Global heating is projected to threaten the livelihoods of billions of people within decades. Despite widespread expansion, renewable energies have not replaced fossil fuels but instead increased overall energy supply. Following a period of relative restraint, fossil capital is once again investing heavily in the renewal and expansion of fossil infrastructure. Executive boards of fossil fuel companies remain confident in the long-term profitability of these investments. Should stranded assets accumulate due to climate policies, the industry is poised to demand extensive compensation from governments and, therefore from the societies. For fossil fuel corporations, coal, oil, and gas reserves represent capital awaiting valorisation. Nearly all 700 major oil and gas companies continue to explore new reserves, while over 1,000 firms plan additional LNG terminals, pipelines, and gas-fired power plants.

This dynamic is reinforced by government policies in key capitalist states, creating what amounts to a fossil fuel backlash. The UN’s Production Gap Report forecasts increasing coal production until 2030 and rising oil and gas production until at least 2050 under current plans. Concurrently, the Emissions Gap Report predicts a global temperature increase of at least three degrees Celsius by 2100, casting doubt on the viability of a “green accumulation regime”.

Why has the socio-ecological transformation been blocked? This contribution examines the barriers on three interconnected economic levels: a) I analyze the investment strategies of leading oil and gas corporations, linking their profit expectations to the potential capital devaluation posed by a fossil fuel phase-out. b) I examine the role of institutional investors, who continue to place significant capital flows into the fossil sector. c) I highlight the structural persistence of fossil energy systems, driven by path dependencies in industrial infrastructure. Crucially, I argue that the social and political power dynamics in Europe and North America remain insufficient to enact consistent socio-ecological reforms and to overcome these barriers.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is increasingly featured in political strategies as a potential solution to mitigate industrial CO₂ emissions. In Germany, the national carbon management strategy positions CCS as a tool for decarbonizing industries and gas-fired power plants, aligning with climate neutrality goals by 2045. However, CCS’s energy intensity poses a significant challenge to the broader energy transition.

This study evaluates the energy demand of CCS in Germany in 2045, with a particular focus on its application in the power sector. Using a scenario-based model grounded in mixed-methods analysis, the research quantifies the energy implications of CCS under different deployment scenarios. Results reveal substantial variation in energy demand: from 9 TWh annually when CCS is strictly limited to the most unavoidable emissions using advanced technologies, to as much as 190 TWh in a business-as-usual scenario with extensive CCS deployment, including widespread use in power generation.

These findings highlight a critical tension between CCS and the energy transition. With a potential demand of up to 14% of Germany’s projected final energy consumption by 2045, extensive CCS usage could divert valuable renewable energy resources, delaying rapid decarbonization efforts. Consequently, CCS should not be treated as a backstop technology but as a complementary measure within a comprehensive and efficiency-oriented decarbonization strategy with particular attention to the spatial distribution of CO₂ sources, storage sites, and energy resources across Germany.

By analyzing the spatial, sectoral and systemic dynamics of CCS-related energy demand, this contribution scrutinizes the implications of relying on CCS as a cornerstone of climate policy. The findings challenge the assumption that technological fixes alone can drive a sustainable transition, emphasizing the need to confront structural contradictions in capitalist economies that prioritize growth over ecological limits. This critique offers valuable insights for policymakers and economic geographers addressing industrial transformation, resource allocation, and the tensions between economic imperatives and climate goals.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 reignited debates about Moscow's dominance in the global nuclear fuel market, prompting a range of fragmented securitization strategies across Europe and North America. Responses varied widely, from transitioning to non-Russian alternative suppliers and investing in domestic fuel production facilities to taking no action at all. These policies reflect parallels with past disruptions in gas exports, fueling concerns that the Kremlin might wield nuclear fuel trade as a tool of diplomatic coercion. But is this comparison justified? Are nuclear fuel markets politically comparable to fossil fuel markets, and could exporters exploit them coercively?

To address these questions, we examined the nuclear fuel supply of EU member states. Drawing on insights from critical geopolitics and critical security studies, we developed an analytical framework to identify the conditions under which nuclear fuel trade could be weaponized by exporting countries. Our study followed a two-step methodology. First, we conducted interviews with 11 key stakeholders in the nuclear supply chain from the UK, Sweden, and France to validate and refine our framework. Next, we applied this framework through 16 additional semi-structured interviews with political and administrative actors involved in policy formulation and by observing four international congresses on nuclear fuel supply.

Our findings indicate that, under current circumstances, the ability of exporters to weaponize nuclear fuel trade against Europe is limited but not negligible, presenting risks under specific conditions. First, diversification strategies have significantly reduced the vulnerability of most European countries to supply disruptions. Second, the physical and organizational flexibility of the enriched uranium trade constrains exporters’ leverage. Third, existing market overcapacity diminishes the potential threat. Finally, exporters’ lack of control over nuclear fuel transportation further restricts their ability to weaponize supply chains effectively.

Le territoire, lieu de diversités sociale, économique et morphologique, représente une opportunité pour la réflexion, l'action et même la capacité de faire évoluer ces derniers vers des pratiques dites inclusives. Cette constante nécessité de réinventer nos urbanismes vers des usages nouveaux est étroitement liée à la question de l’accessibilité territoriale, de la mobilité optimisée et des déplacements d’un point à un autre. Cette approche scientifique et cette posture philosophique humaniste nous incitent à élaborer une stratégie de connaissance indissociable de la volonté politique d’agir pour l’intérêt général des populations. La première pouvant fortement influencer la seconde.

La question centrale est donc celle de l'orientation à donner à cette stratégie de l’accessibilité, notamment en direction des populations fragilisées physiquement, psychologiquement, temporairement ou définitivement et dont la question de l’accès est conditionnée par les formes de l’urbanisme inclusives ou non. Doit-elle être tournée vers la mise en pratique d'un droit particulier, à savoir le droit aux espaces, aux lieux et aux pratiques spatiales ? Cette perspective devient alors une condition essentielle pour une prise en compte des droits humains et de la démocratie spatiale : le droit spatial à la citoyenneté ou encore le droit citoyen à la spatialité. Le territoire est complexe et souligne l'importance de la diversité spatiale et sociale dans sa construction, son évolution et la prise en compte de l’adéquation entre la demande des usagers et l’offre de la collectivité. Les paramètres variés du territoire, tels que la population, les infrastructures bâties et viaires, les modes de déplacement, ainsi que la gamme d'activités qu'il abrite, sont autant d'éléments qui contribuent à sa complexité tout autant que sa valeur culturelle et identitaire. Comment alors favoriser des politiques d’aménagement inclusives, et apporter aux collectivités, et à l'État les méthodes et les outils des principes de développement durable inclusif ?

Cette proposition d’intervention et d’article scientifique a pour objectif de présenter de nouveaux concepts et outils de diagnostics territoriaux expérimentés sur de multiples territoires français et étrangers (Ethiopie, Indonésie, Grande-Bretagne, Normandie/Hauts de France,…). Quelle méthode, quels résultats et quelles perspectives pour la mise en place progressive de politiques inclusives socialement et économiquement viables ?

This paper, Based on my PhD thesis findings, explores the complex nexus between physical and digital disablement and social research within the context of the majority world. As a visually disabled scholar and a screen reader user, I want to reflect on several methodological dilemmas faced during my experience in conducting qualitative empirical research with physically and visually disabled people living in the city of Marrakech. the focus is on the eventual impacts of these dilemmas on the credibility and reliability of the research findings as perceived by the academic community.

In the first part of the paper, I tackle institutional, physical and digital barriers that I have faced during data collection, transcription and processing. the second part of the paper shifts to a discussion of some methodological strategies that I have adopted during my fieldwork visits such as the personal assistant. These methodological readjustments raise serious challenges to the conventional views on the research reliability as seen by qualitative perspectives in medical sociology and anthropology.

In this paper, I will demonstrate that like other modes of production and consumption in the oppressive society, knowledge production seems to be largely disabling toward disabled researchers particularly those with visual impairment. Therefore, I call for the reappraisal of data collected and processed through non-visual sensory means. In so doing, I advocate for the development of more inclusive research methodologies that acknowledge diversity in the social-world views and interpretations of social processes and practices.

In preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, disability simulation experiences for children have become increasingly common, particularly in France and Switzerland. These initiatives aim to foster awareness by allowing children to temporarily experience various impairments. However, while widespread, these simulations have been criticized for failing to critically address the complexities of disability. Can one truly experience disability as one would experience drunkenness? Is it ethical for non-disabled children to engage in these simulations? Do they reinforce imposed identities on disabled individuals, or can they create a shared spatial regime that challenges ableism?

Research on disability simulation from an educational perspective has shown that such experiences often fail to be inclusively effective and can even produce negative outcomes, such as fear of contagion or rejection of a perceived limited life (Flower et al., 2007; Barney, 2012; Grayson & Marini, 1996; French, 1992). These simulations tend to simplify disability into physical challenges, overlooking the social and cultural dimensions. Additionally, the focus on accessibility, though successful, is often confined to a materialist approach, concentrating on "structures that generate oppression" (Priestley, 1998 in Escuriet, 2021), limiting the understanding of disability through these experiences.

My doctoral research addresses these limitations by applying a cultural geography framework to disability simulation. This communication explores how cultural geography can contribute to critical disability studies by focusing on how children embody disability experiences (Longhurst, 2000). It draws on the concepts of embodied experiences, sensory engagement, and relational spaces, aiming to reconceptualize disability simulations and deconstruct reductive representations. Sensory experience creates a triptych of meaning, emotions, and sensitivity (Manola, 2019), integrating multisensory experience, emotions, and sensitivity (Sgard, Ernwein, 2012), alongside a focus on the body.

This research challenges the notion of disability as a binary and emphasizes the importance of reducing the distance between 'Self' and 'Other,' moving away from the process of 'Othering' (Staszak, 2008). My methodology, framed within a more-than-representational approach, combines participant observation with the creation of animated films alongside children. This approach seeks to offer a deeper understanding of how disability simulations shape children’s representations of disability, fostering more critical and nuanced perspectives.

Starting from a new value system, in which the perceived quality of life is increasingly influenced by environmental factors in addition to economic ones, the contribution aims to understand how permanent migration and temporary movements are related to these factors in the contemporary Euro-Mediterranean space. Based on both theoretical considerations and empirical research, the first results of a survey carried out in the Italian Apennines are presented. Considering that "mobility involves a fragile entanglement of physical movement, representations and practices", we look for the manifestation of "constellations of mobility" as pervasive "patterns of movement, representations of movement and ways of practicing movement that make sense together" (Cresswell, 2010: 18).

The Euro-Mediterranean region has historically been characterised by migratory mobility, mainly from south to north, from small towns to large cities, from the interior to the coast, , and from the mountains to the plains. The question is whether the extensive mobility of people living in or coming from areas in demographic decline accelerates the loss of place-identity, or whether it encourages forms of place-attachment through multiple belonging that can represent added value in terms of social capital. We also ask whether this process may be a frictional element in the dynamics of abandonment.

The research is based on a mixed-method approach. In the first phase, twenty in-depth interviews allowed to capture the sense of living in the mountains today and to outline interpretative hypotheses, on the basis of which it was possible to construct a questionnaire and to obtain 150 semi-structured interviews. Indeed the spatial relations investigated include networks connecting metropolitan and peripheral areas. The results allow us to understand the factors that can condition decisions to leave or stay, forms of living and the activation of networks shaped by new lifestyles that have mobility as their fundamental character. For the Apennine mountains, the way in which mobility is conceived and practised is closely linked to the life choices of individuals who opt for a settled or multi-localised life. Choices that generate forms of community belonging in variable geometry that seem to define territorial identities and affective relationships with places.

Postmodernism has brought new hypermobile traveler segments alive that fluidly combine leisure with online remote work, valuing alternate capitals like nature, trust, compassion, innovation, culture, experiences and intellect. Consequently, it invokes a redefinition of the economic scaffolding for society and for tourism in today’s uncertain polycrisis environment. Our research focuses on digital nomads, conceptualized as archetypal hypermobile travelers forming a location-independent and technologically enabled lifestyle mobility.

In less than a decade, digital nomads moved from eccentrics to mainstream, challenging the traditional tourist push-pull motivation model being unsuited for characterizing and segmenting postmodern travelers routinely by demographic or class-based aspects. Hence this study seeks to establish a theoretical framework for segmenting postmodern travelers cross-referencing the findings from semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with digital nomads with secondary literature review on the neo-tribe theory (Bennett 1999).

The neo-tribe theory was first introduced in the 1990s as an alternative to the concept of subculture in which individuals from different paths of life come together in fluid groupings, bound by common interests, similar lifestyles, and rituals. Drawing on our primary findings, our research aims to identify distinct segments within the hypermobile traveler group of digital nomads by examining their various life stages. Our study explores the similarities and differences of digital nomads in different lifecycle stages through a comparative analysis of intangible aspects, such as tribal symbols, rituals, and hubs, motivations for their lifestyle choices and unique travel and consumption patterns.

By employing the neo-tribe theory to map digital nomads by lifecycle stages, we hope to contribute to the understanding of these hypermobile travelers by exploring their specific motivational, consumption, and travel characteristics. Consequently, this research promotes inclusive tourism and supports the competitiveness of regions by developing attractive destinations for diverse groups of digital nomads and hypermobile traveler segments.
Bennett, A. (1999): Subcultures or Neo-Tribes?: Rethinking the Relationship Between Youth, Style and Musical Taste. Sociology. 33(3). pp. 599–617.

A substantial part of the population has gained new freedoms in where to locate themselves due to the rise of remote work and improved accessibility. This has fuelled in particular also lifestyle migration over greater distances as households perceive that some locations may better satisfy their needs. Given the greater freedom in locating, when intending to move, people increasingly consider a wider range of potential places than before, also including places and regions that they have not directly experienced before. This means that subjective perceptions of what those places offer are becoming more important.

The images we have of particular places and regions are formed through representations of those geographies in news and social media, television, films, books and art, or in conversations with the people surrounding us sharing their impressions. To reduce real world complexity that the human mind cannot grasp, such images of places and regions are by definition simplified, partial, incomplete and generalized, often building on stereotypes that tend to exaggerate certain distinctive features while neglecting others. First behavioural geography and later cognitive geography approaches have tried to find how mental images shape spatial behaviour, among which migration.

While these approaches so far predominantly focused on individuals, this contribution focuses on a more aggregate level. Employing natural language processing to capture sentiments embodied in news items reporting on Dutch places and regions over a 14-year period, we examine whether more positive attention given to places and regions makes these geographies more attractive as destinations for migration than places and regions that receive more negative reporting. We will also explore whether negative reporting has a stronger impact om migration than positive reporting, and whether there are spatial patterns in how places and regions are being portrayed, and how these have evolved over time. This paper integrates computational social science/digital geography approaches, cognitive geography and economic geography to shed a new light on migration dynamics.

Although the idea of traditional and static rural areas persists, globalization has increased mobility and enabled attachments beyond the living rural environment. Rural areas are transformed into an ‘arena’ of permanent changes, requiring more sensitive development strategies and approaches, including valorizing local values and assets. The recent study focuses on processes in rural areas by introducing staying as a new mobility concept or highlighting the mobility trend depicted by ‘newcomers’ as a highly diverse category. As Haartsen and Stockdale (2018) concluded, newcomers are migrants with a choice and purposeful decision to move into rural areas based on predefined goals and positive aspects of rural life, however with significant contribution to the quality of life and social and economic resilience of rural communities.

This paper is based on various findings from two-year research conducted in Serbia, focusing on people who stay or move into rural areas. It examines the extent of various movement types in rural areas and their impacts on economic activity, social and community engagement, and service provision. The research applies a place-based approach to understanding rural issues, intertwining local assets and local community perception of rural life. It encompasses seven municipalities in the Šumadija and West Serbia Region (NUTS2), which characterized similar topographical and rural issues, with certain vital impulses in rural areas toward demographical and economic sustainability. Settlements selection for case studies is based on comprehensive statistical analysis represented by the set of 22 indicators. An in-depth analysis is performed in 110 settlements by survey research, based on a standardized questionnaire, on the population aged 18-64 years. The in-person and drop-off-and-collect survey techniques were used on the sample of 2% of the total population in the selected settlements. The survey investigates the social, economic, and demographic features of the respondents, their satisfaction with the village attachment and quality of life, and their motives to stay. The newcomers’ attitude toward rural life, their intentions to stay, and the business and social novelties that they introduce to rural communities serve as meaningful guidelines for rural areas' transformation into resilient and sustainable environments.

The presentation examines whether local youth strategies, which have become common practice in larger municipalities in Slovenia, can be considered a success or a failure. It questions whether having such a strategy creates inclusive community for young people and whether the document really reflects the municipality’s commitment to implementing youth-targeted measures or it primarily serves its own purpose. Local policymakers have highlighted participatory approaches as a key factor in determining whether a youth strategy becomes a good practice. This includes ensuring adequate financing and fostering collaboration among various local and national stakeholders, as well as young people themselves.

Two cities, Ljubljana and Celje, both of which have youth strategies and are considered exemplary municipalities in addressing the needs of young people, were selected as case studies. The analysis included a review of these strategic documents, as well as interviews conducted in the autumn of 2024 with policymakers, implementors, youth organisations, and youth representatives. The document analysis revealed that both strategies ambitiously address various youth-related areas, such as housing, social inclusion, and youth participation in decision-making, and propose measures to meet the needs of young people at the local level. However, discussions with youth highlighted a different perspective and brought attention to certain challenges especially in the implementation of these strategies.

As the needs and priorities of young people evolve over time, youth strategies risk becoming outdated and irrelevant to current issues, particularly as strategies in Slovenia are often designed for periods of five or even ten years. This makes it difficult to predict whether the measures needed today will still be relevant in the future. While these measures aim to address youth needs, they often follow national or European trends rather than being tailored to the specific context of a place. Although young people are usually invited to participate in local youth policy-making, they are often not adequately empowered to engage actively, leading institutional policymakers to perceive them as passive or indifferent. On the other hand, young people might claim that their participation is only symbolic and that their needs and suggestion are often overheard.

Increasing calls to place often marginalised young people’s voices at the forefront of transformation for climate change have resulted in many emerging opportunities and challenges for supporting participatory research in the sustainability field. This paper presents insight on the design and implementation of an innovative transboundary, transdisciplinary and co-productive approach developed and adopted by the CCC-CATAPULT team. CCC-CATAPULT was a four-year (2020-2024) European research project, engaging young people in Galway (Ireland), Bristol (UK), Genoa (Italy) and Tampere (Finland) that aimed to explore how young people, teachers and other key actors shaping the learning of children, understand the value-action gap in tackling the climate emergency. Within this paper, we present some critical reflections on the overall process and complexities that emerged while working across multiple cultural contexts, using the same methodological approaches to collaborate throughout the project’s duration with 15-18 year olds in all four European city region settings. The paper concludes by highlighting promising practices and lessons learned.

In the last decade, place-based approaches have been considered critical to address the territorial marginalisation of ‘left-behind’ places, and to alleviate the related spatial and socio-economic inequalities driven by uneven development. They often rely on bottom-up approaches and participatory processes, entailing the involvement of local actors in the design of territorial development strategies. However, the unequal capacities of local inhabitants to take part in those processes are rarely taken into consideration. It, therefore, emerges as a relevant issue the question of ‘left-behind’ people within ‘left-behind’ places, of those who de facto turn out to be excluded from those kinds of approaches that should contribute to more spatial justice and social equality.

The research investigates how the ‘voice’ of some people gets excluded in the context of place-based approaches to rural development, using a grounded theory approach to iteratively construct a theoretical and analytical framework for exploring the mechanisms of this exclusion. Concretely, this is done in the context of the co-construction with local actors of Smart Village strategies, integrated within the LEADER programs implemented by Local Action Groups.

Through the use of qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups and participant observation, the research highlights how the participatory dimension of the place-based approaches may favour those people that already have the social and institutional capabilities to take part in those processes. A capability approach for regional development is therefore integrated with a more critical literature which comes from decolonial thoughts, feminists’ epistemologies and critical pedagogy in analysing how the participatory, bottom-up dimension in the development of local strategies run the risk to exclude those subjects who are less able to express their ‘voice’ within hegemonic frameworks. In particular, the research shed the light on the role that EU discourses, tools and language, together with the process of ‘projectification’ of policies, may play in exacerbating spatial and social inequalities in rural contexts and in creating power differentials in the context of public participation. The research results offer practical insights for refining place-based approaches for rural areas to ensure more equitable participation and fairest resource allocation across diverse contexts.

This contribution examines the Italian reception system for people seeking international protection, focusing on three main types of centres: CPA, CAS, and SAI (formerly SPRAR). Specifically, it compares the “extraordinary” reception centres (CAS) with the “ordinary” and more diffused SAI network. Established over 20 years ago, the SAI system aimed to introduce a geographically widespread and integrated reception model that balanced respect for fundamental rights with effective management, fostering social inclusion for those received. This system, based on collaboration between public institutions (local administrations) and private entities (associations, NGOs, cooperatives), has, however, proven to be largely marginal. Today, it primarily serves the most vulnerable groups, including individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or families with young children.

During the same period (2012-2014), Italy introduced the National Strategy for Inner Areas, targeting depopulated and economically struggling areas. Both the strategy and academic literature have identified the presence of foreign nationals as a potential driver for repopulating and revitalizing these areas. Notably, 53,56% of reception facilities in peripheral municipalities and 61,24% in ultraperipheral municipalities belong to the SAI network.

This research investigates the experiences of individuals seeking international protection who, without choice, are placed in reception centres within marginal areas. It examines how these placements align with broader goals of repopulation and integration, questioning whether small-town settings genuinely facilitate social inclusion. While CAS are known for their lack of planning in fostering integration and community participation, the study focuses on the comparison with the SAI system: what conditions are provided for migrants hosted here? To what extent can they participate in societal life? Are these projects effectively integrating migrants into these “left behind areas”, or do they merely perpetuate marginalisation?

The study combines the analysis of secondary source, including official documents, with primary data gathered through interviews and mental mapping. Two case studies from mountainous areas in Abruzzo (Italy) illustrate the findings, offering insights into the challenges and opportunities of integrating migrants in such contexts.

In geography, the emphasis is on the close relationship between physical and social geography, and the integrative approach has long been accepted in education and research but is hardly used. In geography, it would be useful to fill this gap because, for example, more and more questions about hazards and vulnerability are becoming important, for which complex explanations from the disciplines involved may be necessary. However, research is stalled by the lack of convincing integrative theories, methods and practical applications. While the need for a complex, integrative approach to geographic, professional issues is increasingly justified, the physical and social geographic disciplines are moving away from each other. Although the basic concept of geography makes it appropriate to provide an integrative response to complex questions (although the definition of this is not fixed), the paper stresses the importance of linking the two disciplines and the fact that geography is also capable of providing a complex approach. On the other hand, it presents several issues that require complex analysis and several methods for tackling them that are known in other disciplines.

The landscape reflects the interplay between natural and human factors and serves as an archive of material and cultural activities throughout history. This complex interplay has led to changes in the natural environment that can be examined from different perspectives (historical, economic, ecological and others). All these perspectives are interlinked and influence each other, which ultimately constitutes the cultural landscape. This study focuses on the historical environment of the Dalmatian marshes, located in the karst poljes, as a key element of the relationship between humans and the environment. The aim of the study is to provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the spatial dynamics and degradation of the Dalmatian marshes in the 19th and early 20th century using selected examples.

The historical environment and the areas of the selected marshes were reconstructed using georeferenced maps from the military surveys of the Habsburg Monarchy, which were processed with GIS software. The marshes and the driving forces behind their transformation were characterized using data from archival materials such as cadastral plans from the Venetian and Austrian periods and reports on drainage projects. The current extent of the marshes was derived from PlanetScope satellite imagery and compared with their historical extent. The spatial and demographic factors influencing malaria-related mortality are examined in greater detail in this study for a specific area - Bokanjac Blato in northern Dalmatia - through parish death registers (1825–1887).

The preliminary results indicate significant changes in the Dalmatian marshes, during the observed period, marked by a considerable reduction in their surface area. The study shows that this change was caused by both natural processes and anthropogenic factors such as land use change, drainage of wetlands and malaria control measures. The results related to malaria show a clear spatial pattern in the distribution of the disease, with higher mortality rates observed in settlements near marshes, such as Bokanjac, and significantly lower rates in areas farther away. This study improves the understanding of the spatial distribution and changes of marshes in Dalmatia with a focus on the spatial patterns of malaria distribution in Bokanjačko blato in the 19th and early 20th century.

Pluvial flooding can be also characterized as surface water flooding. It occurs after a very intense rainfall, which causes that the capacity of surfaces is overwhelmed and cannot effectively absorb or drain away the high amounts of water. Pluvial flooding thus happens outside of the watercourse itself. This study aims at mapping and assessing the pluvial flood potential at both the catchment scale and the municipal scale using relevant pluvial flood potential indicators and geographic information systems (GIS). The catchment scale was represented by the Gidra catchment (western Slovakia) while the municipal scale comprised of twelve municipalities from the studied catchment, which urban area falls completely or partially within the studied catchment and can be highly affected by a pluvial flood event. In order to calculate the pluvial flood potential index (PFPI), we processed the following indicators at catchment scale: lithology, curvature, topographic wetness index, soil texture, land use/land cover, and normalized difference vegetation index. As part of the municipal-scale assessment, we classified the indicators into classes or intervals and determined the importance of each class. Then, we calculated the proportion of each class of the indicators on the extent of the studied municipality. After that, the proportion of the class was multiplied with the corresponding weight, which was estimated based on the rank sum method. The weighted classes of each indicator were summed to have one quantitative value for each indicator per municipality and this value was then normalized using the maximum method. The resulting PFPI was calculated as the summation of equally weighted indicators. The highest values of the PFPI were recorded in the municipalities of Cífer, Slovenská Nová Ves, Voderady, and Abrahám, which are located in central and lower part of the catchment. We also compared the resulting PFPI with previous pluvial flood events in the studied municipalities. Acknowledgment: Funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under the project No. 09I03-03-V03-00085.

Sarajevo Canton faces several environmental challenges, with air pollution ranking as one of the most significant issues affecting both human health and ecological diversity. This study adopts an integrative geographical approach to analyze the spatial distribution of air pollution and assess the role of bioindicators in understanding its environmental and socio-economic impacts. By integrating physical geography methods, such as air quality monitoring and bioindicator surveys, with human geography perspectives, including socio-economic vulnerability mapping, this research seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the harmful human impact on air pollution, which ultimately reduces quality of life.

Air quality data were collected from monitoring stations across Sarajevo Canton, focusing on key pollutants, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and sulphur dioxide (SO₂). Simultaneously, bioindicators (mosses and lichen) were used to evaluate the biological effects of pollution, as well as the metal contamination. These environmental data were integrated with socio-economic indicators (population density, income levels, number of registered cars, and healthcare access), to map exposure and vulnerability across different municipalities.

Results reveal significant spatial disparities in pollution levels, with urban areas exhibiting higher concentrations of pollutants and reduced bioindicator diversity. Bioindicators proved valuable in identifying pollution hotspots and ecological stress zones, underscoring their utility in monitoring and managing urban environmental health. Mapped areas identify regions with the highest pollution levels, emphasizing significant health risks for residents. In contrast, there is a clear trend of constructing high-cost residential buildings in hilly areas above the inversion layer, where air pollution is minimal.

These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, including the identification of priority areas for intervention and the development of targeted strategies to reduce air pollution and mitigate its health impacts. By situating the study within Sarajevo Canton, this research contributes to the broader discourse on human-environment relations and underscores the importance of localized, interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability and resilience.

Turin was considered one of the automotive capitals of the world, along with Detroit and Stuttgart and other sites scattered across the continents. This was not only because the city was the centre of a large manufacturing group, Fiat, but also because, historically, it had seen a succession of skills in the sector that was unique in the world. Known and shaped for a century as a factory-town, at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s it experienced a moment of serious crisis, coinciding with the onset of globalisation processes, with the radical change in the way companies compete and with the choices made by industrial companies to relocate production. Before other Italian cities, Turin has in fact witnessed a profound downsizing of its manufacturing industry.

Over the last two decades, and particularly after the 2006 Winter Olympics, this dynamic city has undergone a very significant change: it now presents itself as a cultural and tourist city, characterised by an innovative force capable of shaping and changing its identity. The city has enriched its roots with new vocations, realising that the industrial vocation alone would not be sufficient to guarantee past prosperity and that it was therefore necessary to broaden the spectrum of its excellence. Through diversification strategies and numerous projects, it moved in the direction of the knowledge economy: research and start-ups, university and education system, and culture. Culture has been a key element, and investing in culture has been and is strategic both for the inhabitant involvement that for tourist attraction. In this transition frame, a role of excellence is played by the museums, some of which are world-famous, others less well-known but equally valuable. Turin has become one of the favourite tourist destinations for Italians and has increasingly opened its doors to foreign tourists.

Within this general framework, the research proposes to share some insights on the intertwining of geography and urban tourism in the city of Turin: its transformation from the city of the car to a city that has been able to renew its image and exploit its potential to become one of the most interesting cultural and tourist centres on the national scene today can certainly be an interesting case study.

Burgess (1925) observed that “In all cities there is the natural tendency for local and outside transportation to converge in the central business district... we expect to find … great hotels, theaters, art museums …” (p. 52). This idea of concentrated tourist activities influenced later geographical studies inspired by the Chicago School, which sought to identify and define distinct visitor-oriented areas. Consequently, terms such as "Tourism Business Districts" (Getz, 1993) emerged, highlighting the spatial segregation of tourism within specific zones.

Such confinement has been criticised as creating 'artificial bubbles' (Judd, 1999), distancing tourists from local urban life. Contemporary perspectives, however, have come to view the "tourist city" as an overlay on other urban functions, reflecting diverse uses and users (Ashworth & Page, 2011). Concepts such as the flâneur (Nuvolati, 2009) and the choraster (Wearing & Foley, 2017) emphasise tourists’ integration into everyday urban spaces, shifting the focus to their interaction and co-creation of cities.

Despite these shifts, the division between tourist-dedicated and resident spaces remains central, encompassing ecological, morphological, and sociological dimensions. The “invasion” process has been described as transformative—and often disruptive—with McKenzie (1925) stating, " … there takes place displacement and selection determined by the character of the invader and the area invaded" (p. 76).

In the context of tourism, some observers posit that such "invasions" can foster convergence between tourists and local communities, thereby reinforcing shared perceptions and urban bonds (Russo & Quaglieri-Dominguez, 2013). Others underscore the potential risks of conflict and imbalance, with overtourism giving rise to tensions, resistance, and even "tourism-phobia" (Novy & Colomb, 2017; Milano, 2018).

In Italy, an urban demographic crisis, rising housing costs, and speculative real estate ventures linked to platform capitalism (Aalbers, 2018) have reshaped city centres. The proliferation of short-term rentals and the decline of traditional accommodations have driven gentrification, which is often disconnected from local well-being.

This study investigates how urban tourism reshapes historic Italian cities with significant visitor flows. It employs specific indicators to analyse the transformation of tourist spaces.

A tourist destination extends beyond administrative boundaries and is closely tied to the perceptions of tourists and day-trippers, who define the tourist territory. So, how large is the tourist destination of Venice? From the municipality’s perspective, it extends within the administrative borders of the metropolitan city; for the region, Venice encompasses the entire regional territory (examples of tourism promotion include the Dolomites, marketed as Venice’s mountains; the province of Treviso, described as Venice’s gardens; Caorle, promoted as the “small Venice”; and the northern Adriatic coast, referred to as “Venice’s beach”). But what do visitors to the historic city think? Or rather, what does their behaviour reveal about how the boundaries of the destination can be defined?

Using high-frequency data from mobile phone cells, this study conducts an in-depth analysis of "hit-and-run" visitors—day-trippers who visit Venice for just a few hours during a day trip. Do they really return to their place of residence? And most importantly, what behaviors do foreign visitors exhibit?

The findings present maps illustrating the behaviors of so-called “false day-trippers”—individuals (mainly foreigners) who visit Venice for a single day but stay overnight in nearby municipalities such as Padua, Treviso, Cavallino Treporti, and even Cortina d’Ampezzo.

These results prompt several reflections: How can these flows be controlled and managed? Is there a way to coordinate between municipalities? Should taxation measures (such as the tourist tax and access contribution) be reconsidered?

Sport, like other human activities, is an engine of development and transformation in economic, socio-political and environmental terms (Bale, 1989; Mc Gillivray, 2019). One of the most interesting dimensions of sport studies refers to the role of cities. As noted by some authors (Turner, Carnicelli, 2017; Balletto, Borruso, 2018), the reflections of the management of the sports issue in a city are linked to its representation and how it can be experienced not only by residents, but also by potential visitors (Slobodyan, 2018).

Nowadays there is a tendency for cities to compete for international awards such as “European Capital of Sport” recognition (ACES Europe), the goal is to trigger local transformation processes that have positive impacts on the territory as a whole and on social cohesion. The reflection presented here fits into this perspective with a case study analysis: Genoa as the “European Capital of Sport 2024”. This recognition - is relevant both in terms of mobilising resources and concrete territorial spin-offs, and in terms of attracting events and tourist flows.

In the first part of this contribution, a general overview of sport-related activities in Italy will be offered, also in a comparative perspective with the rest of Europe; a second part of the research will focus on the case study of the city of Genoa and the related implications of the recognition as the “European Capital of Sport 2024”; finally, the transformations in the field of sport that have already taken place and/or are evolving in the Genoa area will be highlighted, as well as the related development trajectories in a tourism perspective. In order to support the reflections presented and to assess the phenomena described, also from a quantitative point of view, secondary data from official sources have been used.

The territorial analysis carried out makes it possible to affirm that also Genoa is part of that process of enhancing sport at an urban level that does not only have attraction and territorial marketing purposes, but also intends to promote sport as a fundamental practice for individual wellbeing and social cohesion.

In recent years urban scholarship has framed cities, particularly in the ‘global south’, in contrasting ways overlooking some of the more grounded realities in these cities. On one hand scholars have viewed the Third World city as a site of unprecedented extraction, subjugation and marginalisation (Lees, Shin and López Morales, 2016; Roy 2009; Watson 2014). This view asserts that cities in the global south have become the sites of accumulation of global capital flows through the dispossession of a majority of its residents (Anjaria and McFarlane 2011; Bayat, 2012; Harvey, 2010; Varley 2013). Another perspective however, views the same urban centres to enable productive reconfigurations of space, politics, economy and social relations . In other words, this view holds that majority of urban residents albeit in situations of marginalisation are resilient and agents of productive change. Both these views however view marginality as urban exceptions that need to be remedied. Both these views perpetuate Euro-centric gaze of urbanity and overlook the existent ontologies of city making. Drawing on more recent works, this paper focusing on the question of ‘how people live in the city’ to query the dominant practices of ‘housing’ that shape urban space and society (Banerjee, 2022; 2023). By dominant practices of ‘housing’, this paper first critically reflects housing developmentalism that often roll out through provision of certain kinds of welfare housing, establishment of (carceral) housing such as institutional shelters, and productions of exclusions (such as cut off dates). In doing so, the paper also counters the popular understanding of the Third World city where the ‘slum’ works a a metonym of its global representation. Focusing attention on the unhoused-inhabitation, i.e. practices of dwelling in urban spaces and built environments outside the formal structure of what is popularly known as a house, this paper offers two epistemologies about overlooked cityness. One it counters that conflation of house and home that has majorly crept into the hegemonic understanding of housing and two it counters western translations of ‘homelessness’ to govern and manage unhoused populations in the Third World city.

The concept of “left behindness” offers novel insights into the long-lasting debates on territorial inequalities by establishing a nexus between spatial marginalization and a feeling of neglect among the inhabitants (Lang and Görmar 2019; MacKinnon, Béal, and Leibert 2024). The predominant perspective among leading authors such as Rodriguez-Pose (Rodríguez-Pose 2018; 2020) or Dijkstra (Dijkstra, Poelman, and Rodríguez-Pose 2020), aligns this phenomenon with the voting patterns of right-wing populist, anti-establishment parties and situates these primarily in areas designated as rural or post-industrial.

We argue that the concept exhibits deficiencies at this nexus, as it goes hand in hand with a dichotomous understanding of urban prosperity and rural/post-industrial decline. This produces a “blind spot” concerning territorial inequality, detaching the discussion from similar dynamics unfolding in prosperous metropolitan centres, where neighbourhoods with high concentrations of low-income, migrant, and racialized populations also endure economic stagnation and underinvestment (Nijman and Wei 2020). Taking electoral results as a point of departure as well as equalizing territorial neglect and the feeling of discontent with a specific voting behaviour is simplifying complex narratives and everyday struggles of residents in deprived areas. It risks obscuring the intricacies of positionalities as well as the multi-faced strategies employed by individuals in these areas. Moreover, it may perpetuate the framing of inequality by right-wing populist parties, disregarding the experiences of migrants and racialized communities who encounter similar challenges and are additionally confronted with stigmatization, being portrayed as "the problem," or made invisible (Bhambra 2017; Isakjee and Lorne 2019).

This paper proposes an intersectional ethnographic approach to enhance the concept by including the thus understudied realities of migrant and racialized residents in so called “left behind places”. Building on the insights from ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the (post-)industrial town of Ternitz, Austria, it showcases differing effects of territorial inequality as well as the different forms of narratives and coping strategies employed by residents. We argue that an intersectional perspective on so called “left behind places”, is key to deepening the understanding of territorial inequality and promoting a holistic approach towards spatial justice (Barbieri et al. 2019).

Literature

Barbieri, Giovanni A., Federico Benassi, Marianna Mantuano, and M. Rosaria Prisco. 2019. ‘In Search of Spatial Justice. Towards a Conceptual and Operative Framework for the Analysis of Inter‐ and Intra‐urban Inequalities Using a Geo‐demographic Approach. The Case of Italy’. Regional Science Policy & Practice 11 (1): 109–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/rsp3.12158.

Bhambra, Gurminder K. 2017. ‘Brexit, Trump, and “Methodological Whiteness”: On the Misrecognition of Race and Class’. The British Journal of Sociology 68 (S1): S214–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12317.

Dijkstra, Lewis, Hugo Poelman, and Andrés Rodríguez-Pose. 2020. ‘The Geography of EU Discontent’. Regional Studies 54 (6): 737–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2019.1654603.

Isakjee, Arshad, and Colin Lorne. 2019. ‘Bad News from Nowhere: Race, Class and the “Left Behind”’. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space 37 (1): 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263774X18811923b.

Lang, Thilo, and Franziska Görmar, eds. 2019. Regional and Local Development in Times of Polarisation: Re-Thinking Spatial Policies in Europe. Singapore: Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1190-1.

MacKinnon, Danny, Vincent Béal, and Tim Leibert. 2024. ‘Rethinking “Left-behind” Places in a Context of Rising Spatial Inequalities and Political Discontent’. Regional Studies 58 (6): 1161–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2023.2291581.

Nijman, Jan, and Yehua Dennis Wei. 2020. ‘Urban Inequalities in the 21st Century Economy’. Applied Geography 117 (April):102188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102188.

Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés. 2018. ‘The Revenge of the Places That Don’t Matter (and What to Do about It)’. Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society 11 (1): 189–209. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjres/rsx024.

———. 2020. ‘The Rise of Populism and the Revenge of the Places That Don’t Matter’. LSE Public Policy Review 1 (1): 4. https://doi.org/10.31389/lseppr.4.

Like other post-Soviet urban spaces, Armenian cities were once shaped by Soviet industrial logic. The design of industrial infrastructures, housing, public spaces, and other public and functional areas reflected the socialist organization of industry and society. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia's once-powerful industrial system fell apart, leaving these cities exposed to new forces and power struggles. Elites—including oligarchs and criminal groups—compete for control, while ordinary citizens remain on the margins, grappling with the ruins of their former industrial past and struggling to survive in an uncertain future. In this contested urban landscape, the remnants of Soviet-era industrial glory remain—crumbling, long-abandoned skeletons of factories and infrastructure. Public spaces, once central to communal life, have been privatized and repurposed for narrow, commercial interests, while the streets, courtyards, and squares of the past have been swallowed by the uninspired architecture of profit-driven ventures. Nostalgic voids interrupt the modern cityscape, creating a stark contrast between what was and what is.

The ordinary citizen finds themselves alienated amid the weakening of central authority. Left with little choice, they assume responsibility for their survival, sometimes joining the struggle for resources and influence on their level. The citizen also becomes a participant in reshaping the city, contributing to a new, complex power dynamic that defines this post-Soviet urban reality. Armenian towns have become arenas of both conflict and indifference between three key players: the ordinary citizen, the new power elites, and the state. Through their interactions, a new urban morphology has emerged—a layered, often conflicted, subordination of spaces, each acquiring new meanings and functions.

We seek to explore the transformative biography of Armenia’s small industrial towns, examining how their urban forms and functions have been redefined in the post-Soviet era. By analyzing the biography of Armenian towns we aim to shed light on the actors’ cognitive and behavioural practices of legitimation of new morphologies and the reinterpretation of spaces and their spatial subordination.

In the Dutch and European context, intermediate cities could be considered examples of ‘overlooked urbanities’. The Netherlands is a country with only few large cities, but many intermediate cities. These cities are modest in terms of population, economy and available services, but they have a vital importance as regional centres and intermediaries between metropolitan areas and less urbanized parts of the country. In the coming decades they will also play a key role in solving the Dutch housing shortage. Still, such cities lack the research attention they would deserve from urban studies scholars, and they have to struggle for acknowledgement in national urban and regional development policies.

Recently and in the coming years, many of these intermediate cities have developed or are developing large-scale urban transformation projects. Typical locations of such projects are former industrial and business areas and railway zones adjacent to historic inner cities. The scale and complexity of these projects, while meanwhile quite common in large cities, are unprecedented in intermediate cities, and may fundamentally change these cities in many ways. This results in debates and controversies about the shapes and dimensions of these projects (e.g. densification, verticality) and whether such developments fit well enough in an intermediate city context.

Alkmaar is an intermediate city in which a large-scale urban redevelopment project is currently being developed. Alkmaar is a central city in its own city-region, while being situated in the ‘agglomeration shadow’ of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area at the same time. The city is being crossed by the Noordhollands Kanaal, constructed in the 19^th century to connect Amsterdam with the North Sea. Until the 1960s, the canal was at the city edge and featured a mix of farms, factories and typical urban fringe activities. Meanwhile, though, it is in the middle of the city instead. First plans to redevelop parts of the canal waterfront were developed in the 1990s and 2000s, but a comprehensive redevelopment vision and strategy was developed more recently. The ‘Alkmaars Kanaal’ plan should result in several mixed-use residential, business and leisure areas along the canal, including 15,000 new dwellings for about 30,000 people. This paper will discuss: how and why this plan emerged; how it has been received and discussed in local society; how it has developed and changed in response to societal and political changes and unforeseen obstacles along the way; and to what extent its high ambition level can be realized.

Urban proximity has recently regained prominence in urban and transport planning. While the environmental and health benefits of increased proximity are well documented, its social implications, particularly in relation to social cohesion, remain under-researched. This is important because social cohesion is often associated with increased community resilience and societal stability. While previous research has examined how features of the built environment affect social cohesion, few studies have isolated the impact of proximity to daily destinations. We address this gap by integrating objective and subjective measures of proximity to daily destinations and assessing their impact on neighbourhood social cohesion. Using survey data on social cohesion and perceived proximity, together with georeferenced data on destination distances in five Spanish cities, we apply an SEM approach to analyse the relationship. The results indicate a negative relationship between distance to destinations and social cohesion, mediated by perceptions of proximity. This means that the impact of distances to destinations over social cohesion is stronger when destinations are perceived to be closer or further than they actually are. Urban planners and policymakers should consider objective and subjective measures of proximity and focus on equitable access to essential services to promote community cohesion.

The 15-minutes city is shaped by various temporalities. This paper examines the relationship between trajectories of responsibility and the urban landscape, exploring how temporality work and how future scenarios (Anderson 2010) related to micromobility are integrated into the planning of 15-minutes cities in Italy.

Micromobility refers to human-powered and motor-assisted lightweight vehicles (up to 350 kg), operating at low speeds (up to 45 km/h), with either fixed or free-floating parking, designed for short-distance travel. These are individualised but often shared services that use geolocation and on-demand travel through smartphone apps (Behrendt et al., 2023). Devices are increasingly becoming cultural and high-tech objects that support municipalities' sustainable mobility plans (Boréus et al. 2024).

Bikes, cargo bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters are key for the 15-minutes city, connecting peri-urban areas and enabling intermodal transport. However, while offering mobility services, they impose limits based on infrastructure, design, and factors such as gender, age, and occupation. Micromobility combines advanced technology, service providers, and (non)users, influencing moral dimensions of the urban mobility, namely who is responsible for the city liveability. Indeed, devices’ mediatisation is tied to the mobilisation of future scenarios of urban evolution, extending trajectories of responsibility over time through the discursive formation of urban landscapes. How is the future present in and through the urban landscape of Italian 15-minutes cities?

I will discuss the outcomes of a thematic and discursive analysis of Italian newspaper articles on this subject from the TIPS database (Giardullo & Lorenzet 2016), which is part of my PhD project at the University of Padua.

References

Anderson, B. (2010). Preemption, precaution, preparedness: Anticipatory action and future geographies. Progress in Human Geography, 34(6), 777–798.

Behrendt, F., Heinen, E., Brand, C., Cairns, S., Anable, J., Azzouz, L., & Glachant, C. (2023). Conceptualizing Micromobility: The Multi-Dimensional and Socio-Technical Perspective [Online]. Preprints.org. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202209.0386.v2 [last consultation 02.01.2025].

Boréus, K., Bradley, K., & Tornhill, S. (2024). Breaking through banal consumerism? Representations of postconsumerist perspectives in mainstream press media. Journal of Consumer Culture, 24(1), 155-174.

Giardullo, P., & Lorenzet, A. (2016). Techno-Scientific Issues in the Public Sphere (TIPS). EASST Review, 35(4), 14–17.

The spatial arrangement of railway stations in metropolitan suburbs and peripheral rural areas—often shaped over 150 years—frequently means that journeys to or from the metropolitan core start or end at a station located near a small-town center. These areas typically feature a "Bahnhofstraße" linking the station and the old town, but such streets often bear signs of economic disruption, particularly in East Germany, characterized by vacancies and dereliction. This phenomenon is not exclusive to East Germany. The visual impact of mobility infrastructure is significant. Public perception often lags behind operational changes, as exemplified by the lingering association of railway stations with outdated or inefficient imagery. This highlights the need to align mobility infrastructure design with societal expectations and urban development goals, moving beyond technical or quantitative metrics. While digital advancements like integrated ticketing apps have enhanced the user experience, a truly successful transition from car dependence requires more: accessible, appealing station areas and well-designed connections to other urban infrastructure (Krüger 2024b). Railway stations often function as transitional spaces between metropolitan ideals (e.g., walkable cities) and suburban or rural realities (e.g., car dependence). Successful examples showcase how integrating social infrastructure into station areas can transform them into vibrant, multi-functional spaces. Just one example: In Melsungen, a small-town near Kassel, a former goods shed was repurposed into community facilities, demonstrating the potential of small-scale interventions to improve the urban fabric. However, such comprehensive approaches remain rare, as station areas frequently fall outside designated urban renewal zones. The role of stations in urban and regional development is pivotal. They exemplify the coexistence of car-oriented suburban life with car-free metropolitan ideals, providing a space for seamless transitions between these modes of living. When designed effectively, station districts encourage sustainable mobility and enhance urban life by integrating essential services and fostering a sense of place.
An interesting comparative study can be put into the discussion of the panel. In 2023, the author received a research scholarship by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and conducted a study on small- and medium-sized-towns along Shinkansen lines: Does it play a role that ICEs and Shinkansen also stop in small-towns, providing for them quickly connections to metropolitan cores? As it is possible as well to get from Berlin to Wittenberge in an hour without changing trains on the ICE, you can do the same on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Karuizawa (20,000 inhabitants each) [or from Cologne to Limburg or Vienna to Tullnerfeld). These are not isolated cases (Weidner et al. 2024). Why do trains traveling at least 200 km/h slow down here? Will a 15' rural city be created around these stations, connected to the inner areas of a metropolis in 1-2 hours travel time? Based on a comparative systematization of the station environments, these considerations are linked here with the discourses on the 15' city, whether these also radiate into the countryside - or do not.
This peculiar comparative study can be embedded into other research to elaborate possible means of transformation and transferability in research. The other reserch derives from:
• A transfer research project on small-town governance and sustainable strategies (www.kommunen-innovativ.de/isdn), including station zoning challenges (Krüger 2023, 2024b)
• The DFG-Research Group New Suburbanisms (www.suburbanitaet.de) examining infrastructure and urban planning interactions (Krüger 2024a)
• The ARL Working Group on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) as urban maintenance.

References:

Krüger, A. (2024a): Infrastruktur für den Siedlungsbau im Wandel – Der Versuch einer Allokationstypologie im Siedlungsneubau der 2020-er Jahre. in: Altrock, Bertram, Krüger (Hg.): Stadterweiterung in Zeiten der Suburbanisierung – Neue Suburbanität; Bielefeld: transcript, S. 339-361.
Krüger, A. (2024b): Bahnhofsviertel als Gebietskulisse der Klimaanpassung. Der Fall Gößnitz (Thüringen). In: Raumplanung H. 226, 2-2024, S. 60–64.
Krüger, A. (Hg.) 2023: Thüringen-Reader (Band II) Energie Wohnen Mobilität. Kassel: Universität.
Weidner, S.; Haubold, T.; Krüger, A.; (2024): Kleinstadtbahnhöfe – Anbindung, Umfeld, Funktion. Cottbus: BTU/Hochschul-Campus Kleinstadtforschung

The growing global demand for energy, coupled with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, has led to a significant rise in the utilization of wind power and a surge in the construction of wind energy facilities. The establishment of wind power plants is a multifaceted endeavor that spans several years and encompasses numerous tasks, including the planning and execution of various analyses. A critical component of this process is the wind estimation analysis, which assesses the wind potential at a specific site and evaluates the economic viability of the project.

This wind estimation process is intricate and involves multiple steps, with simulations based on meteorological and topographical factors such as altitude, surface roughness, and obstacles. These simulations can be conducted using various physical models, including the well-known linear BZ model utilized by the WAsP program, as well as the increasingly popular Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. This study employs the WAsP program to analyze the existing wind power plant "Danilo," located near Šibenik, Croatia, in order to assess the impact of topographical parameters on wind estimation. The research primarily focuses on altitude data that closely represent the actual terrain surrounding the wind power plant. This data has been sourced from six different global Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), topographic maps at a scale of 1:25,000, and the Digital Elevation Model provided by the National Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. The contour lines derived from these sources have been categorized into four groups based on varying equidistances of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 meters. Simulations were carried out within a radius of 5, 10, 15, and 20 kilometers around each turbine of the "Danilo" wind power plant. By testing various areas and altitude datasets, a total of 136 combinations were generated. The findings indicate that the estimated average power output is 12 to 15% lower than the actual power generation, depending on the altitude source used.

Large parts of the Ústí Region in the Czech Republic have long been affected by intensive opencast lignite mining. In some of the opencast quarries, mining has already ceased, and hydraulic reclamation has been used to restore parts of these former quarries - for example, the creation of the post-mining lakes Most, Milada and Matylda. In other parts of the region, intensive mining within other large quarries is just ending (CSA quarry) or is still ongoing (quarries: Nástup Tušimice, Vršany, Bílina), but under the influence of EU climate protection policies, coal mining is expected to end here as well. The end of mining is expected in 2033 or even in 2030 (depending especially on the prices of emission allowances). On the one hand, ambitious visions have arisen that a system of lakes connected to canals with hydroelectric power plants could be created within the quarries, thus could partly replace energy from coal mining. On the other hand, other studies have warned before that the current system of creating large post-mining lakes is outdated under climate change conditions because there is not enough water in the region. Previous experiences with the results of hydraulic reclamation have shown that technical forms of solutions can be problematic in terms of economic and environmental sustainability, because, for example, in the case of post-mining lakes Most or Matylda, it was and is necessary to regularly provide financially demanding replenishment of water levels from water sources outside the basin. In the case of some other quarries, such as CSA, the new development concept documents recommend the creation of an isolated lake that will be filled only with water from the basin, with the understanding that the situation may change - if an investor can be found who is willing to finance the construction of a pumped storage plant as well as the costly controlled filling of the lake to the target level from water sources outside the basin. Qualitative interviews with selected actors were conducted as part of the research activities and their opinions on various options for the future use of hydraulic reclamation in the Ústí Region were identified. The survey found that some actors prefer traditional hydraulic reclamation and expect large public investments from the state or the EU, while other actors are sceptical about the creation of large post-mining lakes under climate change conditions.

Energy regulation and energy strategies do not take into account the use of wind energy on settlement inner area, and building legislation on the municipal environment severely restricts such development.

Investors are understandably focusing on the areas with the best wind potential. To achieve maximum efficiency, both the size of individual turbines and the size of wind farms are constantly increasing. However, despite their undisputed role in the energy transition and in curbing global warming, these installations are increasingly carving out a slice of the natural and agricurtural environment. Clean energy production from wind will therefore lead to the development of new areas.

At the same time, the urban environment, already intensively used for multifunctionality, has significant renewable energy potential that is currently untapped. The exploitation of this wind potential does not necessarily require the construction of new facilities. With creative industrial and architectural design, existing buildings and landmarks can be used to generate energy. These objects, in addition to their current function, can also be used to harness kinetic energy generated naturally and by artificial landforms.

The research assesses the perceived or real reasons for this situation and shows the potential of wind energy for municipalities. Our investigations have included exploring the reasons behind restrictive legislation and verifying its relevance. The analysis attempts to demonstrate that wind energy generated in municipalities can contribute a significant share of local electricity demand. According to the methodology used, a site was selected from the elements of the municipal landscape that, in addition to its current function, is also suitable for wind energy production. This choice was made for light poles, which are existing objects, have low space requirements, reach a cleaner wind zone due to their height, and are available in large numbers. Among the turbines, vertical axis wind turbines were chosen, which are better adapted to the conditions of the urban environment, are suitable for small-scale wind power generation and can be installed in large numbers. The number of electricity poles installed in Hungarian cities, municipal wind data and factory production data of the selected turbines were used for the analysis.

The Joint research community GRAPHIC(1) is a Research and action group on living modes, socio-spatial innovation and citizenship. This community brings together players from civil society and the academic world, with a view to creating a research network. The composition of the consortium is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary (geography, sociology, psychology, management sciences). This paper focuses on spatial approaches to disability.

The GRAPHIC community explores the question of citizenship through the lived participation of people with disabilities. GRAPHIC questions the singularity of the living experience of people with disabilities in the various territories. This participation is confirmed by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of United Nation and the French law N° 2005-102 for the equal rights and opportunities, the participation and citizenship of disabled people. In this paper, we focus on the principles adopted by the GRAPHIC community to encourage the participation of disabled residents in workshops and to gather different experiences of living.

Workshops with disabled people are at the heart of the GRAPHIC program. Several qualitative methods and tools are available to local residents. This paper presents the tools chosen by the residents. They enable us to understand the spatial dimension of the living experiences of disabled people. Experimenting with tools selected by the residents themselves allows us to capture their relationship with space. This paper shares experiences of living in different ways: the accessibility of housing and the residential environment, residential choices, everyday spatial practices, and so on.

Whatever their living arrangements, the places where they live, or their relationship to daily mobility, residents express common positions on the subject of their freedom to act and movement. This paper focuses on the participants' relationship to citizenship, based on their living experiences.

(1) GRAPHIC - Ce projet a été financé par la Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l’autonomie (CNSA) dans le cadre du programme de soutien à la recherche « Autonomie : personnes âgées, personnes en situation de handicap à tous les âges de la vie, proches et professionnels » conduit par l’Institut pour la Recherche en Santé Publique (IReSP) ». « AAP-2023-SCMR-331215 »

This paper deploys a legal geography lens to examine the rights of disabled people to independent living with a focus on empirical conditions in Ireland. There are over 1.5 million disabled people living in institutional settings across the EU, including at least 3,500 people in Ireland. These environments are inherently restrictive and discriminatory, and breach disabled people’s rights under international law. Drawing on the use of rights-based approaches in geography and the social sciences, this paper will outline the overlap between disability rights and the importance of personal private space to support the dignity and autonomy of disabled people. An overview of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities illustrates the socio-legal significance of being able to live independently, while engagements with the lived experiences of individuals in institutional settings in Ireland demonstrates the negative impacts of these confining contexts. Combined these strands show how geography can help articulate a distinct spatial appreciation for the private sphere as a site of dignity and the capacity to control the basic aspects of one’s life. Additionally, it will highlight the challenges faced by disabled people in exercising their entitlements under international human rights law at a local level. Finally, the paper suggests ways in which rights-based approaches can enrich how geographers theorise and study disability.

This paper is part of the recent development, in French-speaking research, of a spatial approach to disability (Rapegno and Popescu, 2020) and combines the contributions of social geography and geography of children and young people. Children's and young people's disabilities are often viewed through the lens of their access to school. Indeed, ‘inclusive education’, enshrined in French law, is a major issue. However, individuals also develop outside of school and adolescence is a period of discovery and acquisition of autonomous mobility, in negotiation with adults. Teenagers with disabilities can be perceived as doubly vulnerable in the public space, because of their age and their disability. It is then important to look more broadly at their place in the urban context.
The aim of this paper is therefore to understand the relationship between teenagers and the city from the perspective of the institution in which they are supported on a daily basis and called DIME (Medical and Educational Institution) : How do these young people experience the city? How do they use space? How do the social workers who work with them consider space ?
This paper is based on an ethnographic study carried out as part of a European program (Erasmus+ Strategic partnership, Urban Age Ethics - URGE, 2023-2026), and more specifically on observations, interviews with professionals and four workshops with a group of young people living with intellectual disability. These workshops, using pictures as well as in-situ journeys, enabled young people to express their relationship with different places. By cross-referencing these data with the observations and views of professionals, this paper suggests ways in which the relationship between young people in DIME and the city can be better taken into account.

Reference :
Rapegno, N., & Popescu, C. (2020). Géographies du handicap. In N. Rapegno & C. Popescu (éds.), Géographies du handicap (1 ). Éditions des maisons des sciences de l’homme associées. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.emsha.733

The critical turn in disability studies is characterised by an emphasis on the lived experience of disability (Tabin et al., 2019). This shift invites an understanding of disability as a capacity to establish new forms of relationship with one's environment, one's territory and the communities that constitute it. Disability is no longer regarded as merely a public health concern or an administrative category, but rather as « an opportunity to discover other ways of being in the world [...] to recognise and value our interdependence » (Kafer, 2013).

This approch to disability, by focusing on individual experiences, is part of a cultural geography approach (Claval, 2001). However, this field remains relatively unexplored in the context of health geography research (Fleuret et al., 2022). A significant challenge lies in the representation of individuals' experiences of disability. The processes of invisibilisation of marginal experiences, epistemic injustice (Fricker, 2007), silencing, and issues related to enunciation and reception act as epistemic obstacles (Godrie & Gross, 2024), impeding the conduct of such studies.

The present paper puts forward the hypothesis of a literary diversion as a potential translation of the lived experience of disability. By adopting the novel as its geographical terrain, literary geography (Brosseau, 2022) has effectively revitalised its thematic content and methodological approaches. An examination will be conducted to ascertain its capacity to surmount the aforementioned epistemological impediments and to enable an analysis of the practices of places and ways of living (Stock, 2003) specific to disability.

In order to explore the methodological contributions and limitations of such an approach, three novels will be analysed through the lens of one of their characters: namely, Hippolyte in Madame Bovary (Flaubert, 1857), Aunt Léonie in La Recherche du temps perdu (Proust, 1927) and Eeyore in Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness (Oe, 1977). Rather than a literary analysis, the aim will be to take account of the ways in which intimate or public space is invested, the strategies put in place and the characters' relationships to their territory, whether on the scale of a village, a bedroom or a megalopolis.

Since the "mobility turn" (Hannam et al., 2006; Sheller and Urry, 2006), scholarly attention has increasingly focused on various forms of mobilities. However, this emphasis has often led to prioritizing movement, while immobility is frequently framed as a deficiency or lack of agency (Franquesa, 2011). Yet, there are certain instances where immobility should not be merely understood as a failure, an inability to move, or a lack of aspirasions. Decisions to stay can be shaped by complex, context-specific factors that merit closer examination, allowing for more nuanced interpretations (Jónsson, 2011; Marston et al., 2019; Mata-Codesal, 2015; Silva, 2024).

It is not always clear whether immobility stems from a voluntary decision or from external constraints. These situations can be understood in a more nuanced way through Bourdieu’s thoughts on the interplay between social and physical spaces, which illuminate how dispositions encoded in spatial habitus shape preferences for residential choices and (im)mobility. (Tomay and Berger, 2024).

The literature frequently highlights selective migration as a key feature of disadvantaged settlements with adverse socio-economic indicators. However, if the decline of the affected villages is associated with the outmigration of younger, better-educated, and more capable individuals, what does this suggest about those who stay behind? In this context, they are often portrayed as powerless individuals, incapable of change or action. This presentation seeks to challenge such reductionist interpretations by exploring the narratives of residents in a small village in the Ormánság region of Hungary, affected by outmigration, characterized by peripheral spatial position and inadequate transport infrastructure.

Our analysis is based on 29 semi-structured interviews and data recorded in fieldwork diaries. The findings reveal that in every case, respondents’ long-term decisions to stay in the studied settlement are shaped by a complex interplay of factors. Their relationship to their place of residence is influenced not only by the perception of constraints and disadvantages but also by the practical benefits they evaluate from their own perspective and the spatial dispositions embedded in their habitus. The reductionist view that attributes their immobility solely to a lack of agency fails to capture the multifaceted nature of their decision-making process.

References:

Franquesa J (2011) ‘We’ve lost our bearings’: Place, tourism, and the limits of the ‘mobility turn’. Antipode 43(4).

Hannam K, Sheller M and Urry J (2006) Editorial: Mobilities, immobilities and moorings. Mobilities 1(1).

Jónsson G (2011) Non-migrant, sedentary, immobile or ‘ left behind ’? Reflections on the absence of migration. The IMI Working Papers Series (April). Epub ahead of print 2011.

Marston G, Zhang J, Peterie M, et al. (2019) To move or not to move: mobility decision-making in the context of welfare conditionality and paid employment. Mobilities 14(5).

Mata-Codesal D (2015) Ways of Staying Put in Ecuador: Social and Embodied Experiences of Mobility–Immobility Interactions. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 41(14).

Sheller M and Urry J (2006) The new mobilities paradigm. Environment and Planning A 38(2).

Silva AV da (2024) Beyond the American dream: unveiling the complexity of young people’s (im)mobility in Governador Valadares, Brazil. Mobilities. Routledge. Epub ahead of print 2024.

Tomay K and Berger V (2024) Inclusion or Exclusion? The Spatial Habitus of Rural Gentrifiers. Social Inclusion 12.

This paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on mobility patterns in small islands like El Hierro. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 brought about significant transformations in mobility at both global and local levels. The pandemic imposed restrictions on movement, altered daily travel habits, and triggered residential changes, with the unique insular characteristics of small islands playing a crucial role in these dynamics.

By analyzing statistical data on residential shifts (sourced from the National Statistical Institute) and qualitative insights obtained through in-depth interviews conducted as part of the RE-PLACE project, this study sheds light on the relationship between crises, remoteness, perceptions of safety, and human mobility.

However, it is essential to examine the transformative potential of crises and whether the mobility changes induced by the pandemic are temporary or lasting. This research adopts a diachronic perspective to differentiate between structural and circumstantial shifts. Key questions guiding the analysis include: Did the pandemic result in long-term changes in mobility on El Hierro? How was the island’s external appeal perceived by residents? Did local policies contribute to increased mobility to remote islands after the pandemic? Did the pandemic boost tourism development in El Hierro? Were mobility trends on El Hierro consistent with those observed in other small island contexts?

Answering these questions will enhance our understanding of the long-term effects of pandemic-driven mobility changes and highlight the opportunities or missed possibilities for island spaces like El Hierro.

Considering the current negative demographic trends in rural Latvia (Krisjane et al., 2017; Dahs et al., 2024), newcomers play an important role in restoring the composition of the population; newcomers are contributors of the demographic imbalance and the agents of change. Therefore, the attraction and retention of newcomers has the potential to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas.

Since there is a lack of research in Latvia that would focus on a deeper study of the integration of newcomers in rural areas, thereof the aim of the research is to explore what the integration process of newcomers in the rural areas is, to identify factors that promote or hinder the integration of newcomers in the rural area in Latvia. The integration process of newcomers in rural Latvia was analysed based on the social integration model four dimensions: structural, cultural, interactive and identification integration (Bosswick W., Heckman F., 2006).

The research data was collected using a qualitative social research approach – case studies in remote rural communities that included semi-structured individual and group interviews with newcomers, municipality representatives, and local activists, as well as published and unpublished materials from rural nongovernmental organizations.

The integration process in rural Latvia takes place through several elements: home, work, places and events, as well as society and various organizations. While there are many factors that contribute to the integration of newcomers in the rural areas, which are related with development of home in the rural area, different job opportunities, activities outside home and local community, there are also factors that can negatively affect newcomers’ future intentions to stay in the rural area. Among them are such factors as housing shortage, reluctance of local society to accept newcomers, concerns about school closures and unorganized infrastructure. In many places, opportunities for structural integration are gradually diminishing.

This study was supported by National Research Programme “Letonica for the development of Latvian and European society” Project No. VPP Letonika-2021/4-0002 “New solutions in the study of demographic and migration processes for the development of the Latvian and European knowledge society”.

The return of Brazilian migrants from Europe has gained increasing attention in recent years, particularly due to rising repatriation requests driven by unemployment, housing difficulties, and legal barriers. However, official records only capture cases registered through formal channels, failing to provide a comprehensive picture of returnees’ circumstances, degrees of (in)voluntariness, and waiting periods. Moreover, existing studies on transnational return migration largely focus on reintegration in Brazil, leaving a gap in understanding the obstacles, delays, and immobilities young Brazilian migrants encounter when attempting to return from the Global North.

While migration studies have traditionally emphasized movement, recent scholarship highlights the need to focus on immobility to rethink mobility and transnationalism. This study examines the complexities of return migration, moving beyond the voluntary/involuntary dichotomy to explore the constraints that shape (im)mobility. By adopting the "mixed migration paradigm," we analyse how young migrants reconcile their aspirations for return with the material, social, and legal resources available to them.

Based on ethnographic research conducted in Portugal, this paper develops the concept of homo emigraturus—migrants perpetually poised for movement—and examines how "geometries of power" shape their mobility constraints. The study investigates how power relations, social structures, and economic conditions create a persistent sense of limbo, where migrants are trapped between the desire to return and the inability to do so. This paradox generates deep frustration and reshapes their migratory experience, exposing the co-construction of mobility and immobility.

By centring immobility as an analytical framework, this study critiques the widespread association of migration with hypermobility and uninterrupted movement. It contributes to ongoing debates by foregrounding return mobility and the experiences of young migrants—two areas gaining prominence in both academic and policy arenas. Additionally, it examines dominant narratives surrounding mobility, movement, and flow through an immobility perspective, expanding discussions on return migration. Finally, it explores the tensions that shape contemporary youth mobilities amid global migration trends, uncertainty, and shifting socio-political landscapes, offering essential contributions to both policy and academic discourse.

Decarbonizing the building sector is a key priority in the European energy transition. To boost energy renovation rates and efforts to phase out fossil fuel-based heating systems, energy policy directives target especially the promotion of energy efficiency. However, prioritizing technology-oriented solutions for low-carbon energy and heating transitions raises a variety of intersectional issues, risking the exacerbation of energy and housing vulnerability. This presentation explores potential synergies and trade-offs between climate neutrality and social justice, advocating for deliberative democracy and participation in co-designing systemic perspectives for the social-ecological transformation towards low-carbon futures. We focus on the city of Innsbruck, where both rents and shares of installed fossil fuel-based heating systems are among the highest in Austria. Our research follows a transdisciplinary approach, highlighting the potential of participatory systems mapping with citizens in a deliberation panel setting. We identify several structural key conditions that increase exposure to housing and energy vulnerability in Innsbruck, particularly among tenants and low-income households. From a systemic perspective, we show how sharply rising rent and energy costs not only affect the disposable household income, but also reinforce dynamics that develop within the relationship between income, stress, renunciation, and mental health. Furthermore, we reflect on the potential of co-designing socially just policy interventions, but also on the challenges of transdisciplinary collaborations between researchers, citizens, and policymakers we have experienced.

Citizen engagement in climate adaptation is gaining traction, with an increasing number of cities resorting to the co-production of adaptation. This approach extends beyond collaborative planning, as individual citizens and the private sector are tasked with implementing flood-proof measures, which include Nature-Based Solutions, on their premises to improve overall soil permeability. Consequently, adaptation becomes a shared responsibility of all urban actors.

While community-based adaptation has the potential to address the limitations of top-down planning, by incorporating local knowledge and context-specific solutions, this responsibility shift in the provision of flood security can have severe implications for climate justice. If a city's flood security depends on citizens' action, how can policymakers ensure everyone is equally protected from flooding, thus preventing green enclaves? How can adaptation plans which rely on property-level measures prevent green gentrification?

The extent to which co-produced adaptation can contribute to climate (in)justice deserves further scrutiny. In particular, the literature is yet to address how the different actors involved in co-production (local governments, private businesses, and individual residents) frame climate justice and responsibility for flood adaptation. How do these actors think about just adaptation determines their actions and the responsibility they take in the co-production of flood adaptation.

To address this gap, this research employs a Q-Methodology study to map perceptions of stakeholders involved in the Amsterdam Rainproof programme. Amsterdam Rainproof is a leading example of participatory flood adaptation in a city facing increasing pluvial flood risk. The Q-study explores the priorities and narratives around climate justice of public and private stakeholders carrying the responsibility of adaptation within the programme.

The Q-study will produce a narrative landscape of Amsterdam Rainproof, which will identify the predominant narratives around climate justice and responsibility for flood adaptation in Amsterdam. It will also highlight areas of consensus and dissensus between the different positions, which can serve as entry points to navigate conflict in participatory greening programmes.

The meaning of (urban) space is undergoing constant renegotiation, it is reproduced in everyday actions and in political discourse. Urban activists advocate for a more just distribution of physical urban space away from motorised traffic towards sustainable, human-scale cities. Most activists act on their own behalf, as concerned or affected residents; others choose to perform specific roles, for instance, as topic experts. Some initiatives select their spokespeople by expected perception, e.g., to avoid media bias such as ‘bikelash’, but not all do. Virtually always, roles are far from simple, they are multi-layered and complex.
In an ongoing study, I investigate which roles urban activists perform, how they choose a role, and which motives influence the choice. I ask whether activists’ performativity can shift the political landscape in their favour, and how performed roles are perceived by politicians, lobby groups, and the public. I am interested in the influence of situational, cultural, and political settings; specifically, whether urban activists perform different roles online and offline, in societies trusting in experts and in more populist societies, and in the Global North and in the majority world. To that avail, I employ a mixed-method approach that combines innovative quantitative methods from computational linguistics and social network analysis, and state-of-the-art qualitative methods from visual anthropology, digital ethnography, and digital anthropology.
In this presentation, first, I present preliminary results from a quantitative social media analysis and first insights gained from interviews and in participant observation embedded in a cycling advocacy group. Guided by exemplary discourses, I then sketch an early theoretisation of the observed, primarily based on the concepts of Performativity and Symbolic Interactionism. Simultaneously, I open up a (self-)critical discussion on the appropriateness of dialectically separating the multitude of roles in which virtually all actors involved in urban conflicts find themselves.

Within the liquid, fragmented and atomised society that characterises the post-modern era, the need to expand the relevance and centrality of care practices emerges strongly.

This push, originating within the transfeminist movement and spread through the manuscript "The Care Manifesto: The Politics of Interdependence", aims to question the social and cultural organisation based on the capitalist, neoliberal and patriarchal system.

Amongst the various fields where this conflict between different systemic models unfolds there is certainly that of social and health services, an essential element of welfare and public space policies. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the obvious limitations and difficulties of the Italian healthcare system in tackling and managing the spread of infections have demonstrated the need for a paradigm shift in care processes. This change has partly also been incorporated into governance policies, and within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) that characterised post-pandemic public action. Specifically, Mission 6c1 was included with the aim of orienting the National Health Service towards the principles of proximity and community participation. Despite the good intentions of these policies, limitations and contradictions persist in the concrete deployment of new care practices.

If, on the one hand, sociomedical institutions tend to include in their governance processes forms of participation and community empowerment, on the other hand, this apparent openness does not seem to be followed by concrete measures capable of bringing about a structural change in care processes. In Italy, in fact, in recent years, the increased funding allocated to private healthcare, due to progressive deregulation and privatisation, are not only preventing the emergence of a new model of care, but have also compromised the functioning itself of public healthcare, increasing inequalities in the distribution, quality and accessibility of healthcare services.

Through the analysis of Mission 6c1 of the PNRR and of the ‘Sentieri Metropolitani’ (Metropolitan Paths) project, conducted by the Local Health Authority in Rome in collaboration with the Italian Geographic Society, we intend to show the limits and potentials of new participatory processes promoted in the italian socio-health field.

The basin of the river Noguera Ribagorzana is located in the southern slope of the Pyrenees. Both its physical characteristics (i.e. extremely fragmented relief – Solé, 1964) and its early intensive water resource exploitation for hydropower purposes (Vallès, 1949) particularly well reflect how complex interactions between river systems and human communities can be. Furthermore, this 140-km-long river politically divides two historical regions, Aragon and Catalonia, already since the 14^th century, the current administrative border running along the river course still today (Tort, 2000). Governance is, thus, a third component decisively contributing to the complex management of the area (Sancho & Tort, 2012).

This paper focuses on three issues that are intimately connected to the above-announced geo-historical features of the river basin, namely: 1) the management of its water resources, which is clearly marked by major hydropower infrastructures incl. four major dams and a long underground channel with a deep negative impact on nature and human activities; 2) environmental challenges derived from constant river flow fluctuations, which ultimately jeopardise the region’s opportunities for economic diversification; and 3) governance challenges inherited from the region’s border character, which hinders coherent territorial management approaches.

Based on this diagnostic, and being fully aware of the immense challenges of this peripheral region, we offer a series of principles of action for the future. Such principles seek to improve the effectiveness of public policies that have an impact on the territory in question. This paper shows the results of years of integrative geographical research on-site, including two dissertations, manifold publications, and two research projects, the second one still undergoing, devoted to the impact of public policies in border areas in Spain.

This study is an interdisciplinary research between urbanism (urban studies, planning, and design) and geography.

Perhaps it is obvious that the two disciplines have many intersections. Urbanism is very much like geography in its complexity and interdisciplinarity. Geography, as a system of sciences that investigates phenomena in a spatial dimension, is an excellent basis for developing competences in urban science and practice.

In their theoretical and methodological approach, both are spatio-territorial sciences, since urbanism focuses on city territory and space, while geography focuses on the territory and space of the Earth's geographic sphere. In both these disciplines, graphical solutions - maps, plans, drawings, and diagrams - are an important methodological and applied expression. However, geography is more of a theoretical science, whereas urbanism is more concerned with practical activities.

One of the common aspects of the discipline's research and practice is the cultural landscape. Landscapes created by humans and reflecting their coexistence with the environment are dominant in the modern world, making their understanding an important and relevant scientific field.

This work is an overview study of the concept of cultural landscape and a systematic identification of the objects/scales and tools/instruments used by geographers and urbanists in cultural landscape research. The main objectives of this study are to promote interdisciplinarity and to define the points of convergence and possible divergence between these disciplines on this subject. This study is mainly based on the Lithuanian research perspectives of the cultural landscape, but they are complemented by other European and global approaches.

: Serbia is a country with extremely unfavorable demographic trends and at the same time faced with numerous environmental challenges. Both components of population dynamics, natural increase, and migration balance, caused a reduction trend in the total population of Serbia. In parallel, Serbia will become one of the areas to be greatly affected by climate change, especially in terms of rising average temperatures. This paper aims to examine whether there is a relationship between the components of population dynamics and certain parameters of climate change. Bearing in mind the demographic differentiation of the territory of Serbia, the paper focuses on the regional aspect with the aim to distinguishing homogenous areas in terms of population dynamics and climate parameters in the previous decade. The results showed that climate change affects the population dynamics of Serbian municipalities, especially the migration component. It has been shown that the increase in average temperature intensifies the spatial mobility of the population in the municipalities of Serbia. The capital Belgrade stand out as a "heat island" within Serbia with the highest immigration, while the municipalities of Eastern, Southeastern, and partially Western Serbia (predominantly hilly and mountainous areas) are characterized by significantly more favorable climatic parameters, but at the same time markedly unfavorable demographic trends (depopulation, negative migration balance, negative natural increase). This analysis raised questions for future research: first, whether the intensification of climate change and the worsening of environmental conditions in the capital city will change the population flows and direct them towards some environmentally acceptable areas of Serbia? Second, whether separating the direct and indirect effects of climate change on population dynamics would provide a clearer picture of this nexus?

Spatial planning in Serbia, as a discipline of applied geography, relies on the principles of integrative geography, connecting human and physical geography to address the complex relationships between people and their environment. This approach critically examines the interaction between society and nature, striving for balanced territorial development and the enhancement of the quality of life for the population in the planned area—an ultimate goal of all spatial planning efforts.

The emphasis of integrative geography on connecting social and natural systems is particularly relevant to contemporary challenges such as climate change, urbanization, and demographic shifts. Spatial planning provides a framework for addressing these challenges, as well as key issues of sustainability, resilience, and human and environmental health in a holistic manner.

The integrated nature of spatial planning in Serbia is reflected in its interdisciplinary methodology, which combines social, economic, and environmental dimensions to formulate spatial solutions. Spatial plans, based on extensive analyses, propose measures for sustainable resource management, a more balanced population distribution, infrastructure development, disaster risk reduction, and more. This creates a framework for aligning the needs of human communities with the capacities of natural systems, thereby ensuring a sustainable relationship between people and their environment.

However, the practical application of this integrated approach faces significant challenges. Horizontal coordination among sectoral policies—such as those related to population, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, and environmental protection—remains weak. Sectoral documents often overlook spatial solutions, leading to conflicts in land use and resource allocation. Similarly, vertical coordination between national, regional, and local levels struggles with aligning priorities and ensuring cohesive policy implementation.

To enhance the integrated character of spatial planning, Serbia must prioritize harmonizing sectoral policies, strengthening regional planning capacities, and fostering intersectoral cooperation. Fully embracing the concepts of integrative geography would enable spatial planning to become a more effective tool for achieving sustainable development and improving the quality of life for people in the planned area—an ultimate goal of all spatial planning endeavors.

This contribution is set within the framework of social-nature studies (Castree & Braun, 2001) and climate security studies (Diez et al., 2016; von Lucke 2020). Its aim is to investigate what kind of nature is framed and understood in climate change policy, with which purposes, and with what socio-ecological effects.

Through a policy analysis, this contribution investigates and discusses typologies of “nature” and their use in international climate policy settings. In particular, the analysis considers the period between 2015, when Paris Agreement was approved, and 2024 when the Baku Conference of Parties took place. Aspects of consumption and reductionism are especially considered, seeking to understand how the concept of nature is instrumentalised within climate policies and how this represents a reiteration of the anthropocentric perspective on climate change and its solutions. Within this discussion, a further key of analysis is adopted, offered by climate security studies. In particular, the work considers how “nature” and “climate” are functional to security-oriented narratives.

What emerges is that a paradigm shift has taken place with Paris Agreement that sees “nature” increasingly at the centre of the climate change debate and security-oriented discourse. In particular, two new ways of looking at nature have been found. The first sees nature as a "tool" for adaptation and mitigation policies, to promote the construction of “hybrid” geographies in which the boundaries between nature and society are questioned and redefined. This includes the increasing claims to adopt nature-based solutions or natural climate solutions. The second addresses the “loss of nature”, opening a debate on the loss and damage mechanism and the risks to human security.

This contribution presents an initial analysis of a novel approach to managing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) through the lens of Vegetal Geography. NbS, which encompass efforts to protect, conserve, restore and sustainably use the environment, pose significant challenges for local governments. Often launched with temporary funding from higher institutions such as ministries or the European Union, these initiatives require long-term integration into local policy strategies. Local governments continually face resource constraints and bureaucratic barriers that hinder the transformative potential of NbS. These solutions rely on collaborative governance involving public administrations, private companies, NGOs and citizens.
Vegetal geography, the study of plants and their interactions with their environment, offers new insights into the complex relationships between plant species and humans. This research shows how Vegetal Geography challenges traditional views of plants and recognises them as having their own agency. In terms of public policy, Vegetal Geography can propose an alternative management model that ensures a long-term vision for NbS. By incorporating these perspectives, policy makers could develop policies that strengthen the connection between people and the environment, thereby supporting the sustainability of different ecosystems, including urban ones.

European cities increasingly adopt innovative planning tools to address the climate transition, redefining the city-nature relationship while advancing urban planning methodologies. Approximately 60% of Europe’s population resides in small and medium-sized cities (10,000–250,000 inhabitants) (Selada et al., 2010), which often contend with climate challenges while lacking sufficient resources. These cities frequently rely on external funding through competitive tenders to embed adaptation and mitigation strategies into ordinary planning frameworks, fostering sustainable development and resilience.

This study investigates the interaction between local communities and green spaces, alongside interpretations of nature within climate adaptation plans of medium-sized Italian cities. It identifies urban spaces embodying distinct approaches to urban nature, contrasting conservation efforts with the development of “new natures” aimed at mitigating heat, improving drainage, and enhancing biodiversity. Urban planning’s historical emphasis on hygiene has evolved into a systemic perspective, encompassing biodiversity preservation, urban drainage, and recreational objectives. From Howard’s Garden City to contemporary strategies, green spaces have consistently been integral to enhancing urban living conditions.

Climate adaptation and mitigation policies, particularly those under competitive tenders, frequently adopt experimental approaches (Bulkeley and Broto, 2013; Caprotti and Cowley, 2016). Assessing the socio-ecological efficacy of such experiments is critical. Drawing upon the concept of Social Nature (Castree and Braun, 2001) and Urban Political Ecology (Heynen et al., 2005), this research examines the ideological and practical frameworks shaping nature-based interventions. It focuses on the socionatures (Swyngedouw, 1998) constructed by these strategies and critically evaluates their social and political ramifications, particularly inequalities emerging from spatial and design decisions.

The methodology employs a comparative analysis of climate transition strategies in medium-sized cities in northern Italy, developed through a shared funding framework. It explores the commodification of nature in climate policies, the rebranding of urban identities, and the socionatures that transform human-nature interactions. Furthermore, it evaluates how global climate objectives are localized to address specific conservation, enhancement, and reproduction needs of natural elements. By examining localized climate strategies, this study contributes to understanding how global and continental policies are translated into local actions, addressing the diverse requirements of communities and territories.

This presentation focuses on the Pančevo Marshes, an area north of the Danube River in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital and biggest city. This area was a virtually uninhabited floodplain of the Danube and Tamiš rivers until the early 20^th century. Like many other wetland areas, it too was considered a wasteland, which led to plans for “reclamations” and “improvement” through infrastructural development. Over the course of several decades, approximately 90 km of embankments were constructed to protect the floodplain from seasonal flooding of the Danube and the Tamiš, 600 km of canals were dug to regulate the groundwater level, and several pumps were installed to pump excess water out of the area. Following these changes, small sections of wetlands remain in the Pančevo Marshes, yet there are constant pressures that may destroy these ecosystems. These pressures range from plans to create new industrial zones and port terminals through landfilling, to illegal construction of weekend houses and gravel exploitation lots along the Danube, to omnipresent wastewater dumping that causes pollution. Some residents of the Pančevo Marshes organize with the aim of protecting the remaining wetlands. Instead of unbridled development and attendant corruption, they propose the Belgrade Danube Park as a positive vision of co-existence with nature that would harness the benefits of ecosystem services in the context of climate change. Their discourse acknowledges the complex infrastructural history of the area that created a specific socio-natural hybrid, valuable in its own right and constantly jeopardized by human activities. Based on long-term ethnographic engagement (including participant observation, interviews, media accounts, and social media discussions), I examine these activists’ work to ask: How is the relationship between society and nature rearticulated in grassroots ideas about transitional pathways in the Anthropocene?

One of the current challenges for urban dynamics concerns the role that urban tourism plays in cities in the creation of economic, social, and cultural opportunities. Transformations of tourist sites within cities are relevant in urban regeneration and contribute to reshape and reorganize the city and its image.

The aim of the contribute is to focus on the dynamics of urban tourism in medium-sized cities that in Europe play an important role connecting metropolitan areas with rural areas.

In particular, the authors will analyse the emerging trends and challenges fostered by the implementation of programmes and projects that affect the urbanised area and redesign part of its structure and image thanks to national and international sport events.

Novara will be presented as a useful case study in order to point out how a medium-sized cities, named European city of sport 2025, can face the economic and social transition from the traditional industrial model to the contemporary response to global urban challenges.

The contribute explores the experiences of the city and synthesizes the main strategies adopted by the local administration of Novara in reshaping the urban space to favourite incoming tourism. The contribute argues a critical geographical approach and pays a special attention to urban space transformation processes, social practices and collaborative/conflictual relations. The authors will focus on various aspects connected to the main sport events that took and will take place in the city (e.g. Rink Hockey World Championships 2024) and on the impacts of tourism on urban socio-spatial dynamics.

A significant phenomenon of sacral complexes in a landscape is their cultural heritage dimension. They are part of historical landscape structures, representing a type of cultural landscape. In addition, they are often perceived as important landscape landmarks and symbols. In Slovakia (Central Europe), most such complexes are abandoned and deteriorated. In this context presented paper deals with the assessment and possible future human use of Calvary in Hliník nad Hronom (Slovakia) in order to preserve it for future generations. A central aspect of our research work presented in this contribution is to elaborate a sustainable and feasible concept for the Calvary following the integrated approach of its revitalization. Firstly, we analyzed Calvary´s historical and regional setting with the help of a thorough review of literature, historical maps, and pictures. Then we evaluated architectural, landscape, and vegetation values, as well as landscape structure changes using relevant methodologies. Based on this evaluation, much fieldwork, and social survey we were able to identify the current problems of the place connected with abandonment and use, evaluated values, socio-economic factors, and preservation policies. Subsequently, we prepared a future concept for the Calvary following the selected criteria and distinguishing features and looking at the Calvary as a result of collective work. Finally, recommendations were formulated for legal framework and spatial planning procedures in order to enforce better preservation of values of sacral complexes in the country.

Highlights for public administration, management and planning:
• Calvaries are important landmarks, but most such sacral complexes are abandoned and deteriorated.
• This study presents a proof-of-concept for the integrated approach to revitalisation with a focus on both spiritual and tourist purposes.
• The revitalisation concept includes proposals for religious and architectural elements, landscape and greenery elements, monuments and landscape protection needs, and they pose suitable socio-economic utilisation of the site.
• The concept shows that the contrast between the open landscape at the foot of the hills and the hilltop is very important and must be maintained in revitalisation actions.

Gentrification is a phenomenon prevailing in many cities around the world, affecting them
socioeconomically. Although gentrification may benefit a city, there is evidence of segregation and
displacement in urban population. It is crucial to recognize any negative consequences, in order to take
action and mitigate them. This paper investigates the manifestation of gentrification in the Attiki basin,
to promote a better understanding regarding any unique characteristics. Additionally, the purpose of
this paper is to categorize gentrification in three different typologies (marginal gentrification,
mainstream gentrification and super gentrification), detect the potential and development in the next
years. The data was retrieved by the Hellenic Statistical Authority and the Mapping Panorama of Greek
Census Data. Also, spatial analysis methods were applied. The parameters taken into consideration
were demographics, such as age, education level, nationality (refugees and immigrants), profession and
tenure. Athens is one of the most touristic cities in Europe, due to the rich ancient history and important
monuments situated in many of the city’s areas. It is indicated from previous authors that gentrification
may not be such a prominent urban typology in touristic areas, but rather touristification. Athens
embodies the role model of a “Touristic City”. In order to determine the influence of certain points of
interest in the urban fabric (archaeological spaces, metro stations, pedestrian areas, bike lanes, squares)
as well the road network, Space Syntax methods were applied. The latter was used to assess the
potential dispersal of gentrification in other neighborhoods. The findings show that there marginal
gentrification is to be found in the western areas, mainstream gentrification near the City Center and
super gentrification in the northern and southern suburbs. The dispersal of those typologies is linked to
the specific demographics of the population in each area. Moreover, the metro lines influence in a great
level the development of gentrification. Finally, touristification is likely to have developed in the
historical center rather than mainstream gentrification. These findings indicate that it is crucial to take
action, in order to enhance regional urban planning and prevent citizens from becoming displaced from
their communities.

The accelerated development of urban tourism has led to the emergence of phenomena associated with overcrowding in mature urban destinations at a global level. Overtourism is a growing phenomenon that has placed the management of tourist flows on the political agenda of urban destinations. The urban problems generated by overcrowding fundamentally involve challenges of coexistence between residents and visitors, and can lead to a feeling of rejection of overcrowding (tourismophobia). This feeling of rejection is a consequence of different types of problems within urban centres linked to tourism development; among which it is worth highlighting: the proliferation of tourist housing, Airbnb, touristification or gentrification. The analysis of the cases of Pontevedra and Sanxenxo (Galicia, Spain) allows us to review the measures adopted by two different models of tourism management by public administrations to address the problem of this overdemand. The results show the need to move towards comprehensive tourism governance to improve the management of urban destinations. In this sense, co-governance between stakeholders is key to the success of territorial tourism management in the face of such challenges; as well as coordination between all public administrations. Management that must be based on intelligent strategic tourism planning based on the implementation of a basic system of indicators based on quantitative and qualitative variables, the latter resulting from an approximation to the assessments of the resident population for the tourist situation of a destination. The final objective is to have objective criteria to subsequently establish lines of action with the aim of controlling and alleviating problems such as tourist over-frequency in certain urban enclaves or the regulation of tourist housing.

This paper explores how local, women-led organisations in three gang-present communities of the Cape Flats, Cape Town, create spaces of resistance to different forms of urban violence through maternal solidarity and political visibility. Centering on self-organised, feminine circles, it investigates how mothers—key actors in reproducing the community’s social fabric—navigate violence. By focusing on mothers’ embodied experiences, this research interrogates the spatial and political dimensions of their everyday lives, situating these within feminist and decolonial frameworks.

Grounded in feminist geopolitics and everyday geography, the study seeks to answer: How do women-led organisations in gang-present communities construct spaces of expression and resistance for mothers victims of violence(s)? Using qualitative methodologies, the research draws on 62 semi-structured interviews conducted between May and September 2024 with mothers in three gang-present neighbourhoods on the Cape Flats. These interviews were complemented by observations, participatory visual methods (e.g., drawings and photographs), and 24 informal conversations with community leaders, policymakers, and academics.

Findings reveal that women-led spaces serve multiple functions: they foster solidarity among mothers through shared grief and healing processes; they provide crucial resources such as legal advice and psychosocial support; and they enable mothers to reclaim visibility and political power through organised actions like marches, workshops, and food kitchens. Moreover, community events often incorporate music, singing, and dancing, which serve as powerful tools for building emotional solidarities between mothers around gangsterism. These maternal spaces embody resistance to the spatial and emotional violence inflicted by gangsterism, the consequences of apartheid, and systemic violence. The paper also highlights how these maternal spaces act as sites of counter-mapping, challenging dominant narratives about gang violence by emotionally reconfiguring the community’s gendered geographies.

This paper contributes to feminist and decolonial studies of violence by demonstrating how maternal figures challenge the emotional and spatial dimensions of violence through embodied practices of care, solidarity, and resistance. By situating these acts within the broader context of urban violence, it highlights the role of maternal spaces as critical new sites of local power dynamics.

For over two decades, Global North countries have waged a silent yet persistent war against racialized bodies at their borders. This war—manifested through militarized language, apparatuses, and tactics—targets migrants, particularly those from the Global South, and is deeply rooted in colonial fantasies of a world divided between wealthy, "developed" white nations and impoverished, "underdeveloped" black ones. These colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary border regimes that seek to control, deter, and kill a humanity deemed excessive.

The violence of this war extends from the Euro-African borders in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, to Australia’s borders, and the Mexico-U.S. border, creating spaces of oppression that are both gendered and racialized. In response to the creation of violent and deadly borders, everyday spaces of resistance have emerged—spaces where bodies and emotions are mobilized to challenge the dehumanization of black and brown people on the move. The violent outcomes of the war on migrants are deeply felt at the level of racialized and gendered bodies, and these same bodies are at the forefront of resistance efforts.

Drawing on geographical literature—particularly border studies—and through spatial feminist ethnography in Senegal, this paper explores how migrant activists and women’s collectives create spaces of dissent in response to border violence. These spaces, rooted in embodied and emotional practices, actively challenge the logic of inferiorization and annihilation that underpins the war on migrants. By focusing on the intersection of emotions, embodiment, and space, I argue that these forms of resistance not only contest the violence of borders but also foster translocal solidarities that refuse the colonial logics of exclusion.

This essay examines the urban atmospheres of terror in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the perspective of women residents. Drawing on two ethnographic projects conducted in various favelas in 2016 and 2019, I argue that terror, as an urban atmosphere, is deeply rooted in a long history of racialized and gendered violence, and that its persistence in the contemporary urban landscape is a consequence of the coloniality of power. The analysis begins by exploring the layers, textures, and complexities of urban atmospheres of terror, providing a deeper understanding of their racialized and gendered nature. It further examines the transformative power of the body in reshaping these urban atmospheres, focusing on how favela women cultivate alternative affective atmospheres within their communities. Drawing on Afrodiasporic and decolonial feminist thinking, I show how Afrodescendant women in the favelas resist and transform these atmospheres, creating spaces that challenge the coloniality of power and its spatial manifestations, such as urban borders. I conclude that a key aspect of favela women’s urban politics and resistance to coloniality is rooted in the body and the affective dimensions of urban life.

What would be forms of collaborative democracy and inclusive citizen participation in smart city planning? To what extent can smart city planning respond and address inequality, justice, and the social and digital divide? How can we create community- and place-based climate-resilient urban planning with the smart? The paper aims to answer these questions by exploring new visions, facets, methods, practices, and tools for enabling smart engagement. It explores alternative possibilities for just and participatory forms of citizen science grounded in community and place-based resources and priorities. It connects these possibilities to ongoing debates and experiments with smart engagement by closely working with local communities in Busan, Korea (e.g., Ami-Dong district, historically poor and built on a graveyard using the tombstones), particularly in the discussion of climate resilient smart cities.

The project raises thorny issues related to data production and gathering; knowledge, power, and narrative; relationships between people, places, resources, and collective processes; participatory work and university-community collaborations; and community self-determination versus enclosure and/or erasure. The question this paper advances: In a techno-social moment where more and more people, occurrences, and things are becoming data-producing and data-gathering, how could such datafication processes be made active, critical, and collectively public rather than passive, individualized, and/or driven by narrow private and corporate interest. This paper offers “smart engagement” as a placeholder term that approaches and situates this question in relation to existing possibilities already established in adjacent works on citizen science and digital participatory planning, including critiques of the limitations of those concepts.

Urban planning struggles since decades to endeavour plans closer to citizen’s everyday reality. The contemporary demands and needs for large-scale transformations question the established citizen-government relationships and the public-led participatory arrangements. Citizen science offers promising ways to sense and frame citizens’ environment through the collection of either quantitative or qualitative data. It enables various possible working arrangements between citizens, public authorities and academics to study societal issues. Citizen science can be applied in multiple contexts, feature a wide set of characteristics and can be both public- or civic-led. This research examines how citizen science enables new types of connections between citizens and public authorities based on a comparative analysis of 3 Belgian and 3 Dutch citizen science projects. These six projects are selected to cover a wide set of identified key-characteristics such as the addressed issue, the type of initiator, the drivers and intentions of the project. The research explores how existing connections evolved through these civic- and public-led citizen science practices. It regards how those projects set the path for new working arrangements and communicative practices between citizens and public authorities. It relies on an analysis of public documents, articles from local and national newspapers and scientific publications, in addition to field visits and semi-structured interviews of the key-stakeholders. The research focuses on both actors positioning, underlying argumentation, mutual trust and consideration of the issue addressed by the citizen science practice. The analysis of the cases identifies a number of challenges related to existing antagonistic positions between actors. It also contextualizes the enduring difficulty regarding the inclusion of diverse citizens in the citizen science practice to influence planning activities. The cases also demonstrate the potential of citizen science not only to sense multiple aspects of space from citizens’ viewpoint but also to influence planning interventions and significantly transform working arrangements between public authorities and civil society.

In recent decades, the technological revolution has fostered new participatory models, such as citizen-generated data (CGD), which encourages citizens to produce data to monitor issues that impact their lives. Initially disseminated in Europe and supported by the UN, CGD has gained prominence in the Global South, where vulnerable populations use this approach to highlight local problems, challenge state statistical quantifications, and construct narratives that empower their communities.

In the Global South, citizen-generated data becomes a tool to combat socio-spatial inequalities. This perspective adds new dimensions to CGD, promoting the creation of a citizen-driven methodology aimed at overcoming the historical processes of violence and oppression in peripheral territories and populations. In this context, the present study discusses the innovation and potential of peripheral CGD in the Global South to foster participation and build a more just and inclusive urban planning focused on the common good. The case study will focus on analyzing the initiative of the Citizen-Generated Data Network in Rio de Janeiro.

Grounded in the approach of Data Justice, we demonstrate that the mapping and evaluation of everyday life promoted by CGD revitalize an ancestral resistance for life and the commons, strengthening belonging, care, and collective action — key elements for new practices of justice, democracy, and the right to the city.

From a methodological perspective, we conducted field research with participant observation and interviews with organizations identifying themselves as part of CGD, alongside an analysis of documentary materials. Preliminary results indicate that the citizen-generated data network in Rio de Janeiro proposes a replicable approach in any context, where each stage of data collection and monitoring is conducted in collaboration with individuals from the territory. These individuals not only have deep knowledge of their specificities but are also engaged in the struggle for social justice through data. Additionally, new sociopolitical dynamics have been promoted in the country, creating productive tensions that challenge state hegemony in territorial planning and expand citizen participation in deliberative processes.

The Polisocial programme by Politecnico di Milano is a social engagement and responsibility initiative that aims to foster academic social responsibility and societal outreach, by attempting to bridge the gap between academic research and societal needs. Polisocial promotes and encourages a new multidisciplinary approach to projects, considering human and social development and expanding educational, exchange and research opportunities. Citizen science has emerged as a crucial component of these projects, enabling broader public participation in scientific research and social innovation.

In Polisocial projects, citizen science serves multiple interconnected functions. First, it explores possibilities to democratize research processes by involving local communities as active participants rather than passive subjects on relevant issues such as urban equality and inclusion, circular economy, sustainable water management, etc. Citizens contribute their knowledge, experiences, and observations to help identify and address social challenges in their communities. This bottom-up approach ensures in principle that research priorities align with actual community needs.

The integration of citizen science also enhances data collection and analysis capabilities. By engaging citizens as researchers, Polisocial projects can gather a more comprehensive grasp od issues and problems across different knowledge domains than would be possible with traditional research methods alone. This is particularly valuable in projects focusing on environmental monitoring, urban development, and social welfare. The collaborative nature of citizen science also helps establish sustainable partnerships between Politecnico di Milano and various stakeholders, including local governments, NGOs, and community organizations. These partnerships facilitate knowledge exchange and resource sharing, ultimately increasing the impact and longevity of social innovation projects. By incorporating citizen science, Polisocial projects exemplify a participatory approach to addressing social challenges, one that recognizes and values the expertise and contributions of community members. At the same time, the interaction of different actors and knowledge production dynamics entails risks in both epistemological and political terms.

Moving from this background, the paper will critically discuss two Polisocial research projects, working on sustainable water management and on urban inclusion, highlighting opportunities as well as pitfalls (in terms of accessibility, power imbalances, etc.) of these ongoing experiences.

The continuing decline in biodiversity is among the most urgent global challenges (IPBES 2019). Ecological connectivity is a key factor in effective conservation, as interconnected ecosystems are vital for sustaining species diversity (Hilty et al. 2020). Water availability is especially pivotal, since both terrestrial and aquatic habitats depend on geo-hydrological processes. High mountain areas such as the Alps—hotspots for numerous endemic species—are highly susceptible to land-use pressures and climate change, with melting glaciers intensifying water scarcity (EEA 2010).

International environmental strategies, including the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, and the EU Nature Restoration Law, aim to strengthen ecological resilience and counter accelerating habitat loss. This research investigates how these global and EU-wide strategies for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation are integrated into existing Alpine governance structures, and how they become institutionally anchored and strategically implemented. Given that the Alps constitute both an ecologically fragile high mountain ecosystem and a transnational cooperation area, clarifying how broader policy goals translate into this multi-level governance framework is essential.

Drawing on a multi-level governance perspective, this study analyzes implementation processes across several spatial scales, taking into account the Alpine region’s transnational characteristics and the Alpine Convention’s role as a cooperation platform. Methodologically, it combines a policy analysis of relevant documents with semi-structured qualitative expert interviews. The objective is to identify regional governance strategies that foster cross-national and cross-sectoral connectivity and to propose recommendations for future action, particularly concerning Alpine land-use and sectoral planning procedures (Job et al. 2020).

References:

EEA (2010): Europe's ecological backbone: recognizing the true value of our mountains. EEA Report 6. Copenhagen. URL: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-ecological-backbone?activeTab=22266594-97f5-4524-946f-095a50759ae7 (accessed 10^th of January 2025).

Hilty, J.*, Worboys, G.L., Keeley, A.*, Woodley, S.*, Lausche, B., Locke, H., Carr, M., Pulsford I., Pittock, J., White, J.W., Theobald, D.M., Levine, J., Reuling, M., Watson, J.E.M., Ament, R. & Tabor, G.M.* (2020): Guidelines for conserving connectivity through ecological networks and corridors. Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No. 30. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.PAG.30.en.

IPBES (2019): Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services [S. Díaz, J. Settele, E. S. Brondízio, H. T. Ngo, M. Guèze, J. Agard, A. Arneth, P. Balvanera, K. A. Brauman, S. H. M. Butchart, K. M. A. Chan, L. A. Garibaldi, K. Ichii, J. Liu, S. M. Subramanian, G. F. Midgley, P. Miloslavich, Z. Molnár, D. Obura, A. Pfaff, S. Polasky, A. Purvis, J. Razzaque, B. Reyers, R. Roy Chowdhury, Y. J. Shin, I. J. Visseren-Hamakers, K. J. Willis & C. N. Zayas (eds.)]. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 56 pages. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3553579.

Job, H., Willi, G., Mayer, M. & M. Pütz (2020): Open Spaces in Alpine Countries: Analytical Concepts and Preservation Strategies in Spatial Planning. Mountain Research and Development 40 (3), D1-11. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-Journal-D-20-000161.

Groundwater resources and soil functionality are essential for healthy ecosystems (e.g. Hölting/Coldewey 2013). Soils provide the foundation for food production, air quality and vegetation, making them critical for human survival (Ernstberger/Bornemann 2020). However, urbanization, renewable energy expansion, and climate change (e.g. droughts, floods, and landslides) increasingly degrade soils through erosion and sealing (e.g. Pirnat/Hladnik 2017; Meyer et al. 2023). Alpine valleys, with their topographic constraints, face challenges in maintaining their cultural landscapes under these pressures.

Spatial planning is often tasked with minimizing negative effects from land uses and coordinating but the cross-sectoral integration does oftentimes not exceed ordinary procedures resulting in knowledge gaps (e.g. Eichhorn et al. 2023). This research examines how modern spatial planning addresses the safeguarding of functioning open spaces specifically for groundwater resources and soil retention capacity in the Alps. It focuses on agricultural open spaces, which are under growing pressure from competing demands for energy and food, impacting groundwater retention and analyses the role of wetlands within spatial planning systems.

A theoretical framework based on water and soil governance (e.g. Hill 2013) highlights gaps and potentials in regulative planning instruments for protecting soil functionality. A mixed-methods approach was applied in Bavaria and South Tyrol, combining qualitative expert interviews, literature reviews, and planning document analysis. The study also includes a geo-analytical evaluation of ecosystem services and priority areas for groundwater management under four spatial planning scenarios: business as usual, market-oriented, conservative and sustainable.

Despite their understanding as open spaces, management of agricultural areas is poorly integrated into spatial planning instruments, often treated as a "black hole." Current instruments and regulations fail to address the intensity of historically grown agricultural land use, a major threat to groundwater quality. Political pressures and rigid laws hinder effective management by overlooking case-specific evaluations. Significant changes in spatial planning, supported by both regulatory and communicative instruments, are needed to address these challenges and foster greater accountability as well as visibility of the challenges ahead.

Climate change impacts mountain areas and especially the Alps significantly. Melting permafrost, retreating glaciers, shifting precipitation patterns and sharp temperature increase rapidly change environmental conditions. Improved water management in agricultural areas is key to tackle intensifying climate risks such as droughts, pluvial flooding or erosion. Especially agriculturally used forelands need to see measures implemented to retain, infiltrate and harvest water to sustain primary production and safeguard/improve the ecological status. Nature-based solutions (NbS) implemented on private land can be an essential component in such a strategy.

Besides the identification of spatial patterns of climate risks and the overall suitable NbS to tackle them, the assessment of co-benefits and trade-offs is crucial to integrate the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus into decision making processes. Therefore, the research is centered around the questions how co-benefits and trade-offs of different NbS can be identified and assessed with an accessible framework. Within the scope of the question, a tailor-made multi-criteria analysis framework was developed to be able to: (i) compare different NbS options concerning their co-benefits and trade-offs in a transparent manner, (ii) collaboratively assess and discuss NbS options with local stakeholders – in particular with landowners.

The presented research will reflect on the role and potential of spatially disperse NbS concerning the water-energy-food-ecosystem in Alpine forelands based on the practical application in the river Lafnitz catchment. The focus lies on the identification of methodological approaches as well as procedural elements that are crucial for a collaborative approach to tackle climate risks and generate co-benefits.

This paper discusses innovation strategies of small rural grocery stores in northern Sweden – a sparsely populated area characterized by ongoing population decline and the widespread loss of services from smaller villages. After several decades of persistent village store closures, the number of rural shops has stabilised in recent years, with new shops emerging in often unexpected locations. We conducted a qualitative study with 25 village stores, which included interviews with shopkeepers, ethnographic observations, discussions with customers and village residents, as well as public documents and social media analysis. The aim was to understand their ownership/management structures, business motivations, and their resulting survival or innovation strategies when it comes to product diversification, target markets, customer engagement, and the use of new technological solutions. Our findings suggest the presence of shop innovations across four inter-related dimensions: digitalization, mobilization, co-location and translocalism. Digitalization included the use of unstaffed self-service models, online ordering and social media marketplaces. Mobilization included non-stationary services visiting villages on a temporary basis (delivery services, pop-up shops). Co-location involved the presence of multiple services within shared facilities, notably community venues and tourism attractions. Translocalism involved the mix of local and external networks (with producers, distribution partners and markets) to allow for business and market differentiation. While private entrepreneurs were often prioritising translocal market solutions to access more profitable external market niches, community-run shops were more focused on solutions around digitalization and co-location to retain important social community spaces, whilst seeking to overcome economic and staffing challenges. Mobile service solutions were less common and mostly disappeared after the pandemic (with the exception of government-funded delivery services for the elderly). Digital solutions, such as self-scanning or unstaffed/hybrid shops, are gaining interest among both shopkeepers and village residents. However, such models are perceived to reduce local social interactions and service quality, and sometimes marginalize older, vulnerable and non-resident populations. Co-location with social meeting and hospitality venues, as well as mentoring and digital training for marginal consumer groups, could reduce issues of social exclusion to some extent. Overall, village shop survival in northern Sweden continues to rely on government support funding, while major innovations in the digital transition have so far been limited to participants in public pilot projects. To survive, shopkeepers have to combine multiple service offerings and income streams beyond retail, whilst facing ongoing challenges to balance economic profitability with social community and personal lifestyle priorities.

The role of physical stores in omnichannel retailing is changing, potentially becoming more central compared to multichannel retailing. While online shopping is growing, the role of physical stores needs further research given the increasingly blurred lines between offline and online.

The aim of this study is to explore what kind of roles physical stores have. Previous studies cover traditional retailing, while retailers themselves require more flexible arrangements for their physical stores. Pop up phenomena is one example of these requirements. Still, an emerging research topic of phygital stores lacks empirical evidence. A phygital store means that the physical retail environment is seamlessly connected to digital one. Moreover, results of this study are described from the retailers' perspective, revealing their experiences and potential barriers operating in omnichannel context.

The case study conducted at Helsinki Outlet discovers the potential of an omnichannel retail approach in creating a seamless retail environment that leverages both physical and digital touchpoints. Helsinki Outlet's adoption of a platform, provided by the real estate owner, which facilitates trade from both physical stores and online, serves as an example of how digital interventions can bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary retail.

Employing a case study methodology, semi-structured interviews are conducted with omnichannel retailers operating in Helsinki Outlet. The findings underscore the strategic benefits that arise from such a real estate owner-led omnichannel model aimed at delivering a seamless shopping experience. From retailers’ perspective, the digital solutions in addition to their physical location in Helsinki Outlet enable to implement omnichannel strategies recognized from literature such as the buy online pick-up in store (BOPS) strategy. The omnichannel approach mitigated the disadvantages of physical stores, such as limited geographic reach and time-bound operations like store opening hours, by ensuring that customers could engage with the brand at their convenience, regardless of location or time constraints.

In conclusion, the Helsinki Outlet case study provides results on the premise that digital solutions, when integrated into a traditional retail environment, can strengthen the competitive position of physical stores against online counterparts. The role of the physical store is thus evolving into a phygital one.

In recent times, it is digitalization in particular that is triggering innovative thrusts in retail beyond e-commerce. Phygital environments are emerging that blend the physical space of a traditional store with digital applications in the form of modern technologies and bring together online and offline worlds for a "hybrid customer journey". These developments manifest themselves in the form of unmanned stores and vending machine stores that use the full range of technological advances to continue to offer customers a personalized shopping experience, but one that is based on technical convenience and technical service and no longer (only) on personal service by employees. This stage of retail development is characterized as Retail 4.0, which includes the networking of devices via the internet, the collection and processing of big data, cloud computing, the use of artificial and augmented realities, e.g. in the form of artificial language and images. Unmanned stores have only been around for a few years. In Germany, only pilot stores of supermarkets and discounters exist so far in the form of so-called autonomous high-tech stores. The situation is different with so-called semi-autonomous low-tech stores and vending machines (regiomats) without sensors, which are expanding in rural regions of Germany and opening up new opportunities for the provision of basic services to the population in peripheral areas. What these facilities have in common is a continuous opening on a "small" sales area of up to a few 100 square meters, no staff, self checkout by the customer, cashless payment and prior customer registration via an app on private digital devices. This article aims to identify not only effective and potential consumers in a consolidating system of hybrid stores, but also reasons for rejection and reactance towards digital solutions among the test subjects. Theories of consumer and social psychology such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) or the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) can help to reveal not only the entrenched attitudes of test subjects towards consumption or technical innovations, but also to explain visible and spatially varying behavioral and purchasing practices. It is investigated a) which customer clientele feels addressed by the tech-savvy concept of unmanned stores and in which spatial structures and competitive networks of other (food) providers the customers operate; b) which location considerations on the part of store developers, store operators and other stakeholders contribute to the opening of a 4.0 store; c) to what extent the village store 4.0 can fill a niche in competition with discounters and supermarkets via smart technology.

This paper focuses on the Baltic countries and the broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, drawing on a literature review conducted for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship project Affective Vélomobilities of Care (VELOCARE). Beginning in February 2025, VELOCARE will explore the practice of co-cycling among women and their children in Tallinn. The project aims to:

1. Identify the factors that motivate or discourage women from cycling when performing care-related mobility tasks.
2. Examine historical factors—such as the legacy of "post-socialist" urban planning—that contribute to low cycling rates among women.
3. Investigate how co-cycling shapes affective relationships between mothers, their children, and the urban environment.

This presentation will concentrate on the first two objectives by reviewing previous research on gendered (vélo)mobilities of care in CEE countries and discussing preliminary findings from the VELOCARE project. It will hypothesize how planning and policy challenges have impeded women’s ability to cycle between workplaces, care institutions, and home. By mapping historical barriers to women’s care mobilities, this study seeks to propose solutions that promote a more sustainable work-care nexus—benefiting both the environment and individual caregiver-employees

This study examines the potential of applying gender-sensitive planning models in rural areas, where socio-spatial challenges intertwin with caregiving responsibilities. While feminist critiques of spatial planning have largely focused on urban contexts, rural areas present distinct issues that demand attention, making them a crucial focal point for advancing research on this topic.

Rural areas face challenges such as depopulation, demographic decline, limited access to basic services and infrastructure, and an ageing population, all of which amplify the role and impact of care on local communities and economies. While these challenges affect the entire population, they disproportionately impact women, especially those with caregiving responsibilities.

Women in rural areas face the double burden of disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, including the care of children, older people, those with disabilities, and dependent individuals, and work while contending with limited access to essential services, transportation, and infrastructure. These barriers heighten their physical, mental, and emotional strain, restricting their economic opportunities and contributing to their underrepresentation in the workforce. The lack of services and support systems drives many young women to migrate to urban areas in search of better opportunities, further fueling rural depopulation, ageing, and economic decline in rural areas.

To ground this research in concrete data and examples, the study is set within the framework of the Horizon Europe RURACTIVE project, which works with 12 rural study areas, called Dynamos, to co-develop innovative and inclusive solutions for rural development. This research will utilize the RURACTIVE Solutions Catalogue, a repository of community-led and innovative initiatives, to analyze projects focused on collective care, employability, local services for health and wellbeing, and work-life balance in rural contexts. By examining these solutions, the study aims to analyze the enabling factors that make these initiatives effective in addressing caregiving challenges while balancing paid work, promoting gender equality and social justice. The final goal is to investigate how solutions focusing on care as a regenerative principle, emphasizing interdependence and collective responsibility, can act as a catalyst for gender equality, spatial justice, and promote a just rural development process.

Industrial production in small and medium-sized towns in peripheral locations remains an important and distinctive feature of Central and Eastern Europe (OECD, 2023). Its economic base demands specific occupational profiles, resulting in narrow labour markets (Harfst et al., 2024), where women often find themselves in precarious employment situations. As part of the “group at risk of exclusion”, they are more likely to work part-time, occupy lower-paid positions (Iszkowska et al., 2021), and bear the burden of unpaid care work (Christensen et al., 2016). Additionally, patriarchal structures, which are particularly evident in industrial communities and the periphery, foster and reproduce these inequalities. Policies often fail to effectively address these issues due to the absence of dedicated employment strategies, insufficient vertical policy integration, and the lack of a comprehensive place-based approach.

This contribution aims to raise awareness about the specific challenges women face in industrial peripheral settings in CEE countries. It seeks to enhance understanding of a group that is typically underrepresented in academic debates on economic transformations, despite often being among the most affected. Additionally, a policy review will outline the current state of the policy landscape, its gaps, and shortcomings, while proposing potential solutions. These insights are based on a survey conducted among international project partners and expert interviews, drawing on preliminary results from the INTERREG Danube WIN project (Improving the Position of Women in the Labour Markets of Peripheral Industrial Regions), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

OECD (2023). The Future of Rural Manufacturing. OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/499ed299-en

Christiansen, L. E., Lin, H., Pereira, J., Topalova, P., Turk Ariss, R., & Koeva, P. (2016). Unlocking female employment potential in Europe: Drivers and benefits. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/dp/2016/eur1601.pdf

Iszkowska, J., Kawecka, K., Lázár, J., Matécsa, M., Nawrocki, P., Novak, J., Róna, D., & Štverková, I. (2021). Win-win: How empowering women can benefit Central and Eastern Europe. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/europe/closing%20the%20gender%20gap%20in%20central%20and%20eastern%20europe/20210917_win%20win_cee%20wome n%20report_final.pdf

Harfst, J., Kozina, J., Sandriester, J., Tiran, J., Bole, D., & Pizzera, J. (2024). Problematization and policy responses to youth (out)migration in small and medium-sized industrial towns. European Planning Studies, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2024.2438964

The basic function of modern zoos, associated within international nature conservation organizations, is to save endangered species of wild animals and provide them with appropriate living conditions. They contribute to the maintenance or increase of healthy populations of animals threatened with extinction in captivity. The Wrocław Zoo (ZOO Wrocław sp. z o.o.), as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), carries out the mission of modern zoos, participating in the international transport of endangered animal species (Piasecka 2023).

The purpose of this contribution is to explain how the international transport of wild animals between zoos associated in EAZA contributes to the preservation of biodiversity of animal species in the world. The analysed case study is the Wrocław Zoo, which is both the oldest and the largest facility in Poland in terms of the number of animals and their species.

During the presentation, the main causes and legal conditions regarding the transport of wild animals between zoos will be determined. The required transport conditions for specific species of wild animals will also be presented.

Next, the subject of changes in the frequency and directions of international transport of wild animals will be discussed, on the example of the Wrocław Zoo. The considerations will concern both the number of transported animals and the network of contacts created together with other zoological institutions.

As climate change becomes an everyday reality and we begin to grapple with the changing environment around us, some scholars have started to question, are we mourning the loss of Nature and aligning our actions to match this feeling of loss? In Palermo, Italy, this question has a physical manifestation: The Radici Piccolo Museo della Natura (Small Museum of Nature), which memorializes social Nature while functioning as an important social infrastructure, as conceptualized first by Eric Klinenberg. The aim of this contribution is to combine the ideas of social Nature and social infrastructures with the objective to investigate a possible solution to the loss of Nature and a way to improve the relationship between society and Nature. The radical existence of this museum reproduces Nature indoors as an expression of “Nature mourning” and response to climate change.

Given that Nature is inherently social, its valorization in a museum context defines discursively and materially what counts as Nature. Many actors are included in this process of defining Nature. We ask ourselves, then, who constructs this idea of Nature, and, what are the social implications of these choices? This question connects social Nature with the concept of social infrastructures. Besides functioning as a museum, the space is well-loved for socializing, working, or dining at the cafe, and hosts events such as children's acting classes and presentations. The space physically feels like a refuge from the city center’s chaos. Its role as a social infrastructure layers another meaning to the term social Nature, suggesting that the communal desire to connect with Nature has created an important gathering place for city residents.

Starting from the analysis of this experience, the research addresses some broader questions: How do we integrate the relationship with society and Nature in concrete practice? What does dedicating a museum to Nature as a human construct suggest about our evolving relationship, and growing grief, towards a changing part of our world? What does the value of this space as a social infrastructure suggest about the relationship building power of gathering in Nature, even if done indoors? The research answers these questions by relying on a qualitative methodology based on discourse analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured in-depth interviews.

The human-nature relationship evolves over time, encompassing a continuum of interactions that oscillate between synergistic and exploitative extremes. This spectrum spans from ecocentric perspectives, with nature seen as an autonomous entity external to human society, to social paradigms that emphasize the inextricable interconnection between humans and nature. The climate crisis has highlighted the critical challenges of this dichotomy, revealing how the natural cycles of climate change have significantly accelerated because of anthropogenic activities.

With both immediate and long-term impacts becoming evident, the climate crisis is profoundly affecting young people, who are called to endure with present effects and develop adaptation strategies for future impacts. Against this backdrop, this study aims to examine the perception of younger generations on the climate risk and the overall human-nature relationship, as well as their preferred communication strategies. The objective is to explore how integrating scientific knowledge with different narrative formats can foster more effective risk communication among young people and improve global understanding of the environmental challenges laying ahead.

The analysis focuses on independent study projects developed by students enrolled in the master’s degree program in Environmental Risk and Civil Protection at the Università Politecnica delle Marche, in Ancona (Italy), over the decade 2014 - 2024. These students were tasked with identifying potentially effective narratives and critically reflecting on the climate crisis storytelling through the analysis of literary, oral, and audiovisual works addressing its ethical, emotional, and moral dimensions. The sources they examined ranged from the writings of Pope Francis to the speeches of various public figures, as well as artistic representation of climate change. Through these narratives, students engaged with the idea that environmental issues are inherently cross-cutting and require not only scientific solutions but also ethical and emotional commitments.

The findings suggest that students perceive the need to envision alternative models of human-nature interaction to engage the wider community. These new models should facilitate deeper exploration of a shared concern: human accountability for climate change. Such an approach seems to enhance young people’s sense of responsibility while broadening their horizon towards adaptive social models that harmonize scientific rationality with human sensitivity.

Integral ecology, as defined by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015) was received in France by some as a call to radically transform their way of life. It has given some Christians the opportunity to put an end to the idea that Christianity is responsible for the death of nature (White, 1967). Motivated by this holistic vision of social, environmental and spiritual ecology, these activists – anxious about the climate change – have organized themselves in eco-villages, in a “back to nature” movement (Stuppia, 2016). This quest for authenticity and “ecologization” of life could be assimilated to romantic utopias such as their vision of nature seemed a priori largely fantasised (Löwy, 2002; Hervieu-Léger, 2005). Yet, far from seeking untouched nature, their model reflects a rethinking of their entire environment: social, human, environmental and religious. This study would examine how these eco-villages embody an “integral ecology” by recreating a “village spirit” adapted to modern ecological and social challenges. Between ancestral crafts, organic gardening, permaculture and Christian eco-spirituality, what are the ways of living an integral ecology?

I propose to bring a sociological look at these new living spaces. The aim is to describe these new militant ecosystems through the complicity of various methodological tools: Through ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews in places and communities organized around an integral ecology. I explore the lived realities of Christian eco-villages in France such as the eco-hameau of la Bénisson-Dieu, the ‘Ferme Espérance’ or the Campus de la transition. Thus, this research contributes to social and human geography, by analysing how nature is articulated in these micro-societies, redefining human-environment relationships, nature and community in contemporary Europe.

Today's cities are undergoing many changes that pose challenges to urban planning. These range from housing shortages in city centres to vacancy phenomena in small towns in rural areas. The vacancy problem is not a new phenomenon and has been well researched in Germany, especially in eastern Germany, since reunification. However, the focus is often on large cities and vacant dwellings. Other regions, especially smaller cities, and their problems with increasing retail vacancy rates have been little studied, and the data is diffuse and inadequate. As a result, there is often a lack of knowledge about the causes of vacancies, which makes it difficult to implement strategies to address them. In this context, it is helpful to draw on local knowledge, which is often difficult to access from outside. Involving citizens in research projects can be one solution.

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is considered one of the most important cultural german landscapes. Despite this, the vacancy rate in the communities of this area is above the regional average. The most striking feature is the large number of unused or abandoned buildings in visually dominant locations in the city centre, creating a negative image. As part of a citizen science project, the problem of vacant buildings was investigated together with citizens from four selected small towns in the region. The project takes a holistic approach by combining the perspectives of research, urban planning, local politics and citizen participation. The participating citizens are considered as local experts and stakeholders and are involved in the whole research process. This includes the joint development of research questions, data collection in the form of vacancy mapping and surveys of vacancy owners, as well as data analysis and the development of solutions for specific vacancies.

The paper shows that citizen science is an appropriate approach to identify the causes of urban blight and to develop participatory solutions. We discuss barriers and success factors of citizen science projects in the context of urban development, as well as the general potential for innovative development of strategies to address the problem of vacancy.

Citizen science initiatives offer several benefits to communities and their territory. This is particularly evident when teenagers participate in hands-on citizen science activities, which generate a threefold impact: (i) fostering new knowledge, (ii) creating learning opportunities, and (iii) promoting civic engagement. By working on projects that address relevant community and social issues, teenagers not only develop a deeper understanding of these challenges but also cultivate a sense of ownership and responsibility toward their local environment and territory.

Building on this idea, we designed an educational workshop that integrates three key approaches: (i) co-design, (ii) citizen science, and (iii) game thinking. This methodology aims to equip teenagers with conceptual and technological skills while fostering civic engagement and awareness. The workshop follows a structured five-step process: i) Introduction to key concepts and interactive quizzes; 2) Warm-up activity (an hand-on Citizen Sciene activity); 3) Co-design session (group creation of low-fidelity mockups); 4) Presentation of the co-designed mobile apps; 5) Evaluation (to collect students feedback and reflections). As a final outcome, participants co-design low-fidelity mockups of a citizen science mobile app to address a specific social issue within their city and territory, such as urban accessibility, environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism and mobility.

We implemented and evaluated this initiative within the framework of "Citizer Science," a project led by Agenda Digitale of the Emilia-Romagna Region, the department responsible for coordinating and promoting digital and technological development actions in the territory. This initiative intends to improve open data availability and application to policy making processes by promoting the adoption and expansion of citizen science practices across the region, following a shared conceptual framework tailored to its geographic context. By embedding our workshop within this broader effort, we engaged approximately 450 students, aged 12 to 18, across multiple cities in the region.

Our findings highlight two key outcomes. First, the experience had a significant impact on how teenagers perceive and engage in civic participation. Second, the co-design process provided valuable insights and original ideas for developing citizen science projects that actively involve young communities in initiatives that benefit their communities and local environment.

Digital climate health technologies are increasingly recognized as emerging tools for reducing the negative impacts of climate change on public health. To enhance their effectiveness, these technologies need to adopt bottom-up and citizen-led approaches to integrate citizens as key actors and stakeholders throughout the design, development, and application processes. Air quality monitoring platforms are an example of digital technologies that are being widely utilized to visualize the patterns of air pollution and provide real-time warnings through a mix of stationary sensors, mobile applications, and online platforms. The field of air quality features citizen science tools enhancing public awareness and engagement on air quality issues while providing spatially distributed real-time data. Among these technologies, we analyze Claircity, a Horizon 2020 funded air pollution monitoring project aimed at improving air quality and reducing the carbon footprint in European cities. ClairCity integrates gamification technologies to actively involve citizens in air quality management and policymaking. Using a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and semi-structured interviews, we investigate the role of citizen science tools and innovative participatory methods such as gamification in fostering citizen engagement. The paper discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with user-centered design within the context of air quality monitoring platforms. Furthermore, it provides insights into effective user engagement methods and policies and offers recommendations for future practice in this field.

The quality of domestic water supply can be affected by lingering contaminants. One of such contaminants is lead, which may arise from lead piping systems in buildings constructed during or pre the 1970s. Notably, a lack of awareness around specific water issues can contribute to a lack of clarity around the scale. For Ireland, the extent of lead piping across the Republic is largely unknown in residential settings. This is in spite of random sampling undertaken in the past to determine lead pipe estimates. Even though a residential lead pipe replacement program exists, limited awareness and public trust are significant issues. This paper emerges from a research project which investigates challenges regarding water quality with a major focus on the presence of lead and how the urban lead pipe network can be addressed in Ireland. The project took a multifaceted approach via case studies of three Dublin communities – Dolphin House, Oliver Bond and Phibsboro Village – with the employment of Citizen Science Initiatives to inform on water quality issues. The paper thus investigates the methodologies utilised to ensure participation and encourage citizen science in the testing of domestic water supplies to ascertain the presence or not of lead and the way forward. The methods included 3 workshops and 46 household surveys over the three communities to inform on the knowledge gaps around the presence of lead in water. The methods also incorporated the roll out of a water testing programme where 51 households sampled their own water for testing. The paper is presented as a case study on the role of Citizen Science initiatives in examining domestic water quality issues and will critically reflect on the potential of a multifaceted citizen science approach with its especial value of unintrusive access in private settings.

Since the 1990s, two concepts emerged that are today fundamental in current reflections on food policies: food democracy and food sovereignty. The first concerns “the demand for greater access and collective benefit from the food system” (Lang, 1999). The second was developed by the international movement of peasants and food workers La Via Campesina in 1996 and refers to “the right of peoples to define their food and agriculture systems”, in a healthy, culturally and ecologically appropriate way (La Via Campesina, 2003).

Food democracy – a concept shaped by the Global North – focuses on the active role of institutions and citizen participation; food sovereignty concentrates on the role of producers (Anderson, 2023). Academic literature refers about food sovereignty as a questions of “power and democracy” (ECVC, 2018); some scholars wrote about it as “the right and the practice of democracy” (Patel, 2009), and there is a widespread awareness that food sovereignty promotes a process of democratization of the food system (Faraoni, 2023) and about its importance in supporting social equality and democratic choices (Agarwal, 2014).

Continuing the investigation on the intersections (or not) between these two concepts within the research project “Making Food Democracy” (www.fooddemocracyproject.com), this paper focuses on the different perspectives and narratives on climate change and agri-food practices found in food democracy and food sovereignty implementation. In addition to a literature review, an analysis on the case studies that we will conduct during spring 2025 in Spain as part of the research project is proposed.

Climate change is affecting not only ecosystems and economies at different scales, but also the identity, intangible and symbolic spheres linking communities to their places. Traditional agrifood practices, paramount expression of intangible cultural heritage, contribute to shaping a community’s landscapes and socio-spatial dynamics (Aktürk, Lerski, 2021). Nevertheless, extreme events like floods, droughts and fires, as well as progressive modifications (such as the increase of average temperatures and changes in humidity levels) endanger the survival of these practices and the related rituals and knowledge, causing deterritorialization when responses from policymakers and local communities are lacking (Delatin Rodriguez and Di Quarto, 2023; Kim, 2011). Against this backdrop, agrifood heritagization processes (Zocchi et al., 2021) represent a privileged study case to assess whether and how cultural heritage preservation and enhancement strategies acknowledge and tackle climate change. As UNESCO underlines, intangible heritage can play a crucial role in resilience, risk mitigation and reducing vulnerability to climate change. Nevertheless, its survival is endangered by climate change, often with multiplier effects on pre-existing conditions of economic and social vulnerability.

An overview of the existing regulatory framework (Pollice, Epifani, Miggiano, 2024) shows a paramount lack: if, on the one hand, both literature and policies about climate change recognise the importance of traditional agrifood practices, on the other hand, the focus is often on their economic value, while the cohesive, social and symbolic dimension is neglected. This is particularly problematic in rural contexts, which are often characterised by a high vulnerability to climate change, but at the same time also by an extraordinary abundance of traditions, rituals and agri-food practices that risk being lost. With this in mind, the Erasmus Plus project ‘Green Heritage - The impact of climate change on the Intangible Heritage’, promoted and financed by the European Union, is experimenting with innovative tools and methodologies to promote systemic approaches that are useful to boost greater attention, within the framework of EU and national policies, for those intangible cultural sediments (including, precisely, traditional agro-food practices) to which the public and political debate has not yet paid due attention.

This research intends to illustrate the state of the art and explore the challenges and opportunities related to protecting and transmitting traditional agri-food heritage in a context of increasing climate instability through a series of case studies drawn from the Italian context. The aim is to contribute to the debate on the need for more inclusive governance strategies integrating the intangible cultural dimension into climate change adaptation and mitigation policies.

References:

Aktürk, G., & Lerski, M. (2021). Intangible cultural heritage: a benefit to climate-displaced and host communities. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 11(3), 305-315.

Delatin Rodrigues, D., & Di Quarto, F. (2023). Sistemi agro-alimentari in transizione: gli effetti del cambiamento climatico in alcune regioni italiane. Rivista Geografica Italiana - Open Access, (4). https://doi.org/10.3280/rgioa4-2023oa16846

Kim, H. E. (2011). Changing climate, changing culture: adding the climate change dimension to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. International Journal of Cultural Property, 18(3), 259-290.

Pollice F., Epifani, F., Miggiano P., (2024), Climate Change and Intangible Cultural Heritage: Some Insights from Research and Territorial Planning, in Territori della Cultura, 57

Zocchi, D. M., Fontefrancesco, M. F., Corvo, P., & Pieroni, A. (2021). Recognising, Safeguarding, and Promoting Food Heritage: Challenges and Prospects for the Future of Sustainable Food Systems. Sustainability, 13(17), 9510. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179510

The fragmentation of the seascape with the creation of No-Take Zones (NTZs) destabilises the fishing way of life. More so, it makes visible the struggles of fishermen’s identities when operating in adjacent waters, strained by the loss of marine biodiversity and climate change. This research looks at the relationship that artisan fishermen in the French Mediterranean Sea hold with NTZs through a gender lens, looking at two NTZ case studies: the Cap Roux and the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue. It finds that tensions materialise at the margins of the zones, and channel clashes of masculinities which are revealed at various levels such as regulational, generational, and climate-induced. These nuance the definition of a hegemonic fishing masculinity. The highlighted tensions further show co-construction processes between fishing masculinities and attitudes towards environmental care. This identifies that a space exists for contestation of fishing masculinities in how the fisher-men relate to themselves, to fishing, to others and ultimately, to nature. The zones hence play an important role in showcasing examples of ecological fishing masculinities, that remain anchored but may be found drifting.

The fragmentation of larger plastic debris into secondary microplastics is an escalating environmental challenge impacting ecosystems worldwide. The occurrence and pathways of this process within a given region are influenced by a combination of anthropogenic and environmental factors. Anthropogenic drivers shape the production and uncontrolled release of mismanaged plastic waste, along with its specific properties (e.g., polymer type, shape, size). In contrast, environmental factors govern the subsequent physical (e.g., mechanical fragmentation by wind or water) and biochemical (e.g., photooxidation) fragmentation of the plastic. Given the intricate interplay of these factors, encompassing both human-induced and natural characteristics of a region, plastic fragmentation presents itself as an ideal subject for comprehensive geographical research. As a guide for future investigations, we provide maps illustrating global patterns of mismanaged plastic waste emissions and the intensities of key physical and biochemical factors driving its fragmentation. Our analysis identifies hotspots of mismanaged plastic waste emissions, predominantly in South and Southeast Asia and the western part of South America. These hotspots are mapped as areas where high emissions of mismanaged plastic waste intersect with significant levels of UV radiation, strong winds, and flowing water. Our maps highlight coastal and riverine regions within these areas as hotspots where the interplay of biochemical and physical factors likely results in particularly high rates of plastic waste fragmentation. Additionally, we underscore the strong association of these hotspots with aquatic environments, which are especially susceptible to the widespread dispersion of secondary microplastics produced through this fragmentation process.

In recent decades, a series of socio-economic and ecological transformations have facilitated the return of large carnivores to areas where they had been previously extirpated. These rewilding processes, whether autonomous or human-driven, are often accompanied by increasingly conflictual relationships that undermine long-term coexistence and pose new challenges related to how to live with a presence that may be as uncomfortable as it is spectacular.

This presentation draws on ethnographic research in Trentino, Italy, to explore tracking as both a methodological tool and object of inquiry. In particular, it explores tracking as a multifaceted set of practices that underscores important aspects of the contemporary spatial and affective dimensions of human, bear and wolf cohabitation. Indeed, tracking is a privileged activity for investigating the interplay between space, power, technology, knowledge systems and more-than-human agencies in the context of conservation. As a scientific activity, tracking involves wildlife monitoring, data collection and mapping, with significant implications for biosecurity and conservation policies (O'Mahony, Corradini & Gazzola, 2018). Simultaneously is an affective embodied experience that engages the tracker with the multisensory and multispecies fabric of the landscapes (Morizot, 2021, Gandy, 2024). ‘To trace’ is above all to follow paths that connect visibility and invisibility, presence and absence. Traces and paths are the interweaving of multi-temporal lines of movements inscribed in the landscape that, once retraced, allow us to explore how landscapes are formed, transformed and inhabited by human and non-human beings (Ingold, 2010, Du Plessis, 2022).

The ethnographic involvement in tracking activities conducted both by field-scientists, citizen-scientists and unprofessional naturalists, unfolded the potential of tracking as a methodology for multispecies ethnography. In particular, three aspects of tracking practices are discussed: knowledge-making, landscaping, and metamorphosis. These dimensions highlight how tracking unsettle traditional binarism such as nature/artificial, human/nonhuman and science/local knowledge and opens up a space of possibility for rethinking coexistence as a multispecies relational achievement.

References
Du Plessis, Pierre

2022 Tracking meat of the sand: Noticing multispecies landscapes in the Kalahari. Environmental Humanities, 14(1), 49-70.

Gandy, Matthew

2024 Attentive Observation: Walking, Listening, Staying Put. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 1-19.

Ingold, Tim

2000 The Perception of the Environment: Essays on Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill. London and New York: routledge.

Ingold, Tim

2010 Footprints through the weather-world: walking, breathing, knowing. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 16: S121–S139.

Morizot, Baptiste

2020 Sulla pista animale. Nottetempo.

O’Mahony, Kieran, Corradini, Andrea, & Gazzola, Andrea

2018 Lupine becomings—tracking and assembling Romanian wolves through multi-sensory fieldwork. society & animals, 26(2), 107-129.

The contribution will bring empirical facts for a Geography of Sustainable Development (GSD) as a new discipline capable to offer sollutions for the challenges of the Anthropocene. We will emphasise three crucial elements of the GSD: 1. localization of SDGs, 2. use of Earth Observation methods and techinques for the measurement of sustainable development, 3. development of new data models based on AI for understanding the sustaunailbity transition. We use our latest empirical results form Eastern Europe and Central Asia to underline our argeuments for the GSD.