emotions takes center stage in these approaches. While (environmental) psychology provides valuable insights into the interplay of psyche, environment, and sustainability, a more interdisciplinary understanding of and approach to emotions which considers how emotions are embedded in social contexts can further enhance our understanding of emotions and their role in the transformative ESD classroom.

An understanding of emotions as social phenomenon and more specifically a form of social practice, foregrounds emotions as embodied behavioral routines based on collective and implicit knowledge (Scheer 2019). This theoretical approach challenges the common understanding of emotions as individual experiences and allows emotions to be understood within their social context. It further highlights how emotions can be shaped by social interactions and collective contexts, and how these practices can be enacted and reinforced but also questioned and disrupted in the ESD classroom by engaging students in collective action towards their desired future(s).

This presentation explores the potential of approaching emotions as social phenomena for sustainability education in the context of transformative geography teaching. It discusses this potential through selected insights from the participatory Photovoice project EAT+CHANGE, in which 13-14-year-old students critically engage with (un)sustainable food systems.

Grund, J., Singer-Brodowski, M., & Büssing, A. (2023). Emotions and transformative learning for sustainability: A systematic review. Sustainability Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-023-01439-5

Pettig, F., & Ohl, U. (2023). Transformatives Lernen für einen sozial-ökologischen Wandel: Facetten eines zukunftsfähigen Geographieunterrichts. https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/100871

Pihkala, P. (2020). Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Education. Sustainability, 12(23), Article 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310149

Scheer, M. (2019). Emotion als kulturelle Praxis. In H. Kappelhoff, J.-H. Bakels, H. Lehmann, & C. Schmitt (Hrsg.), Emotionen: Ein interdisziplinäres Handbuch (S. 352–362). J.B. Metzler. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-476-05353-4_50

Schickl, M., Oberauer, K., Stötter, J., Kromp-Kolb, H., & Keller, L. (2024). makingAchange – eine der bislang umfassendsten Klimawandelbildungsinitiativen Österreichs. Erkenntnisse zu Wirkungsweisen und einer dringend notwendigen Transformation in der Klimawandelbildung. GW Unterricht, 173, 7–19. https://doi.org/10.1553/gw-unterricht173s7

Singer-Brodowski, M., Förster, R., Eschenbacher, S., Biberhofer, P., & Getzin, S. (2022). Facing Crises of Unsustainability: Creating and Holding Safe Enough Spaces for Transformative Learning in Higher Education for Sustainable Development. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.787490

In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was adopted by all member states of the United Nations (UN) (UN, 2015). SDG 8 still aims for economic growth, although economic growth as a guiding principle of an economic system is increasingly criticized for promoting unsustainable development (Harvey, 2012). Transforming the current economic system is even seen as a condition for reaching the SDGs (Göpel, 2016). Alternative approaches that are characterized by detaching from the current economic growth system are covered by the term post growth (Schulz et al. 2021). As young people’s involvement is central for shaping our future, the topic of post growth offers great potential in the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and transformative learning.

Therefore, a seminar on post growth has been developed for students enrolled in a bachelors programme of teacher training and was conducted at two universities in Lower Saxony, Germany. As part of the seminar, the students explored the topic of post growth and identified connecting points to geography education. Subsequently, they designed their own lesson on the topic of post growth and conducted it in small groups with an 11th-grade class at a secondary school. The subsequent structured reflection was recorded and the qualitative data obtained is being evaluated in order to develop and conduct a teaching unit on post growth at a secondary school in the context of ESD and transformative education.

Selected results from the students' reflections and the derived implications for the development of the teaching unit and the transformative educational process will be presented and discussed.

Transformative action is needed more than ever to change our societies and preserve an inhabitable planet for current and future generations. Young people are one of the groups affected the most by the continuously growing impact the climate crisis will have, but they are also key actors in the societal transformation that is necessary to curb global warming and adapt to our changing world (UNESCO, 2020). However, studies have shown that while young people are aware of the importance of sustainable behaviour, their attitudes often do not match their behaviour, resulting in a persistent attitude-behaviour-gap (Bernardes et al, 2018; Entzian, 2015).
From 2021 to 2025, the project “Low-Emission-Schools in Northern Germany (LESSCO2)” addressed this gap: Drawing on Education for Sustainable development (ESD) and transformative learning, it aimed to foster learners’ transformative literacy (Singer-Brodowski & Schneidewind, 2014) to enable them to act (more) sustainably and become change agents (UNESCO, 2020), thus possibly bridging the gap and contributing to transformative action. To this end, a concept for a project week that included learners as well as teacher candidates was designed and subsequently implemented in northern German secondary schools: During each project week, pupils developed ideas for projects which aimed to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by their school. Areas they focused their ideas on were mobility, energy, food and resources/waste. Teacher candidates, who were trained to implement the project weeks, supported learners in developing their ideas.
The presentation will discuss exemplary results and experiences of the implementation phase. It will also reflect critically on the project week design regarding its potential to foster transformative literacy and initiate transformative learning.

“’Healthy living on a healthy planet’ is a critical and timely synthesis of priority transformations needed in governance, research, planning, and education at all scales, to promote the health and well-being of every individual, today and in the future, while simultaneously healing the damage from and preventing further climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution” (Ebi 2023).

Within these contexts, education plays a pivotal role (Sustainable Development Goal 4) when taught from a critical-emancipatory (ESD II) and/or transformative perspective (ESD III) (Vare/Scott 2007). Learners should be empowered, motivated, and inspired to act as change agents or pioneers of transformation, initiating fundamental changes. Concepts for teaching and learning settings that develop and implement these ideas in educational practice already exist, such as service learning, critical mapping, or learning workshops. For sustainable and effective implementation, however, the regional context is of outstanding importance. learners can test their own transformative action strategies in the local environment, directly observe their effectiveness and implement an alternative approach if necessary (Wittlich/Mönter/Lathan 2024). The Competence Center for Regional Learning at the University of Vechta, combines research and practical work with various stakeholders thus create a transformative educational network for learners and educators.

The presentation will showcase, contextualize, and open for discussion the recently improved educational concept of the Competence Center. Additionally, it will provide insights into the transformative network collaboration with schools, companies, and other institutions. Exemplary of this, two current qualification projects will be presented, which focus on further theoretical grounding of the concept, based on investigations into two learning modules tested in several german schools. The qualification projects are particularly emphasizing how transformative learning can further the communicative competences of students in the context of current challenges as well as how students’ action skills in context of climate change adaption can be developed effectively. The presentation will include significant empirical findings of both studies and reflect practical and theoretical challenges concerning the implementation of the developed learning modules into practice.

Ebi, K. (2023): Voices to the WBGU flagship report 2023. URL: https://www.wbgu.de/de/publikationen/publikation/gesundleben

Vare, P. & Scott, W. (2007). Learning for a change: Exploring the relationship between education for sustainable development. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 1(2), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1177/097340820700100209

Wittlich, C., Mönter, L., & Lathan, H. (2024). Planetary Health and Education for Sustainable Development: An integrative approach with focus on climate change-related human health risks and their Thematisation in school contexts. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 17(2), 200-217. https://doi.org/10.1177/09734082241238087

Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) represents a transformative force in spatial analysis, combining artificial intelligence with geospatial data to address critical urban and environmental challenges. This study seeks to answer the research question: how can GeoAI contribute to reducing territorial inequalities and promoting more sustainable cities? The research examines GeoAI applications in urban planning, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental risk management, highlighting its potential to revolutionise how spatial data is analysed and used for decision-making.

The theoretical approach is grounded in an interdisciplinary framework, synthesising insights from human geography, computational sciences, and sustainability studies. It draws on concepts of spatial justice and resilience to explore the socio-economic and ecological dimensions of GeoAI’s integration into urban systems. By bridging these fields, the study aims to uncover the transformative capacity of GeoAI in addressing disparities between urban centres and peripheral regions.

Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-method approach. Quantitative analysis leverages advanced machine learning models, including deep learning algorithms for satellite image processing, spatial data visualisation, and predictive modelling. These techniques are applied to big geodata to uncover patterns and dynamics in urban development and environmental change. Complementing this, qualitative methods involve case studies and a critical literature review to explore ethical implications, operational challenges, and governance frameworks for GeoAI adoption. Data sources include open-access geospatial datasets and high-resolution satellite imagery from programs such as Copernicus, ensuring robust and diverse data inputs.

The findings are expected to contribute to the growing body of research on GeoAI’s role in shaping urban futures. The study highlights opportunities for GeoAI to optimise urban planning, enhance disaster preparedness, and address territorial inequalities. However, it also underscores the need to address challenges, such as data biases, accessibility issues, and regulatory gaps. By critically assessing these dimensions, this research seeks to provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to harness GeoAI for sustainable and inclusive urban development.

Land-use/land-cover (LULC) change prediction depends on input variables, but the importance of each variable may vary based on geographical location, time, and the targeted changes in the study area. Most environmental variables are derived from remote sensing data. With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly machine learning (ML), various change detection models have been developed that effectively assess the importance of input variables based on these criteria. Such weightings are critical for layer embedding in Markov models to predict future changes. In this research, we predict land-use changes over a 30-year period using the Land Change Modeler (LCM) with different transitional models, including Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Decision Forest (DF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM), for the Krkonoše Protected Area in the Czech Republic. We utilized satellite images from the TM and ETM+ sensors of Landsat 5 and 7 and the OLI sensor of Landsat 8 for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. Additionally, the ASTER Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and spatial data related to human and natural factors were incorporated as comprehensive input variables for our transitional ML models. Satellite images were classified in Google Earth Engine into eleven classes. The LCM Markov model predicted land-use changes, comparing our applied ML models. According to the results, from 1990 to 2020, the classes of deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests increased respectively by +0.74%, +7.11%, and +6.15%. Conversely, transition forests and clearings, areas with sparse vegetation, decreased by -9.81% and -1.20%, respectively. Land-use change predictions for 2020, generated by the applied models, were validated against the actual 2020 land-use map using the overall accuracy method. The models achieved accuracy levels of MLP: 83.38%, SVM: 86.72%, and DF: 89.88%. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining machine learning techniques with the LCM Markov model for LULC prediction. The findings emphasize the dynamic nature of forest ecosystems and the need for accurate models to ensure sustainable resource management.

The MOSAIK project introduces an innovative framework to capture and analyze socioeconomic transformations in Vienna at the micro level. By harnessing diverse image data—from Google Street View and Kappazunder to aerial photography—we employ AI-based techniques to automatically extract urban features such as facade structures, roof conditions, and ground floor uses. Neural networks detect building facades and roofs, while supervised machine learning models classify ground-level activities. This enables the comprehensive mapping of diverse built-functional areas across the entire urban space: the usage patterns of ground floor zones, the structural condition of facades, as well as roof conditions and attic expansions. Geostatistical analyses, including hotspot and cluster detection, further delineate areas of urban appreciation and depreciation. By integrating these spatial metrics with socioeconomic indicators like education, household income, and migration background it obtains a comprehensive overview of the socioeconomic transformation in Vienna. Moreover, MOSAIK aims to clarify whether social structures and dynamics can be automatically extracted from image data. This presentation will discuss our methodology, first findings, and the broader implications of street view image analysis for human geography.

This project explores the use of machine learning to investigate state-led cultural assimilation policies in the People's Republic of China, with a particular focus on urban public spaces affected by the nationwide “Sinicization” campaign. These policies, aimed at aligning ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority cultures with a dominant Han Chinese identity, manifest visibly through architectural modifications: altered shop signs, erased ornaments, and defaced building facades. Documenting such spatial changes is increasingly challenging due to restricted access to affected regions and a lack of comprehensive data.

To address this gap, the project leverages Baidu’s “Total View” platform—China’s equivalent of Google Street View—which continuously captures panoramic images across urban and rural environments. By harnessing computer vision and pattern recognition techniques, the project develops an AI-based framework to algorithmically detect architectural and spatial alterations over time. These changes, though subtle—like glue stains where signage was removed or inconsistencies in wall textures—reveal the systematic implementation of assimilation policies in everyday urban environments.

The methodology involves comparing multiple iterations of street-level imagery from identical locations to identify visual discrepancies. This AI-driven temporal analysis enables the detection and quantification of thousands of instances of visual erasure or modification across a vast geographic scale. The approach transforms Baidu’s regularly updated image streams into a dynamic, searchable archive for visual evidence of cultural suppression.

This work not only contributes a novel methodological approach to geographic inquiry—blending AI with critical urban studies and political geography—but also demonstrates the potential of machine learning to uncover patterns of socio-political transformation that might otherwise remain obscured. The project highlights both the power and ethical responsibility of using AI in politically sensitive contexts, especially where traditional fieldwork is restricted. By making visible the hidden geography of state control, this research underscores the role of AI in extending the reach and depth of human geographic analysis into contested and inaccessible spaces.

In Western democracies, non-institutional participation (NIP) is on the rise. NIP in the energy transition often creates spaces to incubate alternative ideas and novel forms of political participation (niches). Empowering these forms of political participation to encourage niche innovations can provoke the radical yet necessary changes required in the socio-technical system for a sustainable energy transition.

In Europe, NIP manifests in various forms, including involvement, civic engagement, formal political participation, and activism, each presenting distinct dynamics and challenges. The context and stakeholder analysis approach offer a framework to understand how NIP, such as a socio-technical system of collective action initiatives (CAIs), is driving and influencing the sustainable energy transition at the local level.

The principal goal of this paper is to present first results of two case studies of CAIs within NIP in the province of Granada, Spain. We analyse information and data to better understand the temporal, social, and spatial conditions in which CAIs emerge and evolve. This analysis forms part of a broader research effort in the framework of the project CO-SUSTAIN (HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01-05, Nº191132467). To better understand political participation linked to environmental, political and social imperatives, CO-SUSTAIN studies 18 historical examples in 6 different European countries for each of the latent and overt forms of political participation highlighted by Ekman: involvement, civic engagement, formal political participation and activism.

The first case is the Monachil Energy Community, a pioneering initiative in Spain that has served as a pilot example and reference for other local and regional initiatives. The second case is a movement of residents of the Northern District of Granada, with a primary target of establishing reliable energy access for them, particularly in marginalized neighborhoods, eliminating power cuts, improving the energy infrastructure, and pushing for inclusive energy policies. Our purpose is to compare the dynamics of participation in two cases, the drivers and barriers for political participation around climate imperatives in Spain, basing on Multi Level Perspective and institutional ethnography.

Although nuclear power is regaining interest as part of the energy transition and its objective of carbon neutrality, the fact remains that current infrastructures have a limited lifespan, generally between 30 and 40 years. Even if the question of extending the lifespan of selected nuclear power plants is currently being considered, hundreds of nuclear power plants will reach operational end in the coming decades. However, the literature on the future of these sites, with particular reference to their territorial inscription, is still in its early stages. Indeed, the nuclear industry marks its territory in different ways and over long periods of time. Hence, the intensity of debates, dismantling processes and proposed redevelopment projects vary considerably from one place to another.

This research therefore aims at examining the territorial dynamics of post-nuclear redevelopment through a comparative analysis of four European cases: Brunsbüttel (Germany), Fessenheim (France), Santa María de Garoña (Spain) and Wylfa (Wales).

The study addresses the following main research questions: What are the spatial, political, economic and socio-cultural factors influencing the redevelopment trajectories of post-nuclear regions?

Using a qualitative methodology, this research analyzes four nuclear power plants in different European countries, each representing distinct territorial contexts and decommissioning timeframes, as well as regulatory frameworks. The methodology includes:

• Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders
• Document analysis of territorial development strategies and policies
• Press analysis

Preliminary findings from the first three cases highlight the importance of several key factors in successful territorial redevelopment:

• Pre-existing territorial resources and economic diversity
• National policy frameworks and multilevel support
• Local capacity to mobilize endogenous resources
• Time management

The research contributes to theoretical debates on territorial resilience and energy transition by demonstrating how local contexts shape redevelopment trajectories. It also provides practical insights for territories facing similar challenges. The findings have significant implications for European energy transition policies, suggesting the need for better integration between decommissioning strategies and territorial development planning. They also emphasize the importance of supporting local stakeholder capacity as well as cross-scale coordination in managing successful territorial redevelopment.

The term "energy transition" is often oversimplified in public discourse, reduced to a focus on emissions-free energy targets while black-boxing the intricate global supply chains and material flows that sustain them (Nadaï and Wallenborn, 2019). Rather than a uniform shift, energy transitions involve reconfigurations of socio-technical systems that reshape landscapes, infrastructures, and daily practices across geographies (Rotmans et al., 2001; Gailing and Moss, 2016; Buell, 2017). This abstraction risks misrepresenting the uneven spatial manifestations of transitions, where some regions advance while others remain burdened by legacy systems (Fuenfschilling and Binz, 2018).

Understanding the complexity of energy transitions requires analytical tools that reveal how global supply chains unfold in local contexts, materialising as production facilities, infrastructure, and worker settlements, all embedded in specific environmental conditions. Current approaches lack the tools to trace and represent material flows across scales while simultaneously capturing their socio-spatial configurations and territorial transformations. To address this gap, this study proposes a cross-scale mapping methodology that traces how uranium, as a material agent, shapes networks of production, infrastructure, and settlement patterns across interconnected sites. This approach situates energy transitions within multi-scalar networks, linking chemical processes to physical landscapes and technological artefacts to urban agglomerations.

Taking a neo-materialist perspective – emphasising how material properties and flows shape socio-spatial configurations (Knowles, 2014; Hecht, 2014; Tsing, 2021) – the study reveals that uranium’s territorial and social impacts challenge conventional notions of “green” energy. The methodology combines GIS-based territorial analysis with drawings, process diagrams, and verbal descriptions to visualise the spatiality of these socio-material assemblages from extraction to disposal. Through this, the approach integrates multiple scales, tracing uranium’s molecular impact to the socio-technical systems and large-scale territorial patterns it generates. By mapping material flows across interconnected sites, it visualises how uranium’s role in energy transitions co-produces dwelling, spilling, and hiding places, while highlighting historical path dependencies and inequalities often overlooked in sustainability frameworks.

The analysis begins in Arlit, Niger, where coal-powered uranium mining imposes severe socio-environmental costs on nearby settlements, underscoring the energy justice inequalities as local communities bear the burden of distant energy demands (Jenkins et al., 2016; McCauley et al., 2013; Sovacool et al., 2017). It then traces uranium’s commodification and enrichment in France, where nuclear energy is framed as "green" under the EU’s Green Taxonomy. Finally, the study examines Philippsburg, Germany, where interim nuclear storage facilities highlight the ongoing elephant in the room: what to do with nuclear waste?

The presentation explores challenges concerning energy transition in a specific socio-spatial setting: marginalised rural communities in Hungary. Based on 55 semi-structured interviews conducted in disadvantaged rural areas, applying the theoretical framework of energy justice it presents how the spatial-social inequalities in energy use generate energy injustice affecting marginalised rural households.

Energy poverty appears in many forms in such areas, and affects almost all households. However, the most commonly used indicators of energy poverty are not, or only to a limited extent, able to grasp many of the energy poverty situations in marginalised rural communities. Energy use, related problems, knowledge, skills, attitudes, household strategies for energy transition and energy crisis are embedded in the complex social and economic problems of households living in extreme poverty in the study areas, and cannot be considered separately from such a problem complex. The severe housing and infrastructure problems are not limited to issues related to energy use, they often pose a direct life threat to household members. Within such a context, interventions concerning energy transition can only be considered in a way that addresses housing and infrastructure problems in a complex way. The amount of material resources devoted to energy use and their allocation strategy is determined by the resource-poor and subsistence-focused strategy of the households concerned. Yet, it is not relevant to describe the energy use of these households only in terms of knowledge and skills gaps: knowledge and practices on consumption reduction, for example, are part of the daily routine of many households in extreme poverty. While the consumption reduction practices of households in extreme poverty may indeed have an emission reduction effect, the question is whether it is morally acceptable to consider this the sustainability practice of households in extreme poverty? This raises questions concerning how to define energy consumption that is socially necessitated (Bouzarovski 2014), sufficient (Kiss (2023)) or provides an acceptable standard of living ('social basis') (Raworth 2022).

The armed conflict in Ukraine had immediate consequences on population movement from the country to many European Union members.

In March 2020, Italy started medical evacuation through the European Civil Protection Mechanism to guarantee support to patients who could not receive appropriate care from the Ukrainian hospital. At the same time, on a bilateral basis, Italy started hosting refugees who arrived in the country through NGOs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The general coordination of the refugee's arrival was managed by the Italian Civil Protection Department (ICPD), the institution that manages natural and man-made emergencies in Italy.

Considering its geographical location inside Europe, it was a different and unexpected emergency, so the ICPD created a specific Reception and Assistance Plan and established new procedures to adapt national legislation to the event.

Ukrainian refugees could receive two distinct forms of support: independent accommodation and subsistence allowance. These procedures, already applied to Italian citizens in case of emergency, have supported more than 175,000 refugees.

The financial contribution given directly to refugees and the hosting accommodation structures had an economic impact on Italy, and social integration became an immediate urgency for the labour market, school access and healthcare.

This contribution aims to analyse how Italy reacted to the arrival and presence of such a large number of refugees and what policies best contributed to their integration into Italian society.

This paper explores experiences and subjective perceptions of Ukrainian female protection holders vis-à-vis national and local welfare policies and institutions in Berlin and Munich (Germany). Cities play a key role in providing basic social services to newcomers, and the local material conditions, such as availability of housing or childcare, significantly shape their integration trajectories. We use data from repeated in-depth interviews with Ukrainian women conducted in the two cities between September 2022 and March 2024 to address how individual agency embedded into structural and institutional conditions shape the agentic possibilities of the protection-holders in interactions with welfare institutions. Specifically, we explore how the bespoke Ukrainian forced migrants mobilise various resources when seeking to satisfy their basic social needs upon arrival. The bricolage framework (Phillimore 2019) allows us to understand how, within the particular institutional setting, Ukrainians exploit opportunities to access welfare in the respective cities and cope with insecurities related to their legal status and the war in Ukraine.

This contribution report on integration of Ukrainian migrants/refugees/protection holders in Czechia in recent years, with a special focus on period after the year of 2022. First, we provide a short overview of development of Ukrainian minority in Czechia and its geography - as it is critical for explanation and for understanding of current situation. Second, we review the key changes and policy developments after 2022 that shaped presence of Ukrainian minority in Czechia. Especially the application of EU directive on temporary protection of war refugees and its local application in various policy domains. Third, we present a case study on education / school integration of Ukrainians as an example, where we illustrate the intersections between labour market position of migrants, their healthcare and housing status. In sum, our contribution aspire to provide both an overall picture of immigrant integration and a specific case study, where a particular dimension of integration is explored in detail.

Hungary has been a traditional destination country of labour and educational migration for the ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, the westernmost region of Ukraine. This mobility process was boosted by Hungary's kin-state politics, especially by the non-residential citizenship available since 2011. Geopolitical events in Ukraine in 2014 and the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 instigated further dramatic population movements. Tens of thousands of Hungarians have left Transcarpathia, most of whom resettled in Hungary as Hungarian citizens.

In the meantime, the Hungarian government introduced a number of measures since 2017 to lure foreign labour. As a consequence, Ukrainian citizens represent a significant number among foreign employees in Hungary, mainly as blue-collar workers. Furthermore, over 46,000 Ukrainian citizens (arrived after 2022) live in Hungary with temporary protected status.

This paper aims to outline how the above macrostructural context affected the mobility trends from Ukraine to Hungary, including its ethnic and spatial dimensions.

The analysis of quantitative and qualitative data shows significant differences between the mobility trends of Hungarians from Transcarpathia and the Ukrainians arriving to Hungary. Ukrainian labour migrants arrived and found employment in Hungary in significant numbers after 2017, staying in the country as EU third country nationals. The vast majority of Ukrainian refugees also employed in Hungary. They typically reside in the capital and in the major industrial centres. Due to various social and political reasons, their mobility to Hungary might be temporary and spatially concentrated.

In contrast, Transcarpathian Hungarians live in Hungary as Hungarian citizens, which grants them full access to state services, and their integration is in general, smooth. Besides living in the urban centres (similarly to Ukrainians), they also settle in the region close to the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. We argue that this can be explained by the migration based living strategies developed after 2014, which allows extraordinary cross-border mobility and a transborder life style.

In the migration process from Ukraine to Hungary we highlight the ethnically different mobility, and we stress the importance of Hungary’s kin-state politics, in particular granting citizenship to transborder Hungarians, that plays a crucial role in the migration strategies of Hungarians from Ukraine.

The Alps are knowing as an area with fairly good quality of life, in most of the aspects offering better living conditions above the EU average. In the 10th Report on the State of the Alps quality of life was investigated through five topics, among which was also the topic of work and financial security. More into detail, we were interested in working conditions in the Alpine regions, social security and potential for the innovation. The topic was observed through enablers (the living conditions), life maintenance and life flourishing according to the ESPON Territorial Quality of Life concept. Following the quantitative analysis of existing and available indicators, a survey with Alpine residents was conducted. The results show that there is large variety between Alpine regions in the indicators of average income, as it is in parental leave among the Alpine countries. In general, 48% of the respondents to the survey are satisfied with the work and financial security (the topic came in 3rd after the environment and social relations). Evaluating individual aspects of work, the number of vacation days, work–life balance and possibilities for training obtained better results. The respondents were least satisfied with parental leave duration, salary and possibilities for telework. Altogether 84% reported to either living comfortably on their present income or were at least coping. Alpine countries had major differences in terms of the latter, as these were based on national legislation, the economic situation and employers’ goodwill. Inflexibility of work conditions and local narrow economic orientation (tourism as prevailing in some localities) were also stated among weaknesses of living in the Alps. The remoteness of some Alpine areas can contribute not only to the social isolation and a lack of social contact, but can also limit the opportunities for work, and jobs accessibility. To summarize, for this aspect of QoL and taking into account the specifics of mountain areas, it can be concluded that more favourable working conditions, such as a longer parental leave, telework options and training opportunities, significantly contribute to greater satisfaction and, in turn, lead to higher overall satisfaction and enhanced QoL.

In the backdrop of ongoing socio-economic transformations prompted by the current social and economic crisis, urban centers and peripheral rural areas confront challenges like rising unemployment, increased poverty, heightened social and economic exclusion, and depopulation. Simultaneously, the diverse needs and individual preferences of residents in these areas present a growing complexity. These factors impede traditional public infrastructure-based services, necessitating innovative solutions for the habitability of places, particularly marginalised ones.Thus, this paper explores 'Enterprising Communities' in rural areas: innovative socio-economic practices set up by local actors to address local needs based on three key factors: self-organisation, communal benefit, and community participation. Conducted between 2021-2023 using a mixed methods analysis, the research focuses on the characteristics, governance models, and participatory specificities of these community-driven initiatives. The focus of the research is on community-based coperatives located in mountain areas along the Apennines and how they are integrated multisectoral activities to enhance habitability and economic subsistance in remote rural areas. These models main strength is the unique blend of enterprise and community dimensions, emphasising a sense of belonging and embeddedness in their local environment. However, they remain isolated and struggle to survive, especially in marginal rural areas. To strengthen Enterprising Communities and overcome these challenges, the paper highlights the need for a dialogue between community-led models and policy-driven initiatives, particularly in long-neglected areas, to unlock missed opportunities for local economies. The analysis reveals that Enterprising Communities, with diverse models shaped by local factors and community needs, contribute to fostering new local development pathways in peripheral and rural areas. However, their contribution to regional and rural development policies is still underexplored, and they face limitations in their dual roles as social and economic actors. In conclusion, this research adds to ongoing debates on the role of place-based entrepreneurship in socio-technical systems transitions through new community-based enterprises. It also provides guidance on how such experiences can emerge from their niches through community-led policy co-creation approaches.

Human-wildlife coexistence, where humans and wildlife share space, has become an important paradigm of European biodiversity protection and conservation management (König et al., 2020). However, the coexistence of humans and permanent or recovering wildlife species remains a societal challenge in all landscapes, which often manifests in trade-offs and conflicts, such as illegal wildlife killing, crop and livestock damages, and ensuing social conflicts (Smith et al., 2017), thus threatening long-term conservation goals. The ecosystems in the mountain areas are often the last places where they can find suitable habitats to save their population. However, the human pressure in these areas also increases as a result of expanding tourism and livestock practices. Therefore, sustainable concepts of sharing space are required that take into account the needs of wildlife species, differences in affectedness and values of stakeholders, regional landscape, and land use conditions, while also learning from successful and unsuccessful stories, to enable long-term sustainable human-wildlife interactions. In this paper, we are trying to identify spatial and temporal patterns of human-wildlife interactions in the case study of the Central Balkan biosphere reserve. The main research question is how these interactions are influenced by landscape and socioeconomic factors, and can we use this information for risk assessment and prediction. We apply the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs) and more specifically its habitat quality module to identify the areas of good habitat quality and the areas of potential risk for human-wildlife interactions. Thus, we reveal spatial mismatches such as benefits concentrated in one area, conflicts concentrated in another area, and hotspots of disservices such as spatial damage concentration from multiple species.

In recent years, mountain areas have experienced a resurgence of interest and repopulation, which challenges traditional representations of these contexts and redefines individual life projects and the collective political dimension. This phenomenon is multifaceted, with various profiles among the so-called "new mountaineers" (Corrado et al., 2014). On the one hand, there are amenity migrants, such as digital nomads, who are attracted to mountain regions due to the increasing availability of digital infrastructure, and neo-rural, who are rediscovering traditional professions linked to mountain territories, such as agriculture and shepherding (Jelen et al., 2024). Additionally, we have been witnessing families fleeing urban environments, retirees, and artists, who have in common the desire to become "mountaineers by choice" (Dematteis, 2011).
People moving to or returning to mountain life often pursue lifestyles that echo historical patterns of mountain living. In the past, the seasonal nature of certain jobs led to a lifestyle characterized by a diverse range of occupations, frequent mobility, temporary living arrangements, and multi-residentiality (Perlik, 2011; Weichhart, 2009). However, these traits are reappearing in the lives of new mountaineers due to different processes.
For geography, these emerging lifestyles offer valuable insights into the field's long-standing yet highly relevant themes. The study of diverse and alternative economies (Gibson-Graham, 1996; 2006) often associated with mountain living sheds light on experiences typically seen as marginal or residual. Furthermore, the role of digital technologies in enabling the mobility of digital nomads in non-urban settings—through the proliferation of remote workstations and coworking spaces (Akhavan et al., 2021; Burgin et al., 2021)—reveals the development of new digital geographies. These connect new mountaineers to both their physical surroundings and a more comprehensive network of supralocal relationships. Finally, alternative forms of tourism, such as the "albergo diffuso" (scattered hotel), encourage new forms of hospitality that engage tourists with local communities and landscapes (Varani et al., 2022).

The housing crisis is European: across the EU, reports point to problems of housing unaffordability/housing inadequacy. From Ireland to Hungary, countries with very different housing systems experience similar issues. While housing research has, in recent years, focussed more on urban contexts and cities, this study poses a need for contextualising such approaches.

The presentation will position the urban debates in Central, Eastern and Southeastern European cities and their national housing systems and a wider European context and compare the housing systems in CEE/SEE countries to other European housing systems. The question of housing systems is approached through the lens of the Political Economy of Housing, focussing on the (differing) ways housing is commodified.

The author will present selected findings of a larger study of housing system trajectories of EU member states, presenting preliminary results of a macrolevel analysis of those housing systems and their trajectories. The study utilizes a modified Varieties of residential Capitalism approach and focusses on housing finance regulation in fiscal, financial and monetary policy.

Utilizing public data on the national level covering the last twenty years, the presentation will provide an analysis of the trajectories beyond grouping them all together as one postsocialist or familial cluster. Moving beyond a singular causality in understanding and towards a more differentiated approach to comparing the cases also opens the analysis for differences in the trajectories after the collapse of socialist rule. There are relevant differences between Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries’ housing systems that will be compared to patterns across Europe.

These differences stem from differing policies, especially those shaping housing finance. The presentation will cover central policies shaping the housing systems in fiscal, financial or monetary regulation. This offers an understanding of the production of different housing systems and contextualises studies more focussed on local and urban contexts. Thus, the presented research enables a deepened comparison of different case studies across Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries.

At some point in comparative housing studies, findings need to be inbedded in concepts and typologies of their respective economies and societies. Formally, these can be grouped into theories of convergence and theories of divergence – with much overlap when looking into details. Both originated in the advanced countries of the European core. Later both housing and welfare typologies were extended to the European (semi-) peripheries, but research is still scarce and fragmented. Here, large (capital) cities and their housing markets are even more distinct from their countries than in the European core. Both extensions, to the periphery and to the urban, offer substantial challenges to established fusions of housing regimes, welfare regimes and varieties of capitalism.

Based on research experience with a number of East and South East European cities, traditional framings of comparative housing research will be examined. Until the 1970s, developmental concepts prevailed, fully concentrating on European core countries on their way to comprehensive housing policies (DONNISON). In the 1980s, the re-commodification of housing (HARLOE) was in focus - an update and extension of the earlier linear developmental view. Only in the 1990s, ESPING-ANDERSEN sparked off interest in a wider framework for his welfare regimes, soon to be adapted for housing by KEMENY. In their basic ideas, these concepts try to locate groupings of institutions within a „welfare triangle“ between market, state and families – expanding the earlier market and state dichotomies.

Still, regime groupings, in welfare and housing, were mainly defined for European core countries. Only from the 2000s, other configurations were claimed for the European peripheries, Southern Europe (ALLEN) and Eastern, post-communist Europe (STEPHENS et al.). In these extensions, many organizers of welfare and housing congregate in the family/informal economy corner of the welfare triangle. This is where recent changes are taking place: from informal and small-scale housing provision towards more professionalized, profit-led housing markets, still with a strong element of familialist support, counter-balancing the lack of housing subsidies for the many with family wealth. My presentation will draw together examples for such developments in the ownership cities of the Southern and Eastern periphery of Europe – working towards an alternative framework for comparative housing research.

The ongoing migration crises, particularly the war in Ukraine and increasing political and economic instability in Russia, have prompted significant waves of people seeking refuge in various European cities. Among these destinations, Belgrade has emerged as a key location for many migrants. As a result, the local housing market has been significantly impacted, leading to shifts in rental prices, property values, and residential behaviour.

The growing influx of migrants has intensified population pressure on Belgrade’s housing market, with central neighbourhoods—traditionally the most sought-after areas—seeing a surge in demand. In particular, Russian migrants, facing limited migration options, have played a central role in driving this increase. It has been most evident in rental prices, which have nearly doubled since the migration influx began. While house prices have also risen, they have not escalated at the same rate as rents.

The rapid changes in housing market have had a profound impact on the local population, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who find it increasingly difficult to afford housing in the face of rising rents and property prices. This shift exposes the vulnerability of Belgrade’s post-socialist, deregulated housing system, which struggles to keep up with rapid demographic and economic changes.

This research utilizes quantitative and qualitative methods to explore these issues. Beside in-depth semi-structured interviews which were conducted with experts from major real estate agencies in Belgrade, additional interviews and surveys were conducted with migrants who have settled in Belgrade in order to explore their residential preferences.

The complex spatial-demographic and socio-economic transformations during Serbia's post-socialist transition have profoundly impacted demographic trends in urban settlements, resulting in widespread urban shrinkage. At the beginning of the 21st century, Serbia's urban population went from growing to shrinking, with 86.2% of urban settlements affected by this process. Paradoxically, despite this significant population shrinkage, urban housing stock has continued to grow. Simultaneously the number of urban dwellings grew at an average annual rate of 1.22% per 100 inhabitants between 2011 and 2022, thus exceeding the rate of population change. These trends highlight increasing spatial-demographic imbalances, particularly evident in shrinking cities. This paper examines the relationship between demographic trends and urban housing demand across 167 urban settlements in Serbia. The aim of the study is to investigate the dynamics of spatial-demographic imbalances, emphasizing the interplay between urban population decline and the sustained growth in housing construction during the 21st century.

In the context of Bulgaria's imposed transformation from a transit to a destination country for migrants, this study explores the patterns and implications of circular student migration between Central Asia and Southeast Europe (SEE). The research addresses the socio-economic consequences of integrating third-country nationals (TCNs) into the Bulgarian labor market and society, particularly against the backdrop of significant demographic shifts and labor force challenges. Circular student migration, characterized by the repetitive and temporary relocation of individuals for educational purposes, provides a unique lens to examine the micro, meso, and macro-level impacts of migration (de Haas 2014, 2010; King 2012; Vertovec 2011; Cassarino 2004; Massey et al. 1993; Castles & Ozkul 2014). The main research question this paper seeks to answer is: Which specific aspects of circular mobility can be identified and operationalized through the case of student migration between Central Asia and Southeast European countries, contributing to the conceptualization of the legal status of 'circulator'?

Drawing on the theoretical insights of transnationalism (Gońda et al. 2021; Kaiser 2004; Pries 2003) and global social spaces (Noller 2000; Giddens 1990, 1996), the study evaluates how these students navigate the dual contexts of their home and host countries. The research explores their contributions to economic landscapes and cultural exchanges and extends the analysis to the influence of such migrations on social cohesion. This includes examining how these movements may mitigate xenophobia and discrimination through enriched bi-cultural exchanges. Previous studies (IOM 2019) identify the primary destinations for educational migration from Central Asia as including the Russian Federation, China, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and other countries such as Malaysia, the USA, Turkey, Germany, etc. According to these studies, SEE countries were not of significant interest for educational and student mobility at least until before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine, new questions arise about potential shifts in these trends: Is there an additional flow of students from Central Asia to Southeast Europe after 2022, and to what extent does this flow occur at the expense of reduced interest in studying in the Russian Federation? Additionally, what motivates students from Central Asia to choose Southeast Europe as a destination, and are these motivations linked to intentions for subsequent permanent emigration or long-term integration?

The analysis is based on the preliminary results of the first phase of the interdisciplinary research project "Topical Aspects of the Integration of Non-EU Workers in Bulgaria", funded by the Bulgarian Fund for Scientific Research (Contract KP-06-PN85/39_BG-175467353-2024-11-0262) (2024-2027). The data and empirical information presented were collected during the fieldwork using sociological research techniques: narrative interviews and expert interviews, providing qualitative insights into individual and institutional perspectives; network analysis (examining the role of social and institutional networks in facilitating circular migration) and policy analysis (Investigating existing legal and institutional frameworks in both regions and their impact on student mobility). This comprehensive methodological approach allows the study to critically engage with the socio-economic, legal, and institutional dimensions of circular student migration. By answering these questions, the study aims at contributing to the development of a coherent framework for the legal status of "circulator" and provide insights into optimizing the socio-economic benefits of circular student migration between Central Asia and Southeast Europe (e.g. Bulgaria).

The international student migration has been an emerging part of spatial mobility studies since the beginning of 21st century. This relatively new topic could be conceptualised as a logical antecedent of individual labour and retirement movements from life course perspective disregarding children’s moves. According to literature, the longitudinal methodological perspective seems fit for gathering data on circular migration and circular migrants.

The hypothesis of the research is that the concept of circular migration is composed of at least ten elements, which should be tested and refined on a real phenomenon. The starting point is to list the specificities of migration patterns identified in various international documents and literature, going slightly beyond the traditional or narrow theory. Namely, circular migration is a lawful, temporary migration that a person undertakes repeatedly, following a defined pattern of movement, based on a stated motivation, usually within a continent/region and with more advantages than disadvantages. These specificities can generate different variations of each other. The test is the migration of undergraduate and postgraduate students from developing countries coming to Hungary to study under the Stipendium Hungaricum scheme (BA, MA, PhD) since 2013. These young people perform a circular migration during their studies and throughout their learning process, as they repeatedly travel back home, but do not necessarily return home directly after graduation, but continue their formal and informal learning in other countries. The programme, founded by the Hungarian Government is managed by the Tempus Public Foundation. It is available on five continents in over 90 countries, attracting tens of thousands of third country-national students each year. 12 years of migration data may help to establish a portrait of the circular migrant in the gallery of migrants’ statuses.

The European Court of Justice has now developed solid case law that not only makes EU citizens feel equal in their host country but also explicitly encourages mobility. Citizens returning to their home state after exercising rights abroad are rewarded with special rights ( e.g., the right to bring back family members from outside the EU), suggesting that the citizens' movement deserves all the means to facilitate it.

This is well illustrated by the growing case law on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, marriage, birth certificates, gender identity, and the naming law.

In contrast, the intra-EU mobility rights of third-country nationals who do not have the right to free movement are much more limited. EU immigration law allows mobility between Member States only for specific categories of immigrants and with strict restrictions.

However, there is still a vast gap between the mobility rights of EU citizens and those TCNs. In this light, it is worth examining the situation of British citizens. As a result of Brexit, British citizens resident in the EU have become third country nationals. The stated aim of the EU was that those UK citizens who had exercised their Treaty rights before the end of the transition period would not be adversely affected by Brexit. However, the Withdrawal Agreement essentially replicates the regime provided for in Directive 2004/38/EC, which means that it does not apply to citizens who return to their home state after exercising their right to move (so-called circular situations). Moreover, the Withdrawal Agreement's protection is limited to ensuring that British citizens have rights in the Member State where they reside at the end of the transitional period. However, when British citizens triggered their Treaty rights, they did so with the expectation (accrued rights) that they would be able to move freely within the internal market. This may have more profound implications for the meaning of EU citizenship and its possible approach to circular migration, which will be the subject of the research.

The session proposal deals with the international circular migration which has globally become a buzzword in scientific, political, and administrative circles since the new century. We concentrate on a general inner feature of the phenomenon which is the common root of false ideas and measures surrounding human circulation, namely their dual nature. The literature echoes wide variety of conceptualisations of international circular migration. However, the investigation and application of its dialectical characteristic is absent. On one hand, circular migration is a type of migration as a simple event, on the other hand that is a repeat process or a complete system. First aim of the session is to discuss the event-system dilemma in general and to provide an illustration with empirical evidence come from European countries in particular. Moreover, the potential authors try to contribute to the clarification of the general concept of human circular mobilities to foster scholars for sophisticated thinking and stakeholders for adequate policy making in global, regional, national, and local levels. As second aim, we propose the core elements of a new legal status by national scale, namely circulator, which is a common challenge for scientists and practitioners dealing with the arena of circular mobilities.

In the wake of the crisis that began in 2008, the issue of housing - especially evictions and, as a consequence, apartment occupations - has become a matter of growing social concern.

While eviction processes were a recurrent problem in the last decade, when the economy began to recover, difficulties in accessing affordable housing became a central issue in the political and social debate in Spain. The shortage of social housing due to the lack of public investment in housing construction, together with the pressure exerted on cities by the development of tourist housing platforms, which have expanded at an accelerated pace, contribute to stressing the residential market and are an exponent of social and economic inequalities.

In this context of serious difficulties associated with residential insecurity, this paper aims to approach the processes of marginalization and fragmentation in the city of Barcelona, one of the most affected by housing problems, based on a study of housing occupation in different neighborhoods of the city. The analysis of housing ads in the most important real estate portals, such as Idealista, allows us to identify the areas most affected by this problem and to characterize the housing typologies in the case of Barcelona. The results highlight the dissymmetries between different neighborhoods and show the geographies of the processes of residential exclusion.

In the current context of scarcity of affordable housing stock, local governments have regained the interest in neighbourhoods characterised by decaying mass housing estates at the margin of the metropolitan core. However, persistent issues of social exclusion among their residents, along with high degree of social stigmatisation, significantly hinder the success of long-term urban regeneration and redevelopment processes. This paper analyses whether urban fragmentation is being consolidated in this type of neighbourhoods even if significant metropolitan-scale interventions have been undertaken.

To this end, this contribution focuses on the urban sector between the Fòrum-Besòs and La Mina neighbourhood in the core of the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Since the 2000s, this area has been defined by traditional mass housing estates undergoing a long and complex transformation programme, as well as the extension of the Diagonal axis to the Mediterranean Sea. This last intervention has both included the development of high-profile cultural facilities and led to a redesign of the seafront.

Using a mixed-method approach—including socio-economic data analysis, formal analysis of urban fabric, semi-structured interviews, and guided walks with key stakeholders and residents of these neighbourhoods—this paper examines both the evolution of persistent forms of marginality and the physical and mental urban barriers that reshape these urban spaces. The findings from this case study in Barcelona encourage a discussion of how urban regeneration processes, which aim to transform consolidated urban fabrics and promote greater social integration of marginalised neighbourhoods, may paradoxically lead to the emergence of new forms of urban fragmentation. On the one hand, social marginality may be reproduced in certain parts of the stigmatised neighbourhoods; on the other, stakeholders and residents identify new barriers that delineate contrasting urban fragments.

Since the mid-2010s, the difficulties in accessing housing, whether through ownership or rental, have been increasing, to the point that the housing issue has now become the main social problem for Spaniards. This situation, in addition to fostering housing exclusion, is driving processes of segregation and residential fragmentation. In this context, several regulatory texts have been approved in recent years with the aim of reversing the situation. The recent 2023 Housing Law, passed by the Spanish Parliament, opens the possibility of declaring areas with regulated rents (zonas tensionadas) to control rental prices.
This contribution aims to highlight the housing emergency currently unfolding in Spain and to analyze one of the most controversial measures: the declaration of areas with regulated rents. Using secondary statistical sources, regulatory analysis, and the study of reports, the goal is to provide a concise overview of the severity of the problem and its causes, the principles and instruments involved in declaring these new areas, and the results that have been achieved so far.

In recent years, there is a growing emphasis on societal impact in order to respond more quickly to complex societal challenges. Geographers have also warned about the growing gap between the discipline of geography (‘big-G’ geography) and the production and dissemination of other geographic knowledges (‘little-g’ geography) by societal or governmental organizations and other publics (Castree et al., 2008). To bridge this gap and communicate geography to wider audiences, it is of fundamental importance for geographers to understand the basic principles of science communication and communication theory. These fields emphasize that the metaphor of the ‘ivory tower’ academic is outdated, as “all geographical knowledge is pedagogical and all pedagogy is political” (Castree 2008, p.680). Rather, science and society are co-produced; not only is there a two-way relationship between research and policy-making, but also between Geography and its different publics. This contribution brings reflects on how pertinent developments within the fields of ‘public geographies’, science communication and science-and-technology studies can inform geography teaching. Second, it will demonstrate how these insights are translated into a science communication course for second-year undergraduate students in geography, including a reflection on both content, learning activities and pedagogical knowledge. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned and the potential requirements of a science communication course for post-graduates and early-career geographers.

The dissemination phase of a geographic film (Jacobs, 2013; Gandy, 2021) - a research conducted and presented in cinematic form - constitutes a pivotal step in communicating the significance of its findings beyond the confines of the geographic discipline, promoting a reciprocal dialogue between the academic community and civil society. In this phase, new subjectivities emerge alongside that of the researcher who conducted the study: the multiple viewers reached by the geographical film. These plural and diverse audiences, both academic and non-academic, will generate a new relational assemblage, yet another dynamic through which spatial morality becomes more robust and apparent, or, alternatively, is disrupted and redefined (Loi, Salimbeni, 2022). In this perspective, it is through engagement and dialogue with an audience broader than the academic community (Varotto, Rossetto, 2016) that the initial findings of a geographic research could evolve. This interaction encourages the researcher to continue engaging with alternative visions and perspectives, even after the research has been completed, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas. At the same time, it contributes to raising new doubts and questions about the investigated topic within less self-referential circles than those of academia, potentially producing a greater impact, in terms of engagement, than research disseminated only in the form of articles or scientific monographs.

Building on these premises, this contribution aims to critically reflect on the dissemination experience of the geographical film 'Movimento Fermo', a PhD research project on the multifaceted phenomenon of the “new mountaineers” (Corrado et al., 2014) reinhabiting the Italian rural mountains. The presentation will focus on the diverse types of audiences that the geographical film has reached, the variety of venues and platforms where it has been presented, and the unexpected opportunities that have emerged from this research project conducted and shared in cinematic form.

The academic debate surrounding the public dimension of geography has explored the processes through which geographical knowledge is constructed and disseminated. Within this context, recognizing the non-neutrality of knowledge raises critical questions: What role should the researcher play? How can participatory tools be designed to amplify voices and practices that challenge dominant narratives? How can research findings be effectively communicated beyond the confines of academia? And who should be the target audience?

Acknowledging the challenges of providing definitive answers to such questions and the necessity of transcending disciplinary boundaries, recent decades have witnessed the emergence of numerous experimental approaches to research. These approaches aim to capture the complexities and relational dynamics that define contemporary socio-spatial processes. In this context, the performative turn has provided a framework for examining how social spaces and individual or collective identities are dynamically enacted and mutually shaped through ongoing interactions, and a lens for examining positionality, research methodologies, and dissemination strategies.

Among the experimental practices inspired by this paradigm, playful performances have emerged as a means to study public space beyond functionalist approaches and as a way for geographers to engage with space interactively through play. Some of these questions and experimental efforts have been explored by different researchers, for example, in connection with a playful performance organized for GeoNight 2023 in Rome.

This contribution aims to delve deeper into this theoretical and experimental framework, starting from initial reflections on organizing a playful performance: a murder mystery game held in Palermo in the spring of 2025. The initiative, part of a research project focused on outdoor and co-creative practices, was developed in collaboration with local associations. The goal is to foster dialogue between academic knowledge about the city and the expertise of local actors, ultimately presenting the results to the public in the form of an urban game. This approach opens new perspectives on public geography, promoting participatory practices and innovative methods of dissemination.

This contribution presents Disabitanti, a participatory theatre and storytelling project that investigates marginal spaces and intangible geographies in Salento, with a focus on the abandoned houses of the small village of Corigliano d’Otranto. The project, realized by myself in collaboration with Magma Aps and Alibi Association, transforms these spaces from inert, neglected backdrops into active loci of creative expression and collective memory, emphasizing their role as repositories of intangible heritage and as catalysts for cultural valorization.

Disabitanti actively involved local communities by inviting homeowners and participants to uncover the memories and histories embedded in abandoned spaces. Through dramaturgical and geo-narrative workshops, participants reconstructed stories inspired by traces left behind - whether an object, a wall marking or an oral history fragment. These processes culminated in a series of site-specific performances that forged emotional and intellectual connections between audiences and the themes of geographical marginality, memory and identity.

The presentation explores the innovative methodologies employed by Disabitanti, including the use of theatre as a medium for spatial inquiry, the co-creation of narratives, and the integration of local knowledge into research dissemination. It further interrogates the potential of disused and marginalized spaces to serve as platforms for community reflection and cultural regeneration, highlighting the dynamic interplay between physical landscapes and intangible cultural heritage.

Reflecting on the challenges and successes of Disabitanti, this contribution offers a replicable model for bridging the gap between academic research and public engagement. It demonstrates how creative practices like participatory theatre and geo-narratives can foster inclusivity, promote spatial justice, and amplify the lived experiences of marginalized geographies. Geographical research often remains confined within academic circles, raising critical questions about how to communicate complex spatial concepts to broader audiences. This contribution aligns with the session's objectives by offering a concrete example of how creative practices can expand the dissemination and societal impact of geographical research. It aims to illustrate how partecipative and interdisciplinary approaches can enhance public understanding of geography and foster meaningful connections between research and communities.

Sustainability issues are characterized by a tension between the urgency of the addressed problems and democratic decision-making structures. This tense relationship is also the subject of an ongoing debate in the field of ESD between normative and pluralistic approaches. Whereas the latter emerged out of a critique of the normativity of ESD practices and position themselves as committed to an emancipatory educational interest (van Poeck et al. 2014), they also face certain challenges, among other things, their handling of relativism (Tryggvason et al. 2023). Questions such as if every opinion is equally valid in pluralistic discussions – and if not, on the basis of what that could be decided – seem to become even more relevant in the current political climate characterized by post-truth debates and openly discriminatory positions.

Building on Haraway’s (1988) considerations on relativism that “the ‘equality’ of positioning is a denial of responsibility and critical inquiry” I want to question whether the pluralization of viewpoints is the most appropriate response to the criticism of a totalization of a normatively based viewpoint – especially in times of urgent challenges. Given humanity’s dependence on ecological foundations and therefore the need to confront ecological crises now and with radical measures, Latour (2018), among others, argues for the need to (re-)interpret emancipation in a way that it is not understood as liberation from but as the ability to answer to (changeable) necessities of and with the world (Hoppe 2022). In this context, Hoppe (2019) – based on her engagement with Haraway – argues for the need of a critical sociology as an interplay of negativistic-destructive and affirmative-constructive practices and relations to the world (Hoppe 2019).

My argument is that these considerations hold significant potential to enhance ongoing educational discussions as well as concrete teaching practices. I want to focus on how those can be taken into account in teacher training. Drawing on an example from an ongoing research project, I want to discuss how joint reflections on authentic classroom situations are beneficial for learning process of (pre-service) teachers and how the above-mentioned theoretical perspectives can enrich the ESD-discourse with new perspectives.

Literature:

Haraway, D. (1988). Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective. In: Feminist Studies 14(3), 575–599.

Hoppe, K. (2022). Das Anthropozän kompostieren: Speziesübergreifende Verwandtschaft und sozialökologische Transformation In: Insert 2, 1–15.

Hoppe, K. (2019). Katharina Hoppe: Die Kraft der Revision. Epistemologie, Politik und Ethik bei Donna Haraway. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.

Latour, B. (2018). Das terrestrische Manifest. Suhrkamp Verlag, Berlin.

Tryggvason, Á., Öhman, J. & Van Poeck, K. (2023). Pluralistic environmental and sustainability education – a scholarly review. In: Environmental Education 29(10), 1460–1485.

Van Poeck, K., Goeminne, G. & Vandenabeele, J. (2014). Revisiting the democratic paradox of environmental and sustainability education: sustainability issues as matters of concern. In: Environmental Education Research 22(6), 1–21.

Transformative education describes an approach that intends to create new and hopeful paths for engaged teaching and learning in geography in times of crises. Those who align their pedagogical actions with this concept demonstrate a strong connection to, and responsibility for, their environment. In our presentation, we aim to place this concern at the center and, based on preliminary considerations in educational theory, introduce two method modules of an excursion concept. These are designed to facilitate embodied experiences of soil and surface worlds through affective practices of walking and listening.

First, we present a method that follows approaches of peripatetic (Kaiser 2020) and promenadology (Burckhardt 2006) and aims to raise awareness of and expand the conditions of environmental perception and experience from an aesthetic and cultural science perspective. Through perception experiments while walking—such as “strolling”, “taking detours”, and “thinking while walking”— participants are encouraged to sharpen their awareness of fractures and transformations in the peripheral areas of urban agglomerations. Second, we present a method module based on phenomenological approaches, designed to make barely heard sounds of various soils sensorially tangible. How does the forest floor sound? What noises are hidden under a cemetery or a street? How do the subterranean tones of a meadow differ from those of an urban ornamental lawn? We discuss to what extent listening carefully to the acoustic characteristics of the ground can contribute to a “re-sensitizing self-awareness” (“re-sensibilisierende Selbstgewahrwerdung”, Hasse 2022).

Finally, based on our experiences, we would like to discuss the extent to which these methods can enrich a transformative teaching practice in higher education. In particular, we aim to explore how they can encourage prospective teachers to actively engage in dialogue with our environment and critically question established teaching and learning routines—while also highlighting where the limitations of these approaches become evident.

Burckhardt, Lucius (2006). Warum ist Landschaft schön? Die Spaziergangswissenschaft. Berlin: Martin Schmitz.

Hasse, Jürgen (2022): Das Geräusch der Stadt. Phänomenologie des Lauten und Leisen. Baden-Baden: Verlag Karl Alber.

Kaiser, C. (2020). Peripatetik war schon immer ein SchreibenGehen. Kunstforum international, 48(266), 120-130.

As consumers of media-based information, teachers no longer obtain their educational materials solely from analogue formats, but are increasingly expanding their search for sources into digital spheres of knowledge. These must then be made didactically fruitful for media-supported teaching-learning situations in a producing attitude. Under current conditions of a culture of digitality, such a dual understanding of roles must be addressed in teacher training. In this respect, the contribution focusses on the perspective of teachers as prosuming storytellers. Based on a theoretical-conceptual elaboration of this attribution, an online training course entitled ‘Digital storytelling in the context of sustainability’ is presented, which is also used in a university context as a seminar for geography student teachers.

Storytelling as a didactic method is based on the described media starting point of digital educational practice in order to link complex circumstances, such as the climate crisis, with everyday experiences of pupils. In this way, young people should feel empowered to face the challenges in a meaningful and self-confident way. It is equally about facing up to emergence and unpredictability and finding a productive way of dealing with paralysing contradictions. Stories therefore require a narrative style that captures the diversity of the world and turns away from binary thought patterns. The experiences of others should become one's own source of knowledge, in that stories are not to be understood as closed knowledge, but as open to interpretation. Such narratives imply the possibility of trying out alternative approaches. As a result, the training concept is part of a didactically orientated, transformative ESD, which uses media representations to identify multi-perspective contexts. According to an emancipatory understanding, ESD endeavours to address corresponding values and attitudes and to strengthen knowledge and skills that are conducive to a sustainable way of life.

The submission presents digital storytelling as an innovative approach to contemporary sustainability communication by interweaving educational theory, (geography) didactics and journalistic perspectives. Building on this, the conceptual outline of a digital training programme forms the main focus of the presentation, which concludes with the initial practical experiences of teachers gathered in the course of reflection interviews.

The Anthropocene, i.e. the reconsideration of the Earth's habitability due to human activities, is challenging geography education (Joublot-Ferré, 2022; Gilbert, 2016). How can we teach students about the complex implications of this issue? We suggest to address this issue through a case study of urban prospective and spatial diagnosis in the context of planning an eco-neighborhood on a former military site in Fribourg (Switzerland), as part of a collaborative STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) research project (Roy, Masserey,Schumacher & Küttel, 2021). The students, aged between 12 and 13, mobilize and build various media such as maps, scale models as part of a field investigation including field trip and interviews with actors involved in the eco-neighborhood. This methodology is based both on geographers' and urban planners' professional skills (Calbérac, 2021; Gwiazdzinski & Cholat, 2021) and on research related to geography education at secondary school level on narrative cartography (Egiebor & Foster, 2020; Mukherjee, 2020) and geospatial education technologies (Healy & Walshe, 2020; Favier & Van der Schee, 2014; De Miguel González & De Lázaro Torres, 2020). It also engages students in an authentic context, giving meaning to their learning and fostering understanding and reflexive analysis of the complex issues involved in habitability. In addition to fieldwork, whose benefit with students is recognized (Efstratia, 2014, Fägerstam, 2014), the mobilization and making of artifacts is emphasized by several pedagogues to contribute to student learning (Ackermann, 2021; Papert, 1981). Thus, students in a spatial prospective approach develop their own visions of the upcoming eco-neighborhood through model-building. Building these models provides material for analyzing the challenges facing the eco-neighborhood, while integrating the issue of habitability in the context of the Anthropocene. The students' outputs (maps, scale models) are examined to evaluate the whole process to propose new research perspectives and to suggest recommendations for teachers in pre-service and in-service training interested in exploring such issues.

The past years were characterized by events that influenced and still influence global, national and regional migration flows. How do wars, pandemics, economic crises, etc. affect migration patterns at the urban regional level? For the Vienna urban region, answers can be given because the settlement development there has been monitored and evaluated for 20 years.
Which migration flows determine urban-regional growth, which demographic patterns are stable and which change? What direct or indirect influence do global events and megatrends have on settlement development in the Vienna urban region?
We report on the latest monitoring of the Vienna urban region (2023/2024) and take a look back at previous monitoring to determine whether and to what extent global events have an impact on migration patterns.
This is a report from applied spatial research, with a focus on answering specific questions relevant to planning policy in the Vienna urban region. Therefore, there is no dedicated theoretical framework. The “theoretical position” in the analysis and interpretation of the results is, however, that the urban region is a functionally and structurally highly interconnected network in which the city is the main node, but would not be viable without its surroundings. This is associated with cooperative and cross-border planning approaches and the necessary change in the planning culture and policy at all spatial levels in the urban region of Vienna.
The monitoring is based on two main areas of analysis. Firstly, a quantitative analysis of settlement development with a focus on population development, demography and migration. This is followed by a cartographic analysis of settlement development, which, in addition to these topics, also deals with commuting relationships, urban-regional interdependencies, settlement structures, building land reserves and spatial types in the study region.
The final monitoring in 2023 will also conclude with a formulation of urban-regional challenges.
The studies are based on population data at the 1km-grid level, as well as migration and commuting relationships between the 273 municipalities in the study region. Furthermore, data on public transport and other socio-economic indicators were included in the study.

During the last three decades the most spectacular urban development processes was observable in the Budapest Metropolitan area: The residential suburbanization. Until now the capital city of Budapest and its functional urban areas concentrate the 27% of the Hungarian population and 45% of the national GDP. The Budapest metropolitan area is the only region in the country that shows massive population growth during the last decades. This population gain comes from two migration processes (Schuhmann, 2024)[1]. The one is the residential suburbanization, the second the increasing immigration from the other regions of Hungary towards the capital regions. The spectacular population growth in the outskirt areas of Budapest can be explained by the changes in the residential preferences as well. Due to the many problems of the inner areas of Budapest (noises, traffic, problems of urban transportation, lack of green spaces, homelessness, rising price of housing, impacts of the climate change on urban spaces etc.) a major part of the citizens decide to move out from Budapest to the suburban zones. During and after the Covid-19 pandemic based on the relevant data we can experience an accelerating residential suburbanization (Szirmai-Schuchmann-Uzzoli, 2023)[2]. The main aim of the presentation is to reveal the major changes in the residential suburbanization in the metropolitan area of Budapest. To highlights the social-spatial inequalities in the residential preferences, and also to discover the reasons.

[1] Schuchmann, Júlia (2024): The Regional Inequalities between the Budapest Metropolitan Region and the Large Urban Regions in Hungary In: Caragliu, Andrea; Martins, Elisabete (ed.) Proceedings: 14th World Congress of the RSAI: Sustainable Regional Economic growth: Global challenges and new regional development trajectories Angra do Heroísmo, Portugália : Regional Science Association International (RSAI) (2024) pp. 313-318. , 6 p.

[2] Szirmai, V ; Schuchmann, J ; Uzzoli, A.(2023):The social-spatial features of the Covid-19 pandemic : the formation of new disability issues (global and Hungariantrends)

FOGYATÉKOSSÁG ÉS TÁRSADALOM: A FOGYATÉKOSSÁGTUDOMÁNY ÉS A GYÓGYPEDAGÓGIA FOLYÓIRATA 1 pp. 41-52. , 12 p. (2023)

In recent decades, urban growth has been geographically uneven across the globe, with some places experiencing rapid population increases and other places being in decline, effectively losing their share in the national urban hierarchy. Many major population centres of the world and their imitate suburbs, rapidly growing in the past, were among places with declining population shares, whereas most rapidly growing locations have been slightly remote from major urban areas. The reasons for these changes are not completely clear, and the present study investigates this phenomenon. The study was carried out in several phases. First, urban areas around the world were identified by the density of the world’s population using satellite imagery. The population change in each urban area was estimated next by comparing its population size in 2000 and 2020, while referencing this change to the total urban population of the country as a whole. The changes observed in each urban area were then encoded as a dichotomous variable: a positive change (that is, an improvement in rank) in the national hierarchy between 2000 and 2020 (1) or a negative change, that is, a deterioration in the national urban ranking (0). These changes were then linked to several performance measures and important location determinants were identified by stepwise regression analysis. The models were estimated first with the main effects only and then jointly with the main effects and interaction terms. Then, each factor identified as important was analysed to determine its value in a way that is in the highest share of urban areas that exhibit a positive change in population share (PSC). The location of an urban area on one of these ‘optimal bends’ was considered a location advantage or a disadvantage otherwise. The total number of LP advantages was then calculated for each urban area and the proportional shares of urban areas with positive PSC were estimated for location counts. The analysis was carried out separately for the entire global urban system and western Europe separately. In both cases, the probability that an urban area exhibits a positive PSC was found to increase with the number of locational advantages the place has, effectively highlighting the importance of an integrated location package for urban growth.

This study explores residential preferences and housing aspirations of first-year university students through a method combining sketch mapping and comparative analysis. Focusing on students from two distinct academic and cultural environments—Palacký University Olomouc, Czechia, and the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada—the research examines how young people conceptualize their ideal places to live within the geographic boundaries of Europe.

Theoretical foundations draw on the concepts of housing pathways, perception of space, and neighbourhood effect, with particular attention to the potential impact of proximity bias in the Czech student sample. For example, it might be expected that Czech students show stronger preferences for nearby European regions (e.g., Germany or Slovakia) due to geographic familiarity or socio-cultural ties, reflecting the influence of the neighbourhood effect. Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods approach: qualitative insights from students’ justifications for their choices are combined with GIS-based quantitative analysis to identify spatial patterns and regional trends.

The core research question asks: To what extent do socio-cultural and geographic contexts shape residential preferences among university students, and how do these preferences reflect broader societal patterns? Using sketch maps as a data collection tool, participants outlined specific regions across Europe they associate with positive or negative residential aspirations. These areas were scored on a Likert scale and annotated with keywords or short explanations. Respondents were also asked to rank the three best and worst countries in Europe for permanent living based on their subjective evaluations.

Preliminary results suggest universal preferences, such as favouring more developed regions, but also potential variations that could be linked to differing socio-cultural contexts of Canada and Czechia (e.g., language proximity). The neighbourhood effect appears particularly strong among Czech students, whose preferences are influenced by proximity and familiarity, in contrast to the more globalized outlook of Canadian students. These findings offer valuable insights into how young people navigate housing aspirations within Europe and contribute to discussions on how housing policy and education strategies can better address diverse needs.

Disability mobility studies generally refer to qualitative, individual-oriented assessments of the barriers endured by a predetermined segment of the population. More recently, city-scale, mainly quantitative studies arose, measuring accessibility for various impaired publics. These last contributions allow standardizing, comparing, and locating accessibility inequalities. Yet, they generally focus on legal standards or norms, and lived experiences are set aside. Moreover, only a small part of the impaired population, mostly wheelchair users, is usually considered. However, in cities like Strasbourg, where the underground-free Public Transport (PT) network backbone is the 1994 tramway, built according to the People with Reduced Mobility (PRM) standards, PT accessibility is still not the same for everyone. Physical, social, and cognitive barriers still challenge i) the inclusiveness of PT stations and rolling stocks, and ii) the pedestrian path, which is often a forgotten part of a PT trip. Not only the usually labeled PRM are impacted, but a wide range of what Global Health studies generally name “fragile populations”.

Consequently, the two aforementioned methods, scopes, and assumptions must be combined to genuinely measure accessibility gaps for several fragile publics. Following a people-centered approach to the concept of accessibility, we consider the different natures of accessibility barriers, framed in an inaccessibility iceberg.

The proposed method then consists of using Face-to-Face interviews, Go-along interviews, and Focus Group Discussions with fragile populations (four target groups consisting of the physically disabled, the visually impaired/blind, the elderly, and the economically disadvantaged) to set the parameters for intra-urban accessibility measuring. Then, the modeling and routing steps are carried out thanks to OpenTripPlanner, linked with GIS mapping tools. The pedestrian routing is enriched by a specific database taking into account street obstacles, narrow sidewalks, stairs, etc. Several quantitative accessibility indicators are provided and displayed in a digital atlas.

The resulting accessibility gaps regarding intra-urban mobility to a selected set of Points of Interest in Strasbourg will be analyzed. Furthermore, the virtues, challenges, and limitations of this mixed-method approach in terms of data availability, context-sensitivity, representativeness, and justice perspectives will be discussed.

In recent years, a variety of intelligent transportation solutions have emerged, designed to address issues of social exclusion and transportation inequities. Notably, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) represents a promising platform within the realm of smart mobility, with the potential to engage a diverse range of user groups. However, much of the existing research on MaaS has not adequately compared the accessibility and affordability of next-generation transportation options across different groups facing mobility challenges. Of particular concern is the potential for MaaS to further marginalize persons with reduced mobility due to misperceptions about their unique attitudes and needs in transportation services. To address this critical issue that is often overlooked, this study leverages the concept of "transport poverty" and employs questionnaires alongside open-access data to quantitatively evaluate the accessibility and affordability of smart transportation options for individuals with limited mobility in Tokyo and Osaka. The study commences by categorizing various types and levels of individuals with reduced mobility and evaluating their willingness to engage with the information, vehicles, payment systems, and related services of MaaS. Subsequently, it analyzes the impact of MaaS on users’ travel patterns and assess the changes in transport poverty levels experienced by users after using with MaaS. Ultimately, the study investigates the relationship between transport poverty and geographical location. By mapping the spatial distribution of respondents alongside their mobility patterns, this study elucidates the spatial characteristics of transport poverty among individuals with mobility challenges. In contrast to Europe, Japan has not yet undertaken much research on the travel patterns of vulnerable groups within the framework of emerging transport models. Consequently, this study aims to serve as a valuable reference for enhancing the understanding of travel behaviors among individuals with diverse mobility challenges and their experiences of transport poverty in future Asian cities.

The design of a public transport (PT) networks - e.g. long routes from one city edge to another city vs. short routes from the city edge to a trunk line - influences whether PT users would experience direct or indirect routing (i.e. without/with transfer(s), respectively). Transfers can add time to journeys. They are also known to be painful to a certain extent, depending on the concrete conditions (e.g. stop design, horizontal and vertical distance between stops, PT frequency, etc.) and the characteristics of travellers (age, physical condition, etc.). In other words, transfers induce "disutility", which can be estimated (typically through revealed or stated preferences) and ultimately translated into so-called perceived travel time (as opposed to real or theoretical travel time). It is also known that of all the barriers that prevent disabled people from using public transport, transfers are key, as they cause even more inconvenience and create more risks of not being able to board or disembark. The design of PT networks is thus far from neutral for PT users.

In this context, this research proposes an investigation using Brussels as a case study. PT routes will be estimated between 724 districts to about 20 points of interest spread over the city. This will be done thanks to 5R software fed by GTFS files (PT network and timetables) and OpenStreetMap for walking in public spaces. The estimated itineraries will make it possible to correlate travel time with the number of transfers. Travel times will then be analysed from three perspectives:

1) Real or theoretical travel times

2) Perceived travel times (based on parameters provided by the regional administration)

3) Extrapolation of perceived travel times to disabled people with physical impairments (through interviews with their representatives).

When analysing disabled mobilities, a central focus is given to the lack of accessibility of the built environment, as with unavoidable stairs or wide open spaces with no tactile markings on the floor. This allows one to look at the missing, inaccessible or unreachable parts of the network, and is applicable whether one considers public transportation systems or road networks. Often enough, this reveals a large difference between disabled and abled mobilities, but this analysis can be pushed much further. Indeed, a central although discreet aspect of many such network are their redundancies (or fault-tolerance). Construction work on a single metro line in a major city disturbs mobilities but does not prevent them altogether, nor does a crowd in any given street fully prevent pedestrian flow around it. Following Kaufmann's interpretation of motility, it seems instead that many users have a level of competence which allows them to compensate for unforeseen obstacles and detours to reach their destination.

For disabled users, the situation is quite different, as the set of potential obstacles which can impede circulation increases, varying with the specific impairments. We propose here to look at how both the real fragility of the network and the perception of said fragility can affect the disabled users' competence. First, users need an additonal form of competence, corresponding to the need to navigate not only the transport network but also the assistance services. This includes both competence in getting needed usual assistance, knowledge of backup systems, and potentially familiarity with the corresponding policing of disabled bodies. Second, the increased risks and costs reduce the extent to which users can safely explore the network, which limits competence building. Finally, the more fragile a network is, the more knowledge is required to safely traverse it, which means that the required level of competence increases.

Marseilles’ central districts, where a number of working-class neighbourhoods persist, are grappling with multiple dynamics. Analysis of socio-spatial evolutions in these neighbourhoods show « simultaneous processes of gentrification and impoverishment » (Baby-Collin and Bouillon, 2017). The private housing stock which is predominant in this area, is faced with major deterioration issues, it is also subject to transformations as new investment strategies emerge. Drawing from a thesis low-end of rental market dynamics in Marseille’s central neighbourhoods (2018-2024), prolonged by a collective research project on the adaptation of the historic housing stock to climate change (Sustherit - 2024-2027), this intervention aims to examine the interplay between spatial transformations and how local stakeholders value ordinary urban heritage. The presentation is based on a qualitative survey of landlords, real estate agents and local public players, as well as an on an in-depth analysis of local urban projects and planning documents.

The paper will first focus on investment strategies in low-end segments of the private rental market, to show how several forms of rent extraction may co-exist in these neighbourhoods. Perception of urban heritage is one element which can shape private player’s investment strategies, especially in gentrifying neighbourhoods.

The second part of the paper will look at the role of public authorities. Since 2018 and the collapse of two buildings in the Noailles district, run-down housing has been back on the public agenda in the historic center. Prioritization of security issues has sometimes led to demolitions, but public action is steered towards retrofitting the historic housing stock. Renovations rely on, a public development company of national interest (SPLA-IN), which aims to provide an exemplary retrofitting model with careful consideration to environmental quality and heritage preservations. Costly for public authorities, this model cannot be replicated indefinitely. Outside of this scope of action, ordinary heritage is sometimes threatened of demolition when local authorities prioritize densification, real estate developments or transport infrastructure. This analysis will allow us to question which heritage is recognized and how public players' interest in ordinary heritage is also linked to spatial transformations.

The transformation of historic housing stock through private investments, developer-led interventions, and individual renovations presents a complex challenge to urban heritage preservation. As historic housing increasingly becomes an asset within global real estate markets, the traditional balance between preservation policies, local governance, and market dynamics is shifting. This is particularly evident in non-listed ordinary heritage—residential buildings that are culturally significant but lack formal heritage protection—where multiple actors play an increasingly dominant role in shaping transformation processes. In response to these challenges, new frameworks that integrate decarbonization strategies with heritage-sensitive renovation are necessary to address the socio-political, economic, and
environmental tensions emerging from these interventions.

This contribution presents the DeCO2 project, an EU-funded initiative aimed at developing dynamic decarbonization pathways for sustainable renovation in the built environment. The project’s social innovation as a Living Lab approach is exemplified at Terrassenhaussiedlung in Graz, Austria, a modernist housing estate that represents an important yet unofficially recognized segment of ordinary heritage. Here, participatory co-design processes engage residents, policymakers, and technical experts in developing energy-efficient renovations while preserving the estate’s architectural and social character. The approach integrates technological innovations such as energy monitoring systems and circular material use with social and policy-driven mechanisms that accommodate resident-led initiatives, investments, and regulatory flexibility. This contribution critically examines how community-driven, scalable, and transferable renovation strategies can reconcile the tensions between
sustainability goals, local identity, and the evolving dynamics of historic housing markets. It reflects on how market-driven transformations intersect with ordinary heritage conservation, highlighting the potential of the Living Lab methodology to mediate between economic pressures and cultural continuity. Through empirical insights from Terrassenhaussiedlung, this study contributes to the broader debate on heritage transformation, socio-technical innovation, and urban policy, offering a model for integrating preservation and sustainability in the evolving governance of historic residential environments.

The founder´s period, or the Gründerzeit (GHS) has been a period of historical significance in Vienna and Budapest, both formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The area of both metropolises grew due to city expansions beyond the Medieval walls, accompanied by river regulation (Vadas, 2005a; Vadas 2005b), and other large-scale infrastructure projects (Csendes, 2005a; Csendes, 2005b; Hárs et. al., 2016), as well as residential development (Körner, 2010; Psenner, 2023). This resulted in a building stock with many comparable features, such as the Historicism architectural style, the organization in blocks with perimeter construction and inner courtyards, placed in regular grid street structures and many other aspects (Melinz & Zimmermann, 1966; Lélek, 2019; Psenner, 2023). The historical buildings stock is still represented in both cities, shaping their urban landscapes both in a physical form (Vienna 20%, Budapest 16% built before 1919) and as representation of cultural values (Hárs et. al., 2016; Peer & Psenner, 2024). However, recent socio-political processes originating from different political systems and regimes of the 20th century have affected these buildings. In Budapest, the process of privatisation has become a strong driving force behind transformation after the system change in 1989 and led to a high proportion of private and low proportion of municipal dwelling ownership (Cséfalvay & Rohn, 1992; Lichtenberger 1994). Although the ownership structure has also been changing in Vienna, it resulted from the circumstances given by legal instruments in a welfare state (Lichtenberger, 1990). The legal conversion (“Parifizierung”) of tenement buildings shifted individual or shared building ownership to the ownership of dwellings and the proportional shares of common areas according to federal state-wide regulations1. As local and international financial institutions started to see investment opportunities in this historical housing after the year 2000, their intervention through commodification have started to shape this historical building stock in favourable locations, either by demolition and new construction, or by rooftop extension and renovation (Musil et. al., 2021). In our research project TransHerit, one of the scopes of the research is to investigate and compare how financialization processes, housing regulation and preservation, as well as market dynamic of GHS in Vienna and Budapest have transformed the tangible preservation of this historic housing stock. In the scope of this session, we would like to present our preliminary findings and shed light on what this could mean in term of heritage regime.

The reuse of buildings offers substantial environmental, economic, and social benefits, presenting a sustainable alternative to new construction and urban sprawl. However, the multidisciplinary nature of building reuse, especially in historic residential buildings, involves diverse stakeholders with often conflicting interests, such as heritage preservation, financial viability, and environmental efficiency. These complexities pose significant challenges.

This study aims to identify and classify the challenges associated with the reuse of residential buildings from a multidisciplinary perspective. It also explores the relationships between these challenges and their occurrence at various scales, addressing the core research question: What are the key challenges and conflicts of interest that hinder decision-making in the reuse of residential buildings?

Through a semi-systematic literature review combined with thematic analysis, the study identifies 75 sub-challenges categorized into 10 overarching themes: : (1) economic viability and financial challenges, (2) building conditions, (3) design-technical challenges, (4) location challenges, (5) decision making, (6) policy and regulations, (7) knowledge, capacity, and skills, (8) culture, perception, and awareness, (9) surrounding community, and (10) timeline. The findings highlight strong interconnections among these themes, with financial viability emerging as a critical influence on many other aspects.

Existing research on building reuse often adopts a narrow disciplinary focus, lacks a holistic multidisciplinary perspective, and overlooks the interplay between different challenges, particularly in residential buildings. This study addresses these gaps by providing a conceptual framework that categorizes the challenges of residential building reuse across multiple disciplines. By categorizing these challenges, the conceptual framework serves as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and educators in understanding the complexities of building reuse. In addition, it can be utilized to further develop strategies, policies, and decision-support tools to effectively address these challenges.

Gamification is an engaging strategy that can motivate people to take action. A well-designed approach can transform any non-game activity into a playful and engaging experience. Due to its numerous benefits, gamification has been widely applied across various fields, from education to industry.

In recent years, several initiatives have explored gamification as a means to promote sustainable mobility (e.g., walking, cycling). These campaigns often leverage mobile apps, as smartphones are ideal for collecting georeferenced data. However, despite initial success, user engagement tends to decline over time, as gamification is typically focused on increasing extrinsic motivation through rewards, discounts, points, and similar incentives.

Building on this concept, we aim to take a step further by investigating how gamification can foster eco-tourism, transforming the in the nature experience into an interactive and playful journey. Specifically, our goal is to design a mobile app that encourages people to explore natural parks while simultaneously contributing to citizen science. Through this app, people can explore the territory and collect environmental data while enhancing their awareness of local biodiversity and its territory.

As a case study, we are focusing on the Po Delta Park, one of the most important wetlands in Europe and the largest in Italy. This vast ecosystem spans 64,000 hectares across two regions and hosts an extraordinary diversity of life, including over 400 animal species and nearly 1,000 plant species. Within this rich natural context, we are designing a mobile app that can be used exclusively while exploring the park. The app will provide real-time, location-based information on local biodiversity. While navigating the park, users will also be prompted to take pictures of flora and fauna, contributing to a shared gallery, evnetually accessible to both other participants and scientists. This feature will enable users to build a personal collection, unlocking different species and accessing augmented reality representations and informative content about each natural element.

By doing so, we aim to enhance awareness of local biodiversity and its vital role in our lives while offering an engaging and interactive way to explore natural environments and territories, levering on intrinsic motivation.

Shanxi, one of China's most important Buddhist cultural tourism destinations, has faced sustainable development challenges in recent years due to over-commercialisation and the limitations of traditional tourism models. Conventional spatial experiences tend to be static and fail to effectively attract visitors who lack a deep connection to religion or culture.

The launch of the Black Myth: Wukong video game has breathed new life into cultural tourism in Shanxi through gamification. This video game - which integrates up to 27 Buddhist cultural heritage sites in Shanxi into a highly interactive digital narrative - topped the global charts on the day of its release and was awarded the prestigious ‘Best Action Game’ award at The Game Awards 2024. Gamification, by merging the virtual with the real, has strengthened the emotional connection with young and low religious audiences through interactive experiences. This phenomenon has had a direct impact on tourism: visits to iconic sites such as the Mahavira Hall of Xiaoxitian increased by 326% year-on-year on the first day of the 2024 Chinese Moon Festival holiday. The innovative combination of tangible heritage and immersive digital realities has redefined the way people experience culture and transformed the global perception of Shanxi's cultural space.

This study, based on the analysis of tourist visitation in the destination of Shanxi and visitors' ratings on social networks, aims to show how digital innovation and gamified platforms transform static cultural spaces into dynamic and multidimensional environments, breaking down traditional geographical boundaries. In the field of tourism promotion, this transformation boosts the dissemination of thematic tourism routes, enhances the international visibility of destinations, reinforces the global recognition of cultural heritage and is an exponent of the enormous potential of digital innovation to redefine new ways of conceptualising space in the future.

The concept of gamification is a new form of growth for various sectors of activity by introducing game design elements to create maximum involvement of the practitioner in the proposed activity. Tourism induced by video games represents a new form of tourism that is emerging as an opportunity for economic development. Due to its particular characteristics, the tourism induced by video games stands out as an attractive form and related to a special category of tourists, namely those who are part of the video-gaming industry. The purpose of the study is focused on the identification of the industries with applied elements of the concept of gamification. The authors pay particular attention to the identification and analysis of Romania's tourist attractiveness elements, within some games with references to the Romanian territory, based on a comparison between the frames presented in the game and frames from reality. At the same time, the development of the study also included the analysis of the evolution of tourism induced by video games by consulting the specialized literature. The main results of the study were highlighted by the identification of multiple assets of cultural identity and locations related to Romania within the videos games, thus shaping an innovative touristic image. In addition, the promotion of these elements of cultural identity through video games is a potential effect that can stimulate tourist motivation and the gamification process can bring new benefits and opportunities to the hospitality industry.

Older women experience homelessness as an intersection of gender, age, worsening physical (and sometimes mental) health, and precarious living conditions. They age in unsuitable, insecure flats, dormitories or shelters, that are often not prepared to meet their needs. With regard to critical gerontological theories the concept of everyday politics (Beveridge, Koch 2019) has the potential to expand the understanding of home as a set of practices by which people "do" home, and the existence of the political "selves” (de Certeau 1984) of older women in inadequate housing. It has the potential to be emancipatory and look critically at the social construction of marginalized people as passive and older people as weak, dependent, or pitiful, without denying the structural factors defining the objective conditions of their life situations.

In this context, we ask how home-making or un-making (Vandenbeld Giles, 2020) is done in these “unhomey” places? The daily lives of older homeless women involve constantly negotiating and creating strategies not only for survival but for fulfilled life. They stand for themselves against strangers, weather, socio-economic and housing realities, amidst the complex challenges of ageing. Their living on the streets or in precarious housing is an extreme form of resistance – they resist ageing in places they don’t want to, and they resist death, even if this is what one would expect amidst lack of public and state attention on their condition. Thus, this contribution uses the lens of the concept of ‘everyday politics’ to show how everyday political acts may (re)construct or de-construct sense of home, as essential constant of life, for them. Through ethnographic research and photography methods in Brno and Prague with older women experiencing different forms of precarious housing, this work will reveal the different ways in which sense of home and community is created in different spaces by older women experiencing precarious housing condition.

Understanding the meaning of home and nature of home-making for a specific group of older women, their connection to places, and the nuanced differences between a home and housing is crucial for developing effective social and housing policies in times of worsening housing crises.

Regional aspects of the healthcare system for people experiencing homelessness in Hungary

The overall health of people experiencing homelessness is significantly influenced by the quality of the healthcare they receive (Bedmar et al., 2022; (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2022)). The way they are treated, the conditions under which they receive care, where they are provided services, and their access to healthcare are all crucial factors. The organization of healthcare systems often makes it more challenging for people experiencing homelessness to receive adequate care. At the same time, serving people experiencing homelessness may also complicate the healthcare process and may require substantial resources from the healthcare system. My research focuses on the spatial analysis of two key issues: (1) exploring and examining the territorial aspects of healthcare for people experiencing homelessness in Hungary within a Central European context, by studying both the healthcare system’s geographical layout and the health conditions of homeless individuals; (2) understanding how healthcare of people experiencing homelessness in Hungary changed during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to any typical periods in the recent past.

The research applies a mixed-methods approach, combining the analysis of national quantitative territorial statistics from the National Health Insurance Fund Management with an overview of current Central European literature. It also examines qualitative data from interviews conducted in the course of 2023 and 2024 with seven experts and six homeless individuals. The quantitative data primarily concerns individuals registered as homeless between 2015 and 2021, who were legally entitled to access healthcare services for six months based on the certification of their homeless status.

The study emphasizes that a considerable number of homeless individuals struggle with a range of serious and convoluted health conditions, which may be linked to significant trauma, severe mental health issues, a number of untreated illnesses, substance abuse, or a lack of family and social support. Whereas the healthcare system available to people experiencing homelessness is very complex, over the last three decades, some central European countries, including Hungary has developed a 'segregated' healthcare system for homeless people. The presentation will delve into the empirical evidence of the linkages of ill health and regional inequalities of services among people experiencing homelessness that suggests that such a service delivery has limited success in supporting recovery and reintegration into society for people experiencing homelessness.

Bedmar, M. A., Bennasar-Veny, M., Artigas-Lelong, B., Salvà-Mut, F., Pou, J., Capitán-Moyano, L., García-Toro, M., & Yáñez, A. M. (2022). Health and access to healthcare in homeless people: Protocol for a mixed-methods study. Medicine (Baltimore), 101(7), e28816. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000028816

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2022, March 16). Integrated health and social care for people experiencing homelessness (NICE Guideline No. 214). Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK579613/

Previous research on pathways of homelessness has addressed the multifaceted nature of housing transitions for persons without stable housing solutions. This body of researchfocuses on people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and the interaction of life-events, housing conditions, and triggers of homelessness that shape individual housing pathways. However, long-term perspectives that span the lifetime of PEH and analyze (housing) transitions into, during and back out of homelessness seem scarce. To address this research gap, we conducted 20 biographical interviews with persons who have experienced homelessness during their lifetime and are currently living in Vienna. Based on five causal dimensions of homelessness, we (re-)constructed individual pathways of homelessness as a succession of different forms of housing according to the ETHOS Light typology. Consequently, we analyzed transitions into homelessness, pathways through phases of homelessness and transitions into stable housing solutions. A special focus has been put on the crucial role of social service institutions in Vienna and their support of housing transitions and the stabilization of housing pathways.

From our results we distinguished different patterns of pathways expressed in the succession of different types of housing according to ETHOS Light. We broadly defined three groups of pathways of persons who experienced homelessness as transitional, episodic or chronic phenomena. These three groups differed in the overall duration of phases of homelessness, the number of transitions between types of homelessness according to ETHOS Light, the interplay of causal dimensions of homelessness, and people’s ability to use scarce resources to stabilize their overall housing situation. Especially, people in each of the groups made use of the network of social services differently to navigate personal housing pathways and enable transitions out of homelessness. Finally, our results highlight the role of the social services network in stabilizing housing pathways and in charting ways out of homelessness. Also, wediscuss the role of Housing First programs for providing housing perspectives for PEH andfor creating a long-term solution to the stabilization of complex pathways of homelessness.

Digital technologies play a relevant role in the emergence of new forms of economies, living and collective actions in rural and mountain areas, although challenges differ to those encountered in urban settings. This contribution concern the domain of digital social innovation and local development processes in the framework of smart villages or smart rural strategies (Sept, 2020; Zerrer and Sept, 2020). Here digital technologies are expected to enable innovation that tackle problems such as the depopulation and discontinuities in the delivery of public services, and to valorize resources such as new forms of repopulation (Johnson and Vlachokyriakos, 2024) or the emergence of social entrepreneurship in “left behind places”.

Namely, we focus on the potentials and challenges of blockchain technology as an enabler of social innovation and of new social economies in mountain areas.

Blockchain technology raises interest in the field of social and community-based economies, since it allows to tokenize (i.e. to represent in a digital form) different types of asset of values (not only monetary); to safely transfer them even in the absence of intermediaries; and to automatize value transactions (Gloerich et al., 2020; Domenicale et al., 2024). As such, how can local tourism systems, community hubs, community cooperatives benefit from tokenized economies? Can tokenized incentives contribute to encouraging newcomers to collaborate in new economies in mountain communities?

This contribution explores how blockchain based applications are being introduced in local development and social innovation process in mountain areas in Italy. On one side, it analyses how this technology is proposed in local development strategies around the concept of “smart villages”, developed by public institutions and technology experts (Cristoforetti G., 2024). On the other hand, it focuses on an experimental project on a blockchain-based application designed for civic participation and social economies (Viano et al., 2023), presenting initial findings from the co-design of this digital platform done by the authors with local actors (municipalities, local development agencies, social entrepreneurs) in the Piedmont region.

Contemporary frameworks such as the Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Plantationocene, and Chthulucene highlight how power imbalances and systemic domination have shaped Earth's habitability. Ecological, economic, and social crises have drawn scholarly attention to the margins, where the remnants of these systems manifest most vividly. This research explores "ruined" alpine areas, borrowing Anna Tsing's terminology to describe socio-ecosystemic contexts that have lost diversity due to impoverishment and unchecked proliferation, often favoring some groups at the expense of others.

Focusing on the small town of Bormio and its mountain huts in the Alta Valtellina region, this contribution aims to explore the phenomenon of alpine gentrification as conceptualized by scholars like Boscoboinik and Cretton. This analytical framework reveals the intersectional dimensions of mountain lifestyle mobilities, emphasizing how processes of discrimination and exploitation transform these areas. The present contribution aims to transcend the current polarized discourse of old versus new inhabitants. It offers a nuanced perspective on inhabitation in mountain territories, investigating how gentrification has reshaped the rural dimension of this place and its surroundings. It also critically examines the "waste" of these processes, identifying spaces where diverse actors co-exist through shared practices of mutual responsibility and care, transcending self-sufficiency and domination.

The theoretical framework is grounded in materiality through Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a methodological lens, investigating the diverse political ecologies and everyday practices of inhabitation within the case study's territory. Moreover, ethnographic research and participant observation form the basis of an immersive exploration of the area, drawing on Nigel Thrift’s "non-representational approaches" and Guy Debord’s practice of "drifting." Additionally, semi-structured interviews and performative cartographies map possible alternative forms of inhabitation and critically analyze gentrification’s impacts.

Ultimately, the research reimagines the mountain not as a passive object of study but as an active subjectivity—a dynamic space of habitability. The intent is to "repair it" from narratives that envision a future of ruin for it or, in the case of alpine gentrification, foresee the ruin of its future through projections of worlds shaped by dominant needs and ideas and by identifying the emerging alternative forms of inhabiting a place.

In recent years, the international debate—both scientific and political—on Alpine Mountain regions has gained renewed prominence. Spurred by emerging challenges such as depopulation, aging populations, and land abandonment, interdisciplinary exchanges and research efforts have sought to uncover new opportunities for mountainous areas. Along the way, many interpretative frameworks have been distilled into shared keywords, resulting in hybrid slogans that shift from analytical tools to overused semantic fields (e.g., “inner areas,” “high-lands”). This evolution has often diluted the original interpretative power of these concepts, reducing them to stereotypes devoid of substantive meaning.

This contribution aims to challenge the conventional notion of mountain territorialization, which is typically organized around valleys, by instead reviving the concept of the massif (Burini, Ferlinghetti, Ghisalberti, 2023; Ferlinghetti, 2024; Adobati et al., 2025). The massif framework better captures the geohistorical and territorial logics of anthropization in the Alpine and Prealpine regions of Lombardy, which are profoundly influenced by megalopolitan dynamics (Turri, 2000) emanating from the Po Valley and, particularly, the foothill plateau. This perspective allows for a more nuanced understanding of the complexity and potential of mountain areas. These contexts are multifaceted, rugged, diverse, and heavily anthropized territories that are deeply connected to global networks of capital flows, value extraction, and settlement dynamics in adjacent regions.

Analyzed through the lens of the massif, mountain environments reveal distinct settlement patterns: congested valley floors, often structured as linear cities, and the mid-to-upper slopes and valley heads, which are increasingly shaped by abandonment and rewilding. The massif perspective provides a framework for reimagining strategies to revitalize slopes, fostering inter-valley networks, and addressing intra-valley imbalances from the ground (Ash and Lancione, 2022), oriented to transition experiments in the fields of architecture, urban and landscape design, and policies development.

The study focuses on the Seriana Valley in the province of Bergamo (Lombardy, Italy), serving as a key case study. It forms part of the PRIN 2022 research project, “Governance for mountain reticularity: co-design and activation of a ‘contratto d’abitare’ for the territorial regeneration of the Seriana Valley”, coordinated by the University of Bergamo, with the authors as members of the research team.

Since the 1990s, Croatia’s public sector has played a significantly reduced direct role in housing provision. However, public policies continue to influence housing provision indirectly, operating within broader post-socialist welfare regimes. Permissive land use and development policies reflect a housing system which evolved to ensure broad homeownership based on small-scale housing provision. This paper argues that spatial governance and planning practices in Croatia serve as tools to maintain a steady supply of construction land, aimed at making homeownership affordable. While these practices offer some security in the context of diminished welfare systems, they also perpetuate inequalities and contribute to urban sprawl.

The relationship between housing systems and urban development patterns in Croatia remains understudied. This paper examines how contemporary Croatian spatial planning practices align with the broader housing system, situating these practices within housing regime theory. Croatia’s current small-scale housing provision patterns are framed as a path-dependent continuation of the socialist-era system, in which informal and formal small-scale construction existed alongside large-scale public housing. When publicly led housing provision ceased in the 1990s, small-scale provision became dominant, further stimulated by the emergence of homeownership as the only viable tenure type for households following the “giveaway privatization” of housing.

Croatia’s land use policies have evolved to support this model, stimulating individual and small-scale housing construction through generous zoning of greenfield sites and the absence of public land value capture mechanisms. Such urbanization models, however, are increasingly seen as unsustainable, contributing to land take, car-dependency and unserviceable infrastructure costs.

This paper assesses the potential impacts of evolving national and EU policies in the fields of sustainable land use, housing and environmental protection on the Croatian housing system, highlighting the difficult trade-off between the objectives of affordability and other sustainability criteria. We argue that the understanding of urbanization within the broader framework of housing systems and welfare regimes is necessary for the success of the objectives of sustainable urbanization, as the tools required for their achievement, such as stricter zoning and greater public land value capture, would entail a significant transformation of institutional arrangements between the state, market and civil society.

In post-socialist Serbia, the commodification of housing has perceptibly affected standards in residential urban planning and design, which are increasingly subordinated to profit interests. In the context of the current challenges of residential intensification and urban sprawl in the capital city, one of the key urban issues is the quality of housing and its environment. This paper discusses the sustainability of new housing complexes in comparison to those built during the socialist period. As representative cases for comparative analysis, old and new neighborhoods in the Višnjička Banja settlement in Belgrade have been selected, namely the Višnjička Banja neighborhood from the 1970s-80s, and the Sunnyville neighborhood, the construction of which began in the late 2010s. Drawing on a conceptual framework of sustainable housing which integrates desirable socio-cultural, environmental and economic characteristics in this field, the study develops the Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment (NSA) tool, based on a literature review, previously established conceptual models and an empirical approach. The materials used in the research include original data and graphic documentation from the project authors’ publications, available planning and project documentation, open-source spatial data, and photo documentation from the field. This study questions whether the new, post-socialist practice of building residential settlements is oriented towards the goals and recommendations of sustainable housing, and whether it leads to an improvement or deterioration of housing conditions, compared to those fostered during the socialist period. The general research aim is to examine the prospects of current housing practices in Serbia, and highlight their long-term and irreversible effects on urban development and the quality of life of residents. Finally, by reaffirming thorough and comprehensive reflections on housing from the socialist period, in light of contemporary sustainability requirements, the authors indicate the need for improving the existing methodological frameworks in the domain of the urban planning and design of new residential developments in Serbia.

Vienna is considered one of the most livable and greenest cities in the world. With its long-standing social policy framework and highly regulated housing market, it is also a role model for a just city, in which social inequities are assumed to be marginal. However, recent research has revealed emerging gentrification processes in various neighborhoods across the city, including those surrounding the Augarten park.

The proposed presentation investigates the overlooked relationship between the Augarten – an important inner-city provider of ecosystem services – and the gentrification dynamics in its surrounding areas. By focusing on the supply-side perspectives of real estate agents and investors, this study addresses the following research questions:

RQ1: Which specific upgrading effects of the Augarten are perceived and marketed by supply-side actors, and what other factors may contribute to gentrification in the area?

RQ2: Which opportunities exist to increase and capitalize property value, despite the constraints imposed by a highly regulated housing market?

To explore these questions, a mixed methods approach was employed. First, a spatial analysis of 308 online real estate advertisements was conducted to assess the geographic scope of commercial marketing of the park. Advertisements explicitly mentioning the Augarten (n=128) were then subjected to an inductive content analysis, which included a rhetorical and target group analysis. In the final step, semi-structured interviews with seven estate agents provided fundamental insights into sales strategies and possible profit increases.

Results indicate that the Augarten plays an influential role on the supply side of the housing market. Proximity to the park is highly sought after, translating into location premiums between 10 and 27.5 percent. This makes the park a driver of local gentrification. Despite the limitations of Austrian tenancy law, which caps rents for properties built before 1945, such premiums are still capitalizable for newer properties. Legal conversions of historic tenement houses and rooftop extensions are popular means of enhancing property value in the study area. These practices effectively close ‘green gaps’ (rent gap theory), but also accelerate gentrification processes. A deeper understanding of the interplay between urban green spaces and gentrification in highly regulated housing markets is needed.

While in Hungary the proportion of private rental housing have been growing rapidly since the aftermath of the 2008 mortgage crisis, rental housing is still unwanted and considered only a temporary solution according to our surveys and interviews. Even if the generation under 35 has seriously decreased chances of homeownership compared to older cohorts.

The current situation is an effect of historical experiences: the socialist housing policy (with 60% self-built private housing and notorious lack of maintenance in the public sector), privatisation in the post-socialist transformation (for low prices to sitting tenants, creating the superhomeownership housing system and completely residualizing renting, lacking adequate institutions), the age of cheap mortgages and the 2008 mortgage crisis, and the illiberal system with politically created dependencies from power (as for example the traditionalist, pronatalist family policy framework perversely supporting mortgages of the better off in the future decades).

All these factors combined, made renting extremely stressful in Hungary. Landlords, are often cash poor, lack knowledge and resources to deal with the risks of property management, and only sporadically pay taxes, while tenants are experiencing complete insecurity, lack of privacy and exploitation, as our interviews illustrate that.

Consequently, many apartments are simply left empty: instead of rental income capital gains are expected in a speculative spiral. A large part of the rental contracts is still made between previously related sides (family members, acquaintances), causing informal dependence and even more bitter conflicts. Therefore, some interviewees would even prefer impersonal relations as in the case of banks before 2008. However, corporate landlords are absent due to the large scale of informality and political risks. As being a tenant for life is still considered inacceptable, tenant and housing movements are also missing. Inequalities depend now more on family wealth than before, and social relations are becoming increasingly closed.

We start with the negative assumptions. What is not the circular migration both the event and the system? First, it is not a labour rotation system. Second, it is not a guest worker (temporary labour migration) scheme. What is the circular migration? It would at least be a third migratory step between two countries as an event.

Large scale consensus has been existing for more data production on the circulatory movements in the literature. There is no preference for information sources. We can state that the three possible perspectives (inward, outward, hybrid) of the exploration of international circular migration are equivalent each other from general methodological point of views. Two sorts of human circulation systems exist: homogenous and heterogenous. The periodicity of individual’s moves differs from each other in the heterogenous system. This leads us to the complex systems of mobilities where from tourism via commuting to migration a lot of kinds of human spatial mobilities connect one another within an individual’ s mobility history. In general the creation of new personal categories of spatial mobilities lag behind the highly changing socio-spatial reality This is, why, we propose a new (legal) status of mobile people, circulator. We hope that the new status imagined will be not a simple extension of the lexicon of circular migration in the context of growing xenofobic attitude and rhetoric in receiving countries if we utilize inward perspective on the homogenous quantitative data from administrative sources.

It seems to me that the creation of general and particular circulator statuses is a classical multidisciplinary and multisectoral challenge (see the row for instance: first time immigrant, first time emigrant, return immigrant /circulator/ from inward perspective). However, the potential legal status of international circulator could be situated somewhere between temporary immigrants and quasi-citizens from the angle of nations and/or integrations.

This study examines the role of multi-level governance in the context of immigration and integration policies. It explores the functions of national and sub-national governments (provinces) in managing migration and integration of immigrants, with a focus on Austria as one of the European host countries. Austria has been involved in international migration in many ways for over a century. Today 12.5% of the population have foreign nationality and almost 20% have a migration background.

The countries of Europe face different migratory challenges. Previous research has shown that migration is one of the main factors that shape and accelerate the development of urban areas. On the other hand, increased mobility has negative effects as well. Some countries pursue restrictive strategies while others allow easier access to labour markets and social systems. In general, the effective integration of immigrants is one of the key factors for progress in European convergence. The elements of the European migration policy aim to harmonise legislation and management tools and maximise the positive impact of migration flows while at the same time finding solutions to the related problems. A cross-country comparison demonstrates that these instruments and solutions still differ: There are European countries that have restrictive policies, while others are open to multiculturalism and facilitate access to equal rights, including political and social entitlements. An analysis of the strategies of the traditional host countries reveals a number of factors underlying the differences in the immigrant integration and labour market performance in these countries. Although regional differences and local responsibilities have become particularly important in recent decades, the literature focuses primarily on the national level or on capitals. It is also about the inclusion of immigrants from different perspectives. This may be because naturalisation and immigration policies are always decided at the national level. However, policies at the local level have a more direct impact.

Discussions point out, that Austrian policy on settlement and naturalisation is one of the most restrictive in Europe and take only partly into account the integration performance of immigrants, their individual abilities and life circumstances. The sub-national authorities of Austria have, however, recognised the importance of the integration of immigrants. Various integration instruments have been developed – in Graz already from the appearance of the first guest workers. Only from the year 2000 can we speak of nationwide intensive integration efforts. The cooperative attitude of the provincial governments and the priority of information transfer among the actors has positive effects on the labour market and, as a consequence, on the social as well as the economic development of a region.

Based on secondary data research and analysis of concepts and other government documents, the first part of the study summarises the structure of modern migration movements into Austria with special reference to the provinces. The second part explains how the federal government and the provinces perceive and control immigration and shows interesting similarities and differences between and within the levels.

The human mobilities have a new dimension since Second World War. The new global economy, transnational companies exponentially growing the volume of transport, tourism and migration. These processes have a serious side effect on environment, natural resources. Economic crises, wars, climate change, depletion of resources and unlooked-for diseases for instance COVID-19 give some new challenges for Mankind.

First aim of this presentation is to provide a short general introduction into some consequences of increasing level of mobilities from sustainability point of. The natural and built environments have changed dramatically in the last 60-70 years. How can we tackle that in context global environmental problems? Which expectation has changed after latest world economic crisis, COVID-19 pandemic, and war conflicts in the context of repeat human mobilities? The role of mobilities is examined not only as the environmental questions but also economic, social, and political challenges. Although it is well known that if one of macro force changes it can modify other force. However, the complex outcome of changes is intrinsically unknown. Even though predictable future has more and more extremely importance from the global to the local levels. Outline of some scenarios for the next years are involved.

Second aim of this contribution is to discuss ‘the sustainable circular mobilities paradox’ in the context of mobility-stasis axes. This is a new idea. We are aware of its relatively harsh character. So we create an abstract proto-model for spatially visualisation. The deep disputes (dialogues) are needed in order to develop some sophisticated assumptions and answers. We hope the audience will form some reflections and critics about this potential paradox.

Following years of economic upheavals started in 2008 (great economic crisis) and 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic) plus 2022 (war in Ukraine) the European Union and its member states did not find reliable answers to some negative effects of downturns at different spatial levels. This was highly true in East part of Europe, in the ex-socialist countries. Regional differences increased at the expanse of rural areas all crisis times. The inefficient efforts to revitalize rural countryside echoes new solutions to be empirical and theoretical bases in the past and present days. The main aim of the presentation is to investigate on the necessary elements of employment sustainability for circular people in the light of three different sorts of crises. Based on an applied research series conducted 2012-2022, the previous publication of the research results and the relevant literature the authors synthetized a general model inspired by geographical spheres for practical use of stakeholders and policymakers at regional level. The parts of the model, the interrelations, the mechanisms, and the functions between the elements will be refined under the umbrella of potential economic downturn, nowadays. Our hypothesises and guesses erected mainly from Hungarian case studies articulated in the conference are highly disputable, and we would like to discuss them with the audience.

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

The circularity is a recurring pattern of spatial mobilities in consecutive time periods of human history starting repeat moves in ancient times through nomadism till present days (Petersen 1975; Manning, 2013). However, multiple residential movements from one home to another have become increasingly frequent during the epoch of globalisation. We launched into a fierce polemic against the narrow European conceptualisation on circular migration ahead. In this presentation we try to synthetize the characteristic differences between the recognition of circular migration as a system compared to an event (a type) in the most recent literature. From analytical and practical reasons, firstly, we argue for the conceptualization of system nature of multiple return migration, namely circular migration as a whole entity. Secondly, the last phase of any circular migration system can be recognised as a simple event of migratory process which could be typified as a part of the system. In other words, the individualised migrations by serial numbers could be classified by usual migration types. The last individual migration with serial number could be classified any migration types. But this is not valid for a whole circular migration system due to their potentially mixed motivational elements. Only the classification of last sequence of system has recent importance from practical purposes. For instance, the migrants’ actual legal status would be an example in the receiving country.

In general, two sorts of human circulation systems exist: homogenous and heterogenous. The periodicity of individuals’ moves differs from each other in the heterogenous system. This leads us to the complex systems of mobilities where from tourism via commuting to migration a lot of kinds of human spatial mobilities connect one another or happen/ work in parallel within an individual’ s mobility history during his/her lifetime. The homogenous human circulation system consists of the one kind of moves made by the same persons with similar time rhythm from statistical angles within stages of individuals’ life course. Based on the Hungarian and other research on homogenous system (Illés, Kincses 2012 2018; Illés 2015 2021; White 2013 2014; Weber, Saarela 2017 2019; Monti 2020), it seems to us that the practice of life-long international circular migration characterises few circulators. The emergence of circular migration is more frequent some life stages differentiated by age, previous migratory experience and next aspiration. We may hypothesise with high probability, that the same conclusion could be valid in homogenous circular system of tourists, commuters and temporary migrants. However, the heterogenous circular mobility system may function during whole individual life cycle due to one of the symptoms of human beings on move.

Migratory movements have become more fluid and dispersed nowadays with the increase of intensity rates in different societal strata (Górny 2017; Cohen 2018). Circular migration is only a fraction of territorial mobility systems. The closure of circular migration in temporary migration arena was a conceptual fault because its proponents overlooked permanent circular migration. The permanent migration had longer tempo than temporary one from the point of view of time order. The terms temporary and temporariness were blurred. (Skeldoon 2012). Moreover, practical disadvantages have developed from the simplified concept of circular migration. The rigid temporary frame of circulation attracted the shortcomings of guest worker schemes as the representation of international temporary migration (Doomernik 2013). So, the proponents were caught in one’s own trap. Scholars argued the antihumanitarian rotation system of labour based on temporary migration scheme (Standing 1984; Deshingkar 2008). In fact, circular and rotational systems are completely different from each other. The final unit of these two systems were the same: individual. However, the individuals are changed in the rotation cycle/system, but the same individual moves within circular cycle/system. In long-term, it is possible that a rotated individual may return to the receiving country, but she/he is treated as new immigrants before substitution with someone else, a human being, who must be exploited from the economic aim of productivity/efficiency. With the utilisation of rotation scheme new and newer workers could be employed and could be exploited without considering the interest of workers in order to maximize the employer’s financial profit (Standing 2014).

In order to avoid the shortcomings of guest worker and rotation systems a new legal status must be created and implemented at global, regional, national and local levels, namely circulator.

It is worth noting that the creation of new personal categories is lagging behind the present of highly changing socio-spatial reality This is, why, we propose a new legal status of mobile people, circulator. What is interesting here as a wide spectrum of challenges may be foreseen. Circulator as a natural person and circulation as an event-system like process could be recognized within lots of spatial mobility forms and large variety of defining areas, as well. The legal formalisation is the task of representants of law, undoubtfully. However, it would be useful to cooperate with other social sciences far from mentioning in this article. It engages with the issue of multilevel governance of migration, one of the global migration research agendas underlined by Anna Triandafyllidou and Alexandra Richard-Guay (2019).

One of Hägerstrand's main contributions to the study of daily activities was the development of a technique that allows for the three-dimensional representation of practices through space-time prisms (Hägerstrand, 1970). These prisms form the contexts in which individuals carry out their daily lives. The so-called Geographies of Everyday Life (GEL) constitute a widely explored field within the analysis of socio-spatial relations in urban spaces. Academically, this has been approached from four key perspectives: mobility, places, settings, and routines or patterns (Lindón, 2006). However, these analytical perspectives often overlook the meanings, motivations, and contexts underlying individual decisions regarding the potential range of available activities (Ellegård, 1999). In fact, Hägerstrand’s prisms have been criticized for their focus on observable events, neglecting the subjectivity of individuals, as well as their experiences and internal motivations, a limitation acknowledged by the author himself (Hägerstrand, 1978).

The aim of this presentation is to analyse the daily lives of 16 individuals with diverse profiles selected from extreme neighbourhoods in a medium-sized Spanish city (Lleida), neighbourhoods previously identified based on radically opposed socioeconomic characteristics (Bellet et al., 2024). The analysis is carried out through the construction of space-time prisms that incorporate contextual elements transcending traditional geographical analysis. These prisms are constructed using weekly GPS tracking, complemented by interviews conducted with the same individuals.

Thus, this study proposes moving beyond Hägerstrand’s original prism framework, exploring the possibility of integrating additional contexts that characterize everyday activities (Ellegård, 1999). Such contexts are essential to understand the processes of segregation and social exclusion that extend beyond the residential space (Bertrand & Chevalier, 1998). Through this methodological approach, the study seeks to illustrate, using space-time lines, a reflection on the shared urban spaces by the subject of study beyond their strict localization.

In an increasingly fragmented urban reality, do shared urban spaces exist that facilitate interaction between socially differentiated groups? Could such spaces become repositories of shared contexts?

Our long term project concentrate on local housing markets in Hungarian regional centres. As a part of this project we focused on the changing urban (and suburban) space of our cities and their functional urban areas. To deepen our knowledge in this area, we used the detailed dataset of National Census (2011, 2022) in the case of Szeged, to see, how the suburbanisation process is going on.

Comparing to other regional centres, in Szeged, the suburbanisation (as relative deconcentration of inhabitants, housing, urban activities, workplaces etc.) did not mean an emergence of small settlement inside the FUR of the city, but mostly a dynamic deconcentration process inside the administrative borders.

In a wider historical context, we identified symbolic ‘borders’ in the urban area and hot spots of social marginalisation (segregated zones) before the transformation (at the end of socialistic period till the end of the 1980s). We made data-analysis and case-study research in the related areas, concentrating the changing movement of symbolic borders.

The most important result were:

• the segregated zones were partly demolished, but relocated inside the continuous residential areas of the city.
• the symbolic borders were moving out comparing its former location (the “Dam”), eliminating the differences in lifestyle between traditional and new residential zones. The new border of marginalisation laying in between built up areas and scattered farmsteads and some of former gardening zones at 2022.
• The symbolic borders in the minds of local residents living much longer, than the data-analysis suggest, even in the case of local decision makers and professionals (developers, urbanists, housing market actors).

The processes of economic transformation are causing significant changes in the industrial structure - resulting in the decline and closure of numerous large workplaces. In the cities, hitherto developed based on industry, extensive zones of disused factories and devastated post-industrial buildings are emerging. In parallel, there are profound functional changes occurring in urban centres: a major increase in the significance of service functions is taking place, particularly in commerce, including large-scale retail.

The previous trend of urban population growth is turning into stagnation and permanent depopulation - zones of decapitalised and deprived housing are emerging in the Upper Silesian conurbation. Internal migration (local and regional) shifts the population of Upper Silesian urban centres into the surrounding and more remote, but attractive rural areas. The balance of external migration, with the largest metropolises in Poland and abroad, is also negative.

New housing is only being developed in selected parts of the most important urban centres, mostly in open areas previously used for agriculture, and more rarely on regenerated brownfield areas.

New economic ventures associated with the established Special Industrial Zone are located entirely in the outer zones of the conurbation's cities, using previously uninvested areas (so-called greenfields).

The revitalisation and development activities undertaken do not keep pace with the processes of decapitalisation of residential, service and industrial facilities. The process of local marginalisation of many parts of cities is progressing - as a result, symptoms of progressive fragmentation of the urban environment of the Upper Silesian conurbation are appearing.

The aim of the paper is to show that socio-economic and cultural phenomena combined with the process of marginalisation in local systems (in cities, urban agglomerations) result (among other things) in the fragmentation of urban spaces and the growing development problems of such urban centres. Overcoming the negative changes in the urban space structure of the urban centres of the Upper Silesian conurbation requires long-term external intervention combined with intensive public sector development and the introduction of new growth impulses.

In our presentation we intend to present some basic constitutive elements of geographical marginality concept and how it is similar and different from the concept of peripheral areas in the Center-Periphery model. As geographical marginnality is a result of marginalisation we intennd to describe some of the most important drivers of marginalisation wiith special focus on the marginalisation processes that are changing existing or new urban areas into areas marked with marginalised social groups and the kind of spatial transformation that the presence of predominantly marginalised population causes.

This study investigates how young adults' housing preferences are evolving in the context of smart city development and contemporary challenges in everyday life in the context of smart systems.Using survey data collected from students at HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), the University of the Built Environment and Metropolitan Development, this study investigates how perceptions of smart buildings and cities influence their housing decision-making processes. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining quantitative analysis of survey data with qualitative insights. The participants, HCU students, represent a key demographic whose views are critical to understanding the future of urban housing.

The findings indicate that students perceive smart buildings primarily in terms of their implications for sustainability and privacy. Many respondents emphasised the potential of smart buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, aligning with broader sustainability goals.

The paper concludes by discussing the implications for urban planning and design, particularly the need to consider the housing parameters of younger generations in shaping smart cities with a focus on architectural education. For architects and planners, this research underscores the importance of creating urban environments that balance technological advancements with social inclusivity and resilience. By exploring the intersection of innovation, personal preferences, and housing trends, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how smart cities can meet the needs of their future residents.

The outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transition (DT) altering conventional perspectives and conceptual frameworks on how we understand the residential mobility. New opportunities created by remote work and expansion of digital services reduce location-dependence (Milasi et al 2022) allowing new flows of residential mobility to more distant locations whereas new residential choices further reshape daily living arrangements and social interactions. Opportunities created by DT, however, influence more those who are exposed to the opportunity to work remotely – i.e. white-collar middle and higher income earners rather than blue-collar workers whose work is still more place-bound (Randall and Norlén 2022). The article looks at the suburban and outer-urban location choices by those households who are more affected by the DT in case of Tallinn, Estonia. Based on the qualitative research methodology the study aims to understand the context of digitalization and polycrisis on such residential relocations. The individual lifecourse events, transformed values and preferences are being investigated in order to understand how the residential decisions came about in specific time and spatial context, and how do other interventions – for example reorganization of work or change of attitudes by the employers - enabled households to opt for their new more distant locations. In other words, the systemic openings and aspects of socio-technological transformation brought by the DT are identified as regards to their influence on the level of individual households’ residential behaviour. Tallinn urban region is characterised by fast internet connections and overall highly advanced level of digitalization; the ICT sector is expanding fast, with increasing number of private and public e-service provision, contributing to the shift of activities to digital space.

Renovating the housing stock in the Netherlands is one of the main mitigation strategies of the Dutch government (EZK, 2016; Koninkrijksrelaties, 2022). However, renovations do not only change the house itself, they also impact how residents live in that house (Hellwig, 2019; Sunikka-Blank & Galvin, 2012; van den Brom et al., 2019). Renovations considered to be an impactful moment of change in the everyday life of residents. Before, during, and after the renovation, a residents’ relationship with home is renegotiated (Cook, 2021). In the process of renovations, residents (implicitly and explicitly) anticipate what the future of their everyday life looks like during and after the renovation, which impacts the process and outcome of the renovation itself (Cook, 2021). For tenants living in social housing, renovations add additional uncertainties, as they have less control over the renovation process and contents compared to home-owners.

The study shows diverging perceptions of futures of everyday life between professionals and residents, which can lead to injustices and potentially escalate conflict (van Uffelen, 2024). As shown in previous research it is the diverging and opposing expectations of the future around which justice claims can form (Haarbosch et al., 2021).Moreover, renovation processes can give rise to diverging (normative) justice claims in regards to what the renovation process and everyday life should look like (Breukers et al., 2017). Issues with the execution of policy instruments can potentially lead to a failure to deliver energy saving promises (Kaufmann et al., 2023; Sovacool, 2021).

This study explores the intersection of renovations, expected futures, and justice in the context of everyday practices of social housing tenants in the Netherlands. It maps residents’ and local professionals’ expectations of renovation processes, expected changes in energy practices, and analyses justice claims that arise before, during, and after a renovation. Through ethnographic methods, including engagement with living labs, ‘cultural probes’ (a creative method from design research), and focus groups, this study focuses on three renovation projects in two Dutch municipalities. Insights can be used to redesign renovation processes to take into account residents’ justice claims, and ways residents use and make futures in everyday life.

Urban renewal involves modifying building structures to meet evolving challenges and aspirations. These processes are shaped by diverse actors and interventions. A key challenge lies in identifying and analyzing these interventions and the underlying dwelling aspirations. The Soft Urban Renewal programme in Vienna, initiated in the 1970s, exemplifies a ‘gentle’ and participatory approach to modernizing historic neighborhoods. At the time, Vienna faced over 300,000 substandard flats lacking water or sanitary facilities, making urban renewal imperative. Civil society played a crucial role in shifting the program’s paradigm, advocating for cautious modernization and participatory processes instead of demolition.

One significant example is the “Planquadrat” documentary film, which featured resident interviews and brought their perspectives into public media discourse. This visibility influenced urban projects, such as transforming unused courtyards into collective gardens. Similarly, an interview series with 220 participants in the Ottakring pilot area showcased diverse aspirations, further shaping renewal strategies.

Today, urban renewal faces new challenges, including decarbonization and climate change mitigation. The “Soft Urban Renewal” research project examines these evolving processes through 16 biographical interviews with key pioneers and archival analyses. The study traces strategies and practices over decades, highlighting how participatory methods and local preferences shaped the modernization and adaptation of housing and public spaces.

These interviews reveal not only how structural challenges have evolved but also the diversity of residents' needs, wishes, and ideas about urban living. They also showcase the methodological approaches used to identify and incorporate these aspirations into urban planning. By examining the dynamic interplay of aspirations and interventions, the research underscores how participatory processes have historically influenced and continue to shape urban renewal strategies in Vienna.