The concept of “waiting territories” (Gomes & Musset, 2016) help to understand how migratory projects, regarding the initial phase of movement, can have moments of deceleration, from a chronotopic point of view. “Waiting” to arrive at final destination, implies processes of deterritorialization and reterritorialization, with complexification of previous aspirations (Haesbaert, 2003; Fernandes, 2008).
Literary Geography, using the methodology of content analysis, can contribute to understand certain migratory phenomena, such as return migrations, which occurred in the process of African decolonization, between Angola, Mozambique and Portugal. The geographic reading of the book "O Retorno [The Return]”, by Dulce Maria Cardoso, make possible to answer the key-question: how forced displacement of Portuguese people, living in African colonies, was conditioned by “waiting territories”.
Using the methodology of content analysis, it will be possible to discuss the reality fictionalized by the author, who experienced this process in her adolescence, in the mid-70s of the 20th century, that is, from the escape (deterritorialization) to the arrival in the territory waiting in Portuguese metropolis, where it was needed to reconfigure the temporary living space (reterritorialization).
This reflection can be useful to understand the dynamics of contemporary migratory movements in a changing Europe, with an increasingly diverse migratory matrix, reflected in the intercultural dimension.

Gianni Rodari was a lover of geography. He would study for weeks maps and plans of the places where he planned to set his stories. It is well known, for example, that he spent time on his beloved Lake Orta before writing his last and famous novel “C’era due volte il Barone Lamberto” to study its waterways, bell towers and paths. For each village marked on the map, a rhyme or a childhood memory sprang up, which are now brought back to the Rodari Museum (Omegna, his birthplace) for the benefit of all visitors, in an amazing digital journey around Cusio.

Rodari’s passion for geography can also be seen in the title of the column he chose when he was working for the newspaper "Paese Sera": "Benelux". Three people wrote there and it seemed good to him to give the reference to the geographical triad formed by the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Incidentally, a sign of destiny, even that ‘Country’ in the name of the newspaper he contributed to suggested that the subject was written in his DNA!

Indeed, the combination of geographical science and Rodari’s imagination is no mere coincidence; in his texts, especially those for children and young people, one finds many ‘georeferenced’ references: places, territories, landscapes, cities, etc.

He himself has travelled a lot along the Peninsula, on foot, by plane or by train, but for most of his journeys he has used a very special means of transport: his imagination. What story lies behind the city of Como to which, who knows why, one day an accent was added? What could have happened to the palace of ice cream in the piazza of Bologna? And why on earth does a witty gentleman fly over the heads of bathers on the beach at Ostia?

Rodari’s stories accompany one to the sea or to the mountains. The important thing is that the journey is accessible to all, without exception. Playing between regions and cities, making those faraway places closer and ‘friends’, is a great way to make literature a key to knowledge, to sharing, to inclusion. There is a ‘European modernity’ in all this that is worth investigating and highlighting.

Come to think of it, both Rodari and geography speak of the reality that surrounds us, they start from concrete, visible, tangible data to then elaborate reflections, produce knowledge and, why not, try to change reality by imagining new paths.

Within this framework, the contribution aims to present a "fantastic" tour of Italy, which can be done today in retrospect, following the geographical trail of the Maestro’s rhymes and stories. This metaphorical journey succeeds in illustrating his proposal of "creative geography" that has the power to entertain and teach, to each reader; no age, census or other characteristics matter; his literature, though aimed at childhood, knows how to speak to everyone, without exclusions, just as he liked.

Since the past, travel literature has been considered an interesting source to know and explore new territories. Also travels and pilgrimages have occupied many pages of literary works, while showing changing historical periods and human experiences (Coleman and Elsner, 2003). Travel literature has moved from simply territorial descriptions to subjectivity; indeed, writers convey and share a more intimate “architecture of their journeys” (Brosseau, 1994; Alexander, 2015). It does not only consist of external and recognizable territorial representations, as the real essence is properly the “subjective territorial exploration” made up thanks to senses and emotions that activate new spatial meanings.

Considering these premises, the main aim of the proposal is to explore the intimate “architecture of a European pilgrimage space” by selecting a corpus of travel diaries on the Camino de Santiago. As First European Cultural Route since 1987, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, its history and landscape record the passing of time in Europe. In addition, contemporary travel literature on the Camino shows how the route is becoming a successful Leitmotiv for the European cultural industry, as it takes part in the spatial and cultural re-turn (Lopez, 2019). The present research analyses a selected corpus of travel diaries describing European landscapes that inspire an intimate “sense of place”. From a methodological point of view, the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis highlights a subject-centred approach that explores and reproduces the surrounding environment according to two main criteria: senses and emotions. As well as Daniels and Cosgrove (1988: 1) considered landscape as “a cultural image, a pictorial way of representing, structuring or symbolising surroundings”, also literary representations are ways of seeing and symbolizing the surrounding environments. As a result, the singularity of the pilgrimage experience and the subjective meaning-making process of the space of the Camino produce a catalogue of Caminoscapes, by which I mean variable combinations of senses and emotions interacting in pilgrims’ meaning-making processes of/on the Camino, working as settings and attributes of their literary representations.

References
Alexander N. (2015). On Literary Geography. Literary Geographies, I(1): 3-6.
Brosseau M. (1994). Geography’s literature. Progress in Human Geography, 18(3): 333-353.
Coleman S., Elsner J. (2003). Pilgrim Voices. Narrative and Authorship in Christian Pilgrimage. New York: Berghahan Books.
Cosgrove, D.; Daniels, S. (1988). The Iconography of Landscape: Essays on The Symbolic Representation, Design and Use of Past Environments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lopez L. (2019). A geo-literary analysis through human senses. Towards a Sensuous Camino geography. Emotion, Space and Society, 30: 9-19.

Sinophone literature represents a fertile ground for exploring the dynamics of cultural hybridization resulting from migration. By examining the works of Sinophone authors who have relocated to Europe, it becomes possible to analyse the ways in which literary texts depict the encounter between different cultural worlds. These authors often incorporate autobiographical elements or bilingual texts, creating bridges between their native Chinese culture and the European societies they inhabit. Such texts, whether characterized by stereotypical portrayals or nuanced, in-depth descriptions, offer valuable material for investigating the construction of spatial and cultural imaginaries.
From a geo-literary perspective, the social value of these texts lies in their ability to reveal how migration shapes the perception and representation of Europe in Sinophone literature. Some narratives may emphasize initial impressions of European cities (sometimes influenced by astonishment or preconceptions), while others might evolve into more complex and detailed representations over time. This diversity of approaches underscores the potential of geo-literary analysis to examine how literature contributes to construct cultural identities and spatial understandings.
Ultimately, Sinophone literary production invites reflection on its dual role: it not only documents the experience of migration but also acts as a mediator in the cultural exchange between China and Europe. As such, it offers significant insights into the broader cultural, social, and geographic dynamics that influence both literary production and intercultural relations.

The United Nation’s Ocean Decade calls for knowledge-production and governance to create “the science we need for the Ocean we want” (UN Ocean Decade) gave impetus to a large number of citizen science (CS) initiatives in marine context. However, when applied to marine research CS is still hampered by some practical and heuristic limitations. The paper presents and analyses the pilot work of the EU sub-project “SeaPaCS _Participatory Citizen Science against marine pollution” conducted in a mid-size coastal Mediterranean city in Italy, with the aim to raise awareness about the presence of marine plastic pollution; and to trigger bottom-up agency for sustainability-oriented behaviours. Elaborating on lesson-learned during the project, the paper discusses whether and to what extent a participatory, transdisciplinary/transectoral and critical approach may help addressing these limiting factors and to generate transformative knowledge in application contexts. Notably, it consider how a fully participatory CS process, deploying social and biological analytic methods, and mobilising broad collaboration network can help at overcoming the extractive approach of traditional marine CS, the inaccessibility of the oceanic environment for lay citizen, the citizens’ disengagement connected to their scarce interest for the investigated issue, and the lack of long-lasting impacts. Moreover, engaging with critical ocean studies in geographical research, the paper suggest a participatory and critical approach to marine CS can produce transformative results and stimulate follow-up initiatives.

The rate of loss of biodiversity (terrestrial and marine) is one of the nine critical environmental thresholds associated with subsystems or biophysical systems of the planet, beyond which the Earth system would undergo unsustainable, sudden and irreversible environmental changes. This factor is profoundly influenced by climate change and human practices, elements that are leading to the reduction and fragmentation of habitats and the development of a series of important physiological consequences within the species most affected by these phenomena. Among these, the so-called keystone species and umbrella species are certainly of extreme interest, that is, those species that are fundamental for the balance and survival of the ecosystems that host them, and are therefore able, with their presence or absence, to constitute indicators of the well-being of these biomes. In this context, the policies implemented at a national and international scale by political actors and the presence of centers specialized in the protection and care of these wild species are therefore fundamental. Therefore, taking inspiration from these considerations, this research, through the observation and mapping of the phenomena that are involving sea turtles in the Mediterranean and the analysis of a specific case study, the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre (STRC) located within the Natural History Museum of Salento (Calimera - LE), aims to underline how top-down policies mixed with bottom-up actions - in a perspective of protection linked to the mitigation of the consequences of anthropic practices and therefore compensation for the impacts of modernity - can be considered not only as actions to mitigate the impacts of the Anthropocene, but also as a first step towards the return to cooperation between humans and other animals as a method of adaptation, resilience and resistance of the inhabitants of the Earth to climate change.

Humans have profound historical and cultural connections with marine and coastal environments. Research has traditionally focused on the role of marine environments in providing food, economic resources, and recreational opportunities. However, intangible and relational dimensions, such as spiritual, symbolic, and cultural connections to the sea, have received comparatively less attention. Additionally, while regions like the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have received significant attention in marine research, studies in the Mediterranean Basin have often focused on ecological, economic, and policy-driven topics, with limited exploration of intangible and relational human-sea dimensions.

To identify the extent of research addressing these gaps and establish the state of the art in human-sea interactions within the Mediterranean, a systematic literature search was undertaken.

This systematic literature review investigates the question: What are the different dimensions of human-sea interactions in the Mediterranean? The study examines how these interactions have been conceptualized and studied, focusing on methods, conceptual lenses, and thematic emphases. Key areas of interest include the interpretation of cultural heritage, the role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in integrating cultural elements, and the incorporation of intangible cultural heritage into marine conservation strategies.

Using a structured search strategy and following the PRISMA guidelines, the review identifies studies exploring human-environment relationships in the Mediterranean. The analysis categorizes research by methodological approaches, specific dimensions of human-sea interactions, the extent of conservation strategies’ engagement with cultural heritage, integration of broader spatial and temporal dynamics, and the types of human-nature connections (HNC) addressed.

Preliminary findings reveal variability in how human-sea interactions are conceptualized and studied. Conservation strategies, while frequently cited as tools for biodiversity protection, often lack frameworks to incorporate cultural heritage or address the interplay between human and ecological systems. Similarly, MPAs, despite their prominence, are underutilized in engaging with cultural elements. Furthermore, many studies emphasize instrumental approaches to Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), often overlooking its ontological and epistemological foundations.

By synthesizing existing knowledge and identifying research gaps, this study highlights opportunities to better integrate cultural and ecological perspectives in Mediterranean marine conservation. It emphasizes the importance of considering relational, symbolic, and identity-based dimensions to foster sustainable and inclusive marine governance.

Mediterranean marine ecosystems have been degrading at a pace and scale at which conservation measures alone are insufficient to halt the decline in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Anthropogenic activities such as overfishing, pollution and tourism are among the most impactful drivers of this degradation. At the same time, coastal communities in the Mediterranean Sea are exposed to a complex series of socioeconomic and political issues that impact their ability to address the environmental degradation of the Mediterranean sea, further compounded by accelerated climate change. However, the sustainable use of marine biological resources and a shift in practices could help tackle the needs of coastal communities while improving the ecological status of Mediterranean ecosystems. Citizen science and integrated bottom-up management approaches have the potential to successfully increase the effectiveness of the conservation and restoration of marine biodiversity.

Within this context, the MEDiverSEAty project aims to explore the relationship between humans and biodiversity by involving citizens in its conservation and to answer the following research question “What are the different human dimensions in the protection and conservation of Mediterranean marine biodiversity?”. To address this question, the project integrates human and biological dimensions through a doctoral network of 10 PhD students from a variety of disciplines-including geography, marine biology, philosophy, anthropology, engineering, political science -across six European Mediterranean countries (Spain, Italy, France, Malta, Montenegro and Greece).

Each PhD focuses on a key aspect of coastal communities and marine biodiversity, such as Human-Nature Connectedness (HNC), Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), gender dynamics, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), fisheries management, socio-economic impact of microplastic pollution, and perceptions on biodiversity. By connecting these dimensions, MEDiverSEAty is developing a common theoretical framework for Mediterranean Marine Biodiversity Conservation, applying mixed-methods to generate policy recommendations and applied-research outcomes. The collected knowledge will be synthesized through workshops, seminars, project meetings and a concluding MEDiverSEAty symposium. By integrating human dimensions into biodiversity conservation, MEDiverseaty aims to foster long-term impacts on national and EU-level planning and governance strategies for a sustainable and holistic management of marine resources.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distance is one of the basic geographical concepts used in various models. It can be defined in numerous ways, depending on context. The most frequently distinguished are physical distance, which is an empirically measured line between locations, and economic distance, understood as the cost of transport in space. Therefore, distance is a key element of various economic analyses, including those related to trade. One of the most often usage is the gravity model of trade. The popularity of its use is because of highly successful empirical analyses, despite its simplicity. However, there is a lack of uniformity in measurements of distance. The oldest works in this field use the physical distance between points in a straight line, along a road or railway track. Determining the distance between countries, which are spatial objects, becomes more complicated. There is assumption that the distances between them can be defined as the distance between their capitals or largest cities, less often between their centroids. However, these are not the only possibilities. An additional field for measuring distance is provided by remote sensing methods, which allow obtaining data for the entire world, varied in time and methodologically uniform. There is particularly great potential in data on light emissions at night because they are comparable on the actual place of residence of the population and economic activity. To correctly analyse this kind of data, the AI tools are paramount. Therefore, it is important to standardize this issue and determine the differences between various distance measures and their impact on the analyses.
To this aim, my work will develop a full gravity model of trade using many different measures of distance. Some of them come from a literature review, some are of the author's own origin based on cartographic and remote sensing methods enhanced by AI algorithms. Then, using the AIC and BIC information criteria, I will determine which of the distance measures give the best estimates. I expect that proprietary measures based on remote sensing data will provide the statistically better results.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a variety of impacts on health care in recent years which have varied over time and space, but one of the most marked consequences of all has been in digitalization processes. Digitalization in health care was already a prominent feature of the European Union's development policy before the pandemic, which led to the widespread availability of e-health (telemedicine) to health care providers and the general public.

The aim of the presentation is to provide an overview of the short, medium and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, its direct and indirect consequences on digitalization processes in health care, primarily through a Hungarian case. The research questions are the following:

How did health care respond to the challenges of the pandemic and what role did digital solutions play in this?

What were the differences in the application of digital solutions in public and private health care?

What opportunities does the application of artificial intelligence (AI) offer in e-health for the future?

Methodologically, the research is based on using literature review, statistical analysis, online questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. On the one hand, there is no enough data on using AI in health care, but on the other hand, there are many findings from interviews to evaluate the role of AI in health care.

Among the most important results, it can be mentioned that the pandemic initially caused the rapid and widespread spread of e-health (telemedicine) in private healthcare, and in comparison, the public health care sector was able to respond to the new challenges with a delay of one and a half years. The digitalization of health care caused by the Covid-19 pandemic manifested itself in two ways: it resulted in the acceleration of existing processes and it was accompanied by the spread of new digital solutions (e.g. such as using AI). AI offers many opportunities in health care, but there are currently no appropriate regulations for it.

The presentation is part of the project (K146833) which has been implemented with the support provided by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary from the NRDI Fund.

In the context of intensifying climate change and increasing occurrences of extreme heat events, heat exposure has emerged as a critical concern for public health and urban sustainability. Concurrently, the rise of remote work, facilitated by artificial intelligence and digital technologies, has begun to reshape traditional work–residence relationships, thereby altering patterns of human mobility. This paper examines how the proliferation of remote work affects population distribution and movement across different regions, and investigates the consequent implications for heat exposure and environmental justice.

Drawing on a combined geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial analysis and a multi-scenario remote work adoption model, we first characterize shifts in population density under different remote work scenarios. We then quantify resultant heat exposure levels across urban cores and peripheral areas under projected climate conditions. Preliminary findings suggest that enabling employees to decouple residence from the workplace may help reduce heat exposure in densely populated urban heat islands by redistributing populations to less congested or smaller urban clusters. However, such shifts can also generate new “secondary heat islands” in suburban or rural zones lacking adequate infrastructure or green space, thereby intensifying localized environmental disparities.

The study underscores the need for holistic urban and regional policy interventions that account for new mobility patterns prompted by remote work. These policies must include cross-regional coordination of heat mitigation strategies and targeted infrastructure investments aimed at supporting vulnerable populations and underserved communities. By aligning technological, policy, and social efforts, it is possible to forge a more equitable and resilient response to the dual challenges of climate change and evolving work paradigms.

What does empowering and giving more freedom to rural communities mean? This paper aims to complexify the understanding of projects that aim to ensure sustainable economic and tourism development for rural communities by taking the example of the rejection of two projects to create a new national park in Ticino, Switzerland.

These projects included wide participation opportunities, were organised in a bottom-up format, provided for reversibility and drop-out mechanisms for the communities, and offered a prospect of local tourism and agricultural development that should have curbed the depopulation of the affected Alpine valleys. Yet both projects were rejected by the local population, who feared the introduction of an additional actor in the production of space - the park board and the possible influences of national and international environmentalist organisations and policies. The political battle – a true culture war – focused on the notion of freedom, to which supporters and opponents gave a radically distinct meaning. While criticising institutions for their lack of understanding of rural realities it is also necessary to avoid idealising local communities and their social dynamics. In this regard, this paper discusses the concept of false consciousness (Lukács, 1967) and little tradition (Scott, 2013) in order to understand the potential limits of a localist perspective.

Climate change and multi-hazard risks have emerged as top-priority topics in Disaster Risk Agendas and Sustainable Development Goals. Multi-hazard risk assessments and efforts to increase the coping capacity should be elaborated and implemented using a downscaling approach that accounts for local-scale, particular manifestations of hazards, as well as vulnerability sources, accounting for improvements in knowledge, preparedness, and trust in authorities. These approaches and their benefits are pivotal for the overall resilience of the local communities, especially when considering the significant communication barriers between laypeople, the scientific community, and local decision-makers. Analyzing local authority responses and strategies is particularly important for transboundary areas, given that natural hazards can affect regions across administrative boundaries, policies, economic development and exposure particularities, and human communities with different levels of vulnerability.

As part of the transboundary research project “Exploring the paths to cope with hydro-climatic risks in transboundary rural areas along the Prut Valley. A multi-criteria analysis”, this study presents the outputs of five workshops organized in different locations along the Prut River Valley (Cotusca/Lipcani, Costesti/Stanca, Sculeni/Victoria, Cotu Morii/Grozesti and Cahul/Oancea), the current border between Romania and Republic of Moldova. Mediated by the research team members, the workshops involved local stakeholders (mayors, farmers, police officers, priests, and heads of local institutions) from both sides of the Prut River. At the local scale, the main challenges regarding risk management and improving coping capacities can be considered the need for an improved dialogue and communication between both sides, from different points of view: economic, technological, environmental, social and cultural, as well as the cooperation in terms of awareness, prevention, intervention and recovery. The multi-criteria analysis also highlights some local particularities regarding the different hydro-climatic hazards, based especially on past experiences.

In the context of climate change, increasing droughts threaten freshwater availability, particularly impacting rural areas of the Global South. In northwest Costa Rica, part of the Central American Dry Sector, water scarcity, intensified by agriculture and tourism, presents complex governance challenges. Here, community-based water organizations (CWOs), run by volunteers, usually supply small communities with water. While these organizations often face capacity limitations that hinder the development of their operations, they play a vital role in actively protecting locally available water resources through collective action. In some parts, however, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) conversely provides drinking water, while at the same time functioning as regulator of CWOs, known locally as ASADAs.

This dual system, where state bureaucratic-hierarchical and communal network governance operate to provide the same good, calls for an examination of Costa Rica’s water governance framework. Therefore, this study addresses the question: How do public and communal drinking water operators act and interact in the Costa Rican water governance system in addressing challenges related to water scarcity? It integrates scientific and grey literature with insights from 40 semi-structured interviews conducted in November 2023. Interviewees included public and communal water providers and community members from two case study communities, and higher-level actors from both water governance domains.

Applying Qualitative Content Analysis, the study uncovers strengths and weaknesses within both domains of this hybrid governance system and scrutinizes multi-level interactions. Findings reveal contrasts between the CWOs’ network and AyA’s bureaucratic-hierarchical governance approaches. CWOs demonstrate flexibility, autonomy, and environmental stewardship but face resource and capacity constraints. Conversely, AyA struggles with cumbersome processes and staff shortages, focusing almost exclusively on providing water, often neglecting conservation and the ASADAs’ operational needs. Consequently, AyA’s interactions with ASADAs are perceived as imposing rather than supporting, leading to conflict and the emergence of parallel, more flexible bottom-up network governance structures.

These results emphasize the need for stronger integration of community-based organizations in environmental decision-making processes and improved coordination between communal and state entities. Bridging these gaps could enhance Costa Rica’s ability to manage water resources sustainably in the face of escalating scarcity.

Globalized food production has weakened the link between agricultural products and their origins, leading to homogenization and consumer distrust. In Slovenia, these trends exacerbate challenges like the decline of traditional practices, unemployment, and rural transformation. EU quality schemes such as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) aim to safeguard product authenticity, promote socio-economic benefits, and foster producer cooperation.

This study examines the impact of PDO and PGI schemes on producer collaboration in Slovenia, based on qualitative interviews and data analysis. Findings highlight that regions with strong traditions of collective action, like wine production, benefit from shared marketing and resource pooling. However, in areas where historical distrust of cooperatives persists, producers face challenges in leveraging these schemes, resulting in weaker market performance and limited knowledge exchange.

Key barriers include fragmented governance and a lack of centralized support to assist producers. The study underscores the need for a national coordinating body and educational initiatives to build trust and collaboration among producers. While PDO and PGI schemes enhance traditional practices and socio-economic development, sustainable adoption remains limited in regions facing economic pressures.

The presentation offers practical recommendations to strengthen producer cooperation, improve governance, and promote long-term sustainability, contributing to policy improvements for more effective rural development in Slovenia and beyond.

In my contribution, concerning the figure of Gabriel Chappuys, I would point out the historical relevance of a collection of chorographical writings put together by the French Chappuys as secretary and interpreter of two kings of France, Henry III and Henry IV: L'Estat, Description et Gouvernement des royaumes et républiques du monde tant anciennes que modernes (1585). This work presents itself as a wide combination of travel accounts, summarized treatises on constitutions, translations from ancient political masterpieces, excerpts drawn from lenghty writings on foreign institutions all brought together to forge an editorial product which, even if not so original as for its contents, is worth some interest with regard to both the final aim of the draft itself (the assertion of France's political greatness in relation to the European geopolitical context) and the specific historical context in which the work came into existence.

In the wake of Jean-Marc Dechaud and Jean Balsamo's scholarship, the intellectual profile of Chappuys, especially as for the prominent role he played in the field of translation of Italian classics (such as Giovanni Botero, Baldassarre Castiglione, Stefano Guazzo, Francesco Guicciardini, Ludovico Ariosto) has become the object of growing interest by scholars, mostly French, mainly concerned with the cultural connections between late-Renaissance France and Italy or the French reception of Italian texts in the late 16th century. As I have partially put forward in some recent essays, to approach the figure of Chappuys means looking to a political actor who made use of his linguistic skills, as secretaire du roi, to participate in the rule of State and promote some specific arts instrumental to the good practice of government. Of course, in this context also geography, as part of a comprehensive project of appreciation of the world, in the extremely multiform variety of its expressions, appears to be a field of knowledge indispensable to all those having political tasks or bureaucratic offices such as princes, rulers, advisers, ambassadors, ministers, statesmen. officers and, obviously, like Gabriel Chappuys himself, secretaries.

I aim at highlighting the crucial role of geography, through a comparative study of the work mentioned, as a repertory of strategic information useful to found and preserve the status of the French monarchy.

As media, early modern maps and nautical charts served as an important but subtle means of communication between different actors. They also played a role in promoting state interests, whether through producing and presenting knowledge about a particular area or establishing of territorial control and power. Nautical cartography was particularly important for coastal areas and played a key role in the construction and understanding of geographical reality, as a primary source of information. In addition to representing of spatial relationships and content, great attention was also paid to the aesthetics of cartographic representation, including the iconographic embellishment of maps with various decorative elements. The cartographic repertoire of decorative elements arose from the expectations of a broad public on the one hand and of commissioners, patrons, and sponsors on the other.

In the early modern period, most of today’s territory of Croatia was border territory between the Habsburg Monarchy, the Ottoman Empire, and the Republic of Venice. The geostrategic position of the Adriatic at the intersection of various European political-imperial and confessional systems, each representing its own interests and territorial claims, influenced the shaping of the region's political, economic, and cultural landscape and its cartographic patterns. Those patterns refer primarily to the influence of the Republic of Venice, in particular the depictions of the north-eastern Adriatic coast in the early modern period. The most important maps of Venetian provenance were created by the official cosmographer of the Republic of Venice, V. M. Coronelli. Such iconographic content in cartographic depictions of the Adriatic was frequently adopted by other European cartographers, along with their cartographic practices and traditions.

This study analyses the rhetoric of cartographic decorative and imagological elements on selected early modern cartographic representations of the Adriatic of different provenance. A detailed analysis of selected cartographic representations of the Adriatic revealed forms of communication through decorative images such as compass roses, vedute, ships, sea monsters, images of saints, people, and others. The aim of the study is to evaluate the communicative capacity of symbolic decorative elements as carriers of ideological, political, cultural, and other symbolic messages on cartographic representations.

Preliminary research suggests that decorative elements on maps and nautical charts were an essential communication tool for conveying geopolitical, cultural, and religious messages, which also engraved territorial, ideological, and cultural boundaries. Given the important geostrategic and economic interests in the cartographic representation of the Adriatic, the Republic of Venice took on a pioneering role.

During the Age of Exploration, with the European acknowledgment of the existence of a “New World” and with the rediscovery of Ptolemy’ s Geography everyone became interested in geography and cartography to the extent that it became fashionable to decorate palaces and villas with cartographic representations.

These mural cycles were designed around a main theme, mainly regarding a global and geopolitical vision of the world and a territorial dominance. According to Schulz, they are the first evidence of the use of geographical maps as images serving political power (Schulz, 2006).

The interpretation of the cycles is strictly connected to the production-related information, and their messages can be extrapolated from the analysis of their original location and the political and religious ideology of the committee. These cartographic cycles are a proper vehicle useful to build religious supremacies, political legitimacy or to spread universal knowledge (Fiorani, 2007).

This could be achieved thanks to the combination of elements that carry a semiotic meaning which convey messages of power and contribute in the formation of specific mindsets. An aspect that has often been overlooked, considering these cycles just as mere artistic works.

It is believed that mural cycles were designed and created solely during the Sixteenth century, and there are no further examples of them afterwards.

Aim of this contribution is to prove that mural cycles with geographical themes and political and propagandistic intentions have also been created during the following centuries and to highlight which elements of these cycles were inherited from their renaissance prototypes, mainly focusing on the case study of the Rooms of Maps in the Palazzo Aeronautica of Rome, built during fascism in 1931.

After a semiotic and critical study of the maps, useful for the acknowledgment of their meaning, and a geopolitical reading of the historic cartography, the contribution will bring out the parallelisms that occur between the cycles, highlighting which communicative methods of the Sixteenth century are also present in the maps of the Twentieth century, establishing a continuum which will prove that the practice of the mural cycles and its purpose survived the Early Modern Age.

Modernity corresponds to European openness to global spaces. Or, rather, to the establishment of what Schmitt called more appropriately a “Global Linear Thinking”. The German theorist intended to highlight the birth in early modern age of a way of thinking about power relations based on those global geographical coordinates fixed on the map. The first of these was the Raya, established following the Treaty of Tordesillas (1492), up to that line of demarcation represented by the Peace of Cambrésis (1559).
Compared to the pre-existing, pre-modern global routes-just think of those introduced by Marco Polo-the new global lines defined the action of European powers, in an increasingly pronounced and systemic way and precisely in a global sense. The international treaties by which the areas of influence were stipulated by European States effectively introduced the terms of a jurisdiction that gradually became international, not only in power but factually, and that found reflection precisely in maps as a means of attesting power. The global lines indicated on maps served as an indispensable instrument of political globalization.
The exact and precise indication of global lines on maps soon became the subject of international disputes and diatribes between States, creating an international competition that saw cartographers at the center. Maps thus became the tool through which political projects of a global nature took hold in the early modern age.
The contribution, following an interdisciplinary methodological approach, combining elements of the history of cartography and the history of the early modern age, aims to highlight the as yet uninvestigated aspects of the connection between global lines, geopolitical issues of the early modern age and the first form of globalization. The aim is to provide an overall conceptual framework that sheds light on a topic that is still little debated.

The manifesto for fieldwork is a participatory project that issues a call to attention and creates spaces for collaboration around a vision for the future of fieldwork in geography. The manifesto is an ongoing project that is growing out of our shared interests in the pedagogies and practices of teaching and learning in the field. The manifesto offers an invitation to engage in pedagogic discussions that seek to articulate visions for the future of inclusive and ethical fieldwork. It is motivated by a Fieldwork has long been a signature pedagogy in geography, but the place of fieldwork in curricula is changing. At the same time when curriculum projects in many universities are advocating for more experiential learning in authentic and real-world context, the climate and nature crises, pandemics, financial pressures, technology, and the importance of addressing inclusivity and accessibility are remaking field teaching. In place of a talk our intention is to offer provocative statements as a starting point to prompt discussion and then use activities to make a space for co-creating visions for the future of fieldwork. Our hope is that the talk is part of ongoing conversations that can articulate a renewed and robust vision for the place and importance of fieldwork in geography education, as well as promote accountability in the design and practice of fieldwork.

Within geography in higher education there is a growing emphasis on the importance of inclusive practices, not just in the classroom and curriculum, but specifically in outdoor learning. The literature highlights that fieldwork can exclude students based on factors such as ability, race, class, gender and sexuality. Educators often address these issues reactively through requests from individual students, but what are broader student perceptions on the inclusivity of fieldwork? The use of pre and post hoc surveys to capture students lived experiences of fieldwork has proved a useful method to improve engagement and participation in fieldwork (Peasland et al., 2021; Scott et al., 2019). However, uncovering student experiences in the field has received less attention in regards to explicitly improving inclusivity, particularly within human geography (Hughes, 2016). This presentation discusses student experiences of a human geography fieldwork, addressing a range of potential exclusive factors, the mechanisms therein, and the variety among both students and experiences.

We will present the results of pre and post fieldwork surveys given to students within the Human Geography and Spatial Planning department of Utrecht University, the Netherlands. We aim specifically to gain a deeper understanding into student perceptions of the inclusivity of fieldwork using a lens of intersectionality, which recognises that multiple marginalising factors may affect ones lived experience. Drawing from Hughes’ (2016) study of Black and Ethnic Minority students’ experiences in the field, we expand on her instrument to include intersectional barriers such as socioeconomic status, physical ability and at-home duties. These insights will help us to address the inclusivity of a mandatory year 1 course with residential fieldwork in European border regions. Preliminary results demonstrate a need to inform students in greater detail about the realities of fieldwork beforehand. While fieldwork is integral to human geography education, a priori students have little understanding of what a day in the field looks like. This survey comprises the initial stages of a larger project addressing barriers to inclusive fieldwork in human geography in Dutch tertiary education. This presentation shares outcomes of our study, and invites educators and researchers to collectively generate insights for developing inclusive practices.

References:

Hughes, A. (2016). Exploring normative whiteness: Ensuring inclusive pedagogic practice in undergraduate fieldwork teaching and learning. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(3), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2016.1155206

Peasland, E. L., Henri, D. C., Morrell, L. J., & Scott, G. W. (2021). Why do some students opt out of fieldwork? Using expectancy-value theory to explore the hidden voices of non-participants. International Journal of Science Education, 43(10), 1576–1599. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1923080

Scott, G. W., Humphries, S., & Henri, D. C. (2019). Expectation, motivation, engagement and ownership: Using student reflections in the conative and affective domains to enhance residential field courses. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 43(3), 280–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1608516

All kinds of digital tools, VR, big data and AI, have diversified the ways in which research in social sciences can be done. Nevertheless, fieldwork activities in Human Geography programmes are still very much rooted in direct experiences and observations of a place and face-to-face interactions through interviewing or surveying. The ethics, outcomes and the universality of these fieldwork experiences are, however increasingly challenged. Scholars stress that reflective practice and creative resources are crucial to engage students in experiential and substantive reflection on ethical challenges. This project aims to design an evidence based tool to guide inclusive and effective fieldwork activities in human geography programmes.

For this project students fieldwork diaries were thematically analysed generating valuable insights into the diversity of students’ fieldwork experiences (eg. accounts of racism, anxiety) and what ethical aspects tend to be ignored or missed, providing input for guidelines to improve fieldwork activities. A survey amongst students (n=50) and additional interviews with students (n=10) and teachers (n=10) show a wide variety of perspectives on ethics, the value of fieldwork and a lack of coherence throughout courses and fieldwork activities. The outcomes raise important and challenging questions about the design and guidelines for future large scale fieldwork courses.

This conference contribution presents The Ethics Conversation Tool, aiming to align fieldwork activities and stimulating ongoing conversations and ethical competences throughout the bachelor programme. The tool is developed based on the student and teacher perspectives on ethics in fieldwork activities and my personal experience of teaching a large scale fieldwork course (90 students) on a sensitive topic (attitudes towards asylum seeker centres in small towns) for over 10 years.

Fieldwork is a core pedagogy in geography education (France & Haigh 2018). However, many standard practices within fieldwork pose challenges related to accessibility and inclusion. Educators often address these issues reactively, responding to individual requests for amendments. As not all students self-disclose their need for accommodations, this approach results in unaddressed barriers to participation in fieldwork (Hall & Healey, 2005). These barriers can be manifold and intersectional, including socio-economic status, physical ability or involvement in caring duties. Fieldwork thus requires a proactive approach by educators that starts at the design stages to allow all students the opportunity to be and feel appropriately included. Examples of such an approach are scarce in the literature beyond Lawrence and Dowey’s (2022) six design principles that focus on both the planning stages and the actual time in the field and the need for a conversation between staff and students.

In this storytelling inspired presentation we will discuss the development of a multiday fieldwork designed for first year human geography students at Utrecht University (Netherlands). The redesign of this fieldwork takes a proactive approach to inclusivity and draws upon the framework of Universal Design for Learning to more effectively anticipate for potential barriers students might meet and that prevent their full participation in fieldwork activities (Higgins & Maxwell, 2021). This framework suggests providing flexibility and multiplicity in learning regarding modes of engagement, representation and expression.

In this presentation we will take you along on our journey towards more inclusive fieldwork and present the rationale for our trip, it’s highlights, the hurdles we encountered, and the lessons learned. We hope this journey inspires others to join us on the same path towards inclusive fieldwork for all.

References:

Lawrence, A. & Dowey, N. (2022) Six simple steps towards making GEES fieldwork more accessible and inclusive, Area (54(1), 52-59

France, D. & Haigh, M. (2018) Fieldwork @40: fieldwork in geography higher education, Journal of Geography in Higher Education 42(4), 498-514

Hall, T., & Healey, M. (2005). Disabled Students’ Experiences of Fieldwork. Area, 37(4), 446–449.

Higgins, A. K., & Maxwell, A. E. (2021). Universal Design for Learning in the Geosciences for Access and Equity in Our Classrooms. The Journal of Applied Instructional Design, 10(1), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.59668/223.3752

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.

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.