Destination Chinatowns:
Mobilizing Knowledge for Economic and Neighbourhood Vitality and Resilience
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – September 26-30, 2026
Call for participation
Hosted by: University of Alberta / Chinatown Transformation Collaborative/ Chinese Benevolent Association / Edmonton Business Improvement Association.
Our approach: This cross-sectoral international conference aims to connect the knowledge and practical expertise of advocates and professionals with scholars who research and work with urban ethnic neighbourhoods, including Chinatowns, Little Hanois, Koreatowns, etc.
We invite urban ethnic enclave researchers, advocates, professionals and graduate students to submit proposals for 15-minute presentations or participation as a panellist on the following priority topics:
(a) Economic sustainability, including the role of ethnic entrepreneurs and developing a visitor economy for locals and tourists alike;
(b) Community wellbeing, including safety and security but also exploration of immigrant experiences, social justice, community building, and sense of belonging;
(c) Arts and cultural heritage in Chinatowns, namely, how do we celebrate, conserve, transform, negotiate, preserve, and communicate; and,
(d) Place making, including neighbouring, space activations, planning processes, branding, and storytelling.
Submissions should include a title, a 200-300-word abstract, 3-5 keywords, and 100-200 bio-text.
Participation formats: A range of participation formats are available, including 15-minute academic paper presentation, participation in moderated panels, and contributions to sharing circles.
Submission deadline: April 30, 2026.
Submit your proposal via our online submission form via: https://forms.gle/b21bTyrLAdrmfvBK9.
Limited funding is available to Chinatown scholars (including graduate students), Chinatown advocates and NGO professionals. Assignment of funding will be based on the adjudication of abstract/bio submissions, using the following criteria: career stage, access to travel funding, subject-matter expertise, and geographic representation.
Questions to: infoCT26@ualberta.ca.
Conference language: English, with French, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Vietnamese translation for select sessions.