Spatial Changes and Social Opportunities
in the 21st-Century City
Organized by:
National and Kapostrian University of Athens
International Urban Symposium-IUS
Commission of Urban Anthropology
University of Athens, Greece, 27-29 May 2026
This event is grounded in the perspective of the social sciences, aiming to explore the complex and evolving relationship between urban spatial transformations and emerging patterns of social opportunity, inequality, and inclusion in contemporary cities.
In the face of globalization, technological innovation, and shifting demographics, cities have become both arenas of profound spatial reconfiguration and sites of intensified social challenges and potential. Social sciences are uniquely positioned to interpret these transformations, critically examining how urban space shapes, and is shaped by, economic practices, cultural dynamics, and political structures.
This conference invites researchers, academics, professionals, and students interested in issues of urbanism, social justice, spatial policy, and participatory planning. We welcome paper presentations, theoretical contributions, and practice-based insights that address questions of access, mobility, governance, and the right to the city in diverse urban contexts across the globe.
We especially encourage interdisciplinary approaches and comparative perspectives that illuminate the connections between spatial change and the lived experiences of urban populations. Our aim is to foster critical dialogue and meaningful collaboration that may inform both research and policy-making in the pursuit of more equitable urban futures.
Thematic areas leading to the formation of panels and roundtables:
- Urban Inequality and Spatial Justice
Exploring how spatial transformations influence access to housing, infrastructure, public space, and services, and how these dynamics intersect with issues of class, race, gender, and migration. - Governance, Participation, and the Right to the City
Investigating the role of local and transnational governance structures, grassroots movements, and citizen participation in shaping more inclusive urban policies and practices. - Digital Cities and Technological Urbanism
Examining the impact of digital infrastructures, smart city technologies, and surveillance systems on urban life, space management, and civic agency. - Environmental Change, Sustainability, and Urban Space
Addressing the spatial and social dimensions of environmental sustainability, climate adaptation, and ecological justice in contemporary urban development. - Migration, Mobility, and Urban Belonging
Focusing on how migration and mobility patterns reshape urban identities, neighbourhood dynamics, and the sense of belonging in diverse urban environments.
Abstract Submission Deadline: 28 February 2026
Abstract Length: Up to 300 words
Conference Languages: English
Registration fee: 30 Euros
Submission Emails: Dr V. Papadopoulou, (vas_papadopoulou@yahoo.com); Dr D. Mareta,(dimitra.mareta@gmail.com)
Scientific Committee:
Prof. Manos Spyridakis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Prof. Italo Pardo, University of Kent, UK
Prof. Giuliana B. Prato, University of Kent, UK
Prof. Marcello Mollica, Assistant Professor, University of Messina, Italy
Dr D. Parsanoglou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Organizing Committee:
Dr V. Papadopoulou, (vas_papadopoulou@yahoo.com),
Dr D. Mareta,(dimitra.mareta@gmail.com)
G. Sgouros (g.n.sgouros@gmail.com)
E. Haniotaki (han.ele@hotmail.gr)