Conference Theme

The International Geographical Union Commission on Geography of Governance seeks to advance knowledge of the geography of territorial governance at the urban, local and regional levels, mainly considering new urban planning models.

Cities today face unprecedented challenges and opportunities brought about by phenomena from climate and demographic change, economic and financial crises and technological innovation. The inherently urban dimension of these and other challenges place cities at the centre of the international political agenda with the signing of the Amsterdam Pact for the European Urban Agenda, the UN Habitat III Conference held in Quito in October 2016 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations (UN) Summit in 2015.

In the Agenda, Sustainable Development Goal 11: “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” places the urban dimension at the centre of the international political agenda. It calls for local governments to address the future of cities as crucial to increasing both quality of life and economic and employment opportunities in cities. The urban community has largely adopted this ‘urban goal in its own right’ of Agenda 2030 in response to a growing awareness of the role cities play in achieving global development.

As well, new technologies require local governments to adopt new models of urban planning. From CAD software to generative AI, augmented reality, and blockchain, technology may make urban planning process faster, more efficient, and more sustainable. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions emerge that will help create smarter, more liveable cities for the future. Yet, there may also be adverse consequences from adopting such technology as individuals’ data are collected and utilised possibly against them.

Changing global expectations on local government as well as the technological changes they and their citizens face demand new ways of thinking about how localities are governed.

The international agendas also call for local governments to adopt more participatory approaches when developing their responses to all these challenges. Together these pressures call for rethinking the governance of cities.

To support the theme, we will have four tracks (see Tracks page for more information)

• Track 1: Urban planning, sustainable development and Agenda 2030 goals

• Track 2: Urban governance and citizen inclusion

• Track 3: New technologies and local government

• Track 4: Issues and developments in the geography of governance and urban planning

We also welcome abstracts on topics that resonate with the general conference theme.