Urban Growth 2018

1st International Conference on Urban Growth and the Circular Economy

8 - 10 May, 2018

Alicante, Spain

Introduction

The continuing and rapid growth of the cities and their regions of influence has led to the need to find new solutions which allow for promoting their sustainable development.

The quest for the Sustainable City has until recently focused on the efficient use of resources with the application of technical advances giving rise to the definition of SMART Cities. The economic model emphasised, however, is still “linear” in the sense that the design and consumption follow the pattern of extraction of natural resources, manufacturing, product usage and waste disposal.

The continuous growth of urban population has recently given rise to the emergence of a new model which responds better to the challenges of natural resource depletion as well as waste management. This model has been called the “circular economy”.

The circular economy is a recent concept based on the reuse of what up to now has been considered wastes, reintroducing them into the productive cycle. The objective of the circular economy is to reduce consumption and achieve savings in terms of raw materials, water and energy, thus contributing to the preservation of resources in order to reach sustainable development.

The circular economy has its roots in environmental economics. Its objective is minimising resources in the production of goods and services. The idea is to implement the life cycle of products, services, waste, materials and energy. The concept needs to be embedded not only in the original design but also in all process phases and during production, which ought to be as efficient as possible.

One of the most important of these resources is water which is becoming a scarce commodity in an ever-expanding world whose population demands a better standard of living. Water is required for agricultural purposes as well as by industry, in addition to its use by the general population. The recycling of water is an essential component of the circular economy.

Closely associated with the concept of the sustainable city and the circular economy is the need to develop networks, not only within the City itself but also across other city regions to ensure governance based on cooperation.

There is no possibility for the success of a long-term economic policy without addressing the problems of natural resources and environmental pollution, which will affect the reuse of materials and products.

The current market economy based on a linear model from resource extraction, manufacturing, consumption and waste disposal, has not proved a long-term suitable solution, in spite of the substantial efforts made in reducing its environmental impacts. This is largely due to the continuous population growth, in a society that demands high standards of living, thus requiring an ever-increasing share of natural resources.

The basis of the circular economy can be summarised as follows:

• Eco-consumption: It starts with the evaluation of the possible environmental impacts of the process.
• Industrial Ecology: The industrial phase is based on the principle of optimisation of components, the flow of materials, energy and services.
• Economic Functionality: The process gives more importance to use than possession; ie to the sale of services rather than goods.
• Reuse: Aim to use waste to create new products. This phase also involves the repairs, recycling and value-added procedures to prolong the life of any given products or services.

The achievements of the goals proposed by the circular economy require the cooperation of the community, as well as technological changes and advances.

The need to base suitable development on the environmental, economic and social points of view, demands an integrated approach to solve the city problems including planning and development.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Urban Growth 2018. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Infrastructure and eco-architecture
• Green urban areas
• Landscape and planning
• City heritage and its regeneration
• Quality of life
• Urban transport
• Communications
• Energy systems
• Water reuse
• Air contamination
• Water pollution
• Waste management
• Noise pollution
• Waste water systems
• Risk analysis
• Recreation in the city
• Coastal cities
• Socio-economic issues
• Law and regulation
• Production of goods and services
• Consumption issues
• Recycling
• Urban agriculture
• Urban mining
• New design practices
• Smart technologies
• Mobility in the city
• Safety aspects
• Smart habitats
• Systems resilience
• Governance
• Community participation

                                               Find out more on the conference webpage.

Sustainable Tourism 2018

8th International Conference on Sustainable Tourism

2 - 4 May, 2018

Vienna, Austria

Introduction

Sustainable Tourism 2018 is the eighth meeting organised in this successful series. The first was held in Segovia (2004), followed by Bologna (2006), Malta (2008), the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute (2010), A Coruña (2012), Opatija, Croatia in 2014 and Valencia, Spain in 2016

Today tourism is an important component of development, not only in economic terms but also for knowledge and human welfare. Tourism today is an activity accessible to a growing number of people.

The phenomenon has many more advantages than disadvantages. New forms of economic development and increasing wealth of human societies depend on tourism. Our knowledge of the world now includes a strong component due to tourism. Human welfare has physiological and psychological elements, which tourism promotes, both because of the enjoyment of knowing new territories and increasing contacts with near or far away societies and cultures.

The tourism industry has nevertheless given rise to some serious problems, including social costs and ecological impacts. Many ancient local cultures have practically lost their identity. Their societies have oriented their economy only to this industry. Both the natural and cultural – rural or urban – landscapes have also paid a high price for certain forms of tourism. These problems will persist if economic benefit is the only target, leading to economic gains that eventually become ruinous. It is also a grave error to disregard the fact that visitors nowadays are increasingly demanding in cultural and environmental terms.

Never before have transport and communication links been so important as today. Natural ecosystems are now a rarity on the planet and ecologists talk today about ‘socio-ecosystems’. Given this, tourism and environmental education are facing a major challenge.

The ‘Global Change’ is a set of natural environmental changes that are strongly affected by technological and social developments. Natural changes are inherent in the Earth’s ecosystem (the ‘ecosphere’). Also, technological and social changes are inherent to mankind (the ‘noosphere’) and are now becoming widespread. Cities are growing rapidly and industry requires increasingly larger areas. Many traditional rural areas are being abandoned. Tourism should also play an important role in this context. Thus, interestingly, many historic agricultural districts have maintained, or even recovered, their local population numbers through intelligent strategies of tourism focused on nature and rural culture. Natural landscapes and biodiversity are becoming increasingly appreciated. The tourism industry must be able to respond to these aspirations.

Sustainable Tourism 2018 aims to find ways to protect the natural and cultural landscape through the development of new solutions which minimise the adverse effects of tourism. This can be achieved through new strategies involving the active collaboration of society as a whole.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable Tourism 2018. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Tourism strategies
• Environmental issues
• Climate change
• Safety and security
• Tourism as a tool of development
• Heritage tourism
• Marine and coastal areas tourism
• Sport tourism
• Tourism impact
• Tourism and protected area
• Ecotourism
• Rural tourism
• Tourism and technology
• Industrial tourism
• Transport and tourism
• Education and tourism
• Destination management
• eTourism
• Simulation models
• Social and physical infrastructure
• Gastronomic tourism
• Contents tourism
• Sustainability
• Role of the landscape on tourism
• Dark tourism
• Project image
• Sustainability assessments
• Gender role
• Cultural tourism
• Medical and health tourism
• Tourism and nature
• Local community

Find out more on the conference webpage.

Islamic Heritage 2018

2nd International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art

17 - 19 April, 2018

Malta

Introduction

The Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art started in Valencia, Spain (2016) and, following its success, it is now being reconvened. The second meeting is to take place in Malta from 17th to 19th April 2018.

The Conference aims to highlight the importance of Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art to the world and its influence across different regions.

The Meeting will deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries, including not only the better known public buildings like mosques, mausolea, citadels and forts, but also houses and gardens, engineering works such as bridges and dams, irrigation systems and many others which have also had a profound impact on society.

Islamic Architecture has enriched design with a wide variety of structural shapes, including among others, unique arches, a wide variety of vaults and domes which allow for new forms to be developed. The influence that these structural forms have in non-Islamic countries will be one of the themes of the Conference.

There is much to learn from past experiences to arrive at solutions which are environmentally sound and sustainable in the long term. As conventional energy resources become scarce, the Islamic design heritage can offer invaluable lessons on how to deal in an efficient manner with cases of hard and extreme environments.

Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on global type of architecture and city planning. As a consequence, many regions are losing their identity. The Conference will aim to review these developments in the light of what the classical Islamic urban designs and architectures have to offer modern society.

An equally important part of the Meeting will analyse the materials employed and the types of structural elements, particularly those unique to Islamic architecture. Associated topics of discussion will include music, textiles and ceramics, which are essential parts of the architectural fabric. The Conference will encompass papers on construction materials, including not only stone and brick but also more perishable materials like adobe, wood and reeds.

Preserving that Heritage also requires the development of appropriate conservation techniques in response to the different materials used and the ways structural forms work, including under extreme conditions, such as earthquakes.

Papers relevant to the influence of Islamic architecture on the development of new structural form, shape and design in the Western countries are particularly welcome.

The Meeting will be of interest to all researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved in the topic of Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Islamic Heritage 2018. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Historical aspects
• Heritage studies
• Archeological studies
• Mosques and minarets
• Conservation and restoration
• Oman and Eastern Saudi Arabian Architecture
• Citadels and fortifications
• Urban environment
• Baths and caravansereis
• Palaces
• Houses and gardens
• Bridges and dams
• Irrigation systems
• Climate adaptability
• Structural aspects
• The use of light and orientation
• Construction materials
• Architecture in Malaysia and Indonesia
• Mediterranean Islamic heritage
• The upper Gulf (Kuwait and Basra)
• The central Gulf (Bahranian and Qatar)
• The lower Gulf architecture
• The Persian coast and islands
• The Trucial coast (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates)
• Classical Ottoman architecture
• The Balkans legacy
• The Black and Caspian sea legacies
• Islamic architecture along the Silk Road
• Islamic architecture in China
• Afghanistan and Persia
• Islamic architecture in the ex-Soviet republics
• The Indian continent
• Islamic architecture in Al-Andalus and other Spanish regions
• Influences in the Americas
• Islamic architecture in Africa
• New cities and the search for authenticity

Find out more on the conference webpage.