Call for papers

The global trend of rapid urbanization directly impacts the growing share of space, energy and resources consumption. For the first time, more than half the world's population has been living in cities and towns, and this rise especially affects the Asian continent (Gravel, 2007; Gubry, 2008; Durand-Dastès, 2011; Cruells, 2013). For the last twenty-five years, urbanization has mainly occurred in large municipal areas and in very large conurbations, of urban regions made up of smaller but relatively closely knit towns (McGee, Yao-Lin, 1992). Urban growth covers megalopolises (Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe…), metropolitan areas (Shanghai, Mumbai, Bangkok, Hanoi, Seoul, Jakarta…) but also small and medium-size towns in countries like India, China or even Vietnam and Thaïland... Meanwhile, the increasing international competition and the strategic position of Asia – as a driving force of the world economy – directly affect its search for sustainable city models. The importance of this phenomenon invites us to have cross-approaches of, and in-depth thinking about the systems of thought, models, tools, and ways and means at work in the making of the «sustainable» contemporary Asian city, regardless of whether the city is located in an economically healthy area, in an emerging country or in a poor region (CNUEH-Habitat 2001). For a number of years, the development of Asian cities revealed different logics and trends, which highlight various ways of action (de Koninck, 2012; Goldblum, 2013; Kennedy, 2013; Franck and Sanjuan, 2015; Landy and Varrel, 2015; Fanchette, 2016). The soaring number of large scale projects set up according to the sustainable development requirements root into a rescaled governance and resort to new planning tools. We can quote examples such as public and low-emission transport, sustainable housing and ecocities, green and blue corridors, networks in the city, well-connected business areas, urban intensity, energy transition and so on...

If the framework of the concept of « sustainable city » is really flexible (Emelianoff and Theys, 2000), this call for papers aims to bring the participants to show and analyse tomorrow’s visions for cities of varying sizes, and to determine evolutionary trends and the possible futures of the city so as to enable it to face many challenges: green affordable housing, drinking water and reuse, waste management and recycling, clean transportation, biodiversity protection and preservation, energy efficiency and sobriety, health and social justice,  governance, etc. (To Lang, 2013 ; Zhuo, 2014; Tiwari, Jain and Ramachandra, 2015; Flynn, Yu and Feindt, Chen, 2016). To understand the core and main features of the making of sustainable cities in Asia (how, who and what for?), three key entries will be focused to analyse and compare practices, stakes and experimentations. Case study will spotlight urban spaces located in South Asia, South-East Asia, Eastern Asia and Indian Ocean. The conference welcomes analyses and discussions about global strategic projects, flagship metropolitan projects or sectoral policies in cities of various size. The sessions will provide an opportunity for the participants (academics, researchers, scientists, consultants and policy makers) to exchange ideas and recent researches on planning and urbanism linked to the achievement of sustainable development goals in Asian cities. 

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Topic 1 – Knowledge and sustainability: How do we plan the sustainable cities? 

Topic 2 – Governance and sustainability: Who are the stakeholders?

Topic 3 – Well-being and sustainability: What are sustainable cities made for?