Present
Architecture Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning
Exploring Urban Fabric – Variable Boundaries and Value Assessment
Helsinki University & AACCP Network | 21-22 May 2025 | Helsinki, Finland
The Department of Cultural Studies / Archaeology at Helsinki University, in collaboration with the Architecture, Archaeology, and Contemporary City Planning (AACCP) network, invites researchers, practitioners, and experts from diverse fields to participate in a 2-day symposium exploring urban development and city planning. The symposium will take place at Helsinki University on May 21-22, 2025, with the goal of fostering a deeper understanding of the interactions between past, present, and future in shaping urban environments.
Theme: Exploring Urban Fabric – Variable Boundaries and Value Assessment
This symposium seeks contributions that investigate the multifaceted nature of urban boundaries — both tangible and intangible dimensions — and their impact on urban development, governance, heritage management, site evaluation, and social inclusion. We invite contributors to critically examine the ways in which boundaries are constructed, reinforced, and sometimes erased within the urban fabric, with an emphasis on various aspects such as cultural, historical, spatial, social, temporal, and regulatory boundaries.
How do these boundaries shape our perceptions of urban spaces and histories? In what ways do urban policies and planning practices reinforce or challenge these demarcations? And how can a deeper understanding of urban borders contribute to more inclusive and sustainable urban futures?
We welcome contributions on, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The integration or division of historical and contemporary urban elements.
- Constructed vs. perceived boundaries and the formation of identities.
- Divided or unified spaces in the evolving urban landscape.
- Boundaries between city centers, suburbs, and their surrounding environments.
- The role of urban planning and development in shaping cultural heritage and urban identity.
- The influence of legislation and policies on the scope and limits of urban archaeology, preservation, and evolution.
- Urban design examples that challenge traditional / existing boundaries and promote inclusivity.
- Comparative studies and case studies of boundary-crossing urban development models in different contexts.
The event will start on the 21th May, here following you will find soon the leaflets and the program of the symposium:
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LEAFLETS |
Call for Papers |
PROGRAM |
Please submit abstracts of no more than 300 words outlining the key themes and arguments of your proposed presentation.
Abstracts should be sent via email to:With title, name and affiliation, contact email and a text of no more than 200 words.Deadline for applying: 14 April 2025
the participation to the workshop has a symbolic cost, Please note that participants are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation, and meal expenses. The full papers for the proceeding will be required after the workshop end and will be published in open access format at no costs for the authors (participating in the workshop will be a mandatory requirement for the publication).
The registration fees:
Each participant is asked for the following contribution, in case of multiple authors the fee is to be intended for each participant (in place) to the symposium. The registration fee of 15–35 € covers the services during the workshop.
- Students 15 €
- PhD—students 25 €
- Regular fee 35 €
The payment instructions will be communicated to each accepted authors, in case you may need a direct access to the registration procedure: Registration is required for all participants by 4 May 2025 via the link provided below. Please ensure that you begin the registration process by selecting the appropriate registration type to access the correct fee category.
Helsinki University Payment System
Preliminary programme:
Tuesday May 20 Pre-symposium excursion (half-day) in and around Helsinki
Wednesday May 21 Sessions and social events
Thursday May 22 Sessions and social events
Friday May 23 Post-symposium excursion in Suomenlinna (Unesco World Heritage site), information about the site are available at: https://www.slhk.fi/en/
