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Research network for interdisciplinary urban studies

CIty+2026

City+2026@Mytilene: Improving Liveability for Urban and Rural Settings – Call for Abstracts (2nd Round Call)

CityPlus

City+2026@Mytilene: The 9th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Urban Studies

Improving Liveability for Urban and Rural Settings

July 2nd – 5th 2026

School of Geography, University of the Aegean

Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece

Call for Abstracts

City+ announces the 9th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Urban Studies, City+2026@Mytilene, to be held from July 2 to 5, 2026. The central theme of the 2026 conference is “Improving Liveability for Urban and Rural Settings”.

City+ continues its mission to bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and students to exchange knowledge and address emerging multi-scalar challenges in cities and regions worldwide. Since its first conference in Cambridge (2017), City+ has expanded internationally: London (2018), Delft (2019), Milan (2021), Canberra (2022), Perth (2023), Kitakyushu (2024), and Oxford (2025). To date, more than one thousand delegates have participated from leading universities and institutes across the world, establishing City+ as a vibrant international platform for sharing cutting-edge research and advancing interdisciplinary perspectives on contemporary urban challenges.

The forthcoming conference City+2026@Mytilene will be hosted by the Department of Geography at the University of the Aegean in Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece. The University of the Aegean is a public research university with strong international orientation and recognised expertise in spatial, island, and coastal research. Its Department of Geography, established in 1986 as the first university Geography department in Greece, is a leading hub in the Eastern Mediterranean for spatial analysis, regional development, environmental change and island studies. The Department also offers internationally oriented postgraduate programmes, including ISLANDS, which is a joint MSc with the University of Groningen, the University of Iceland and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, focusing on island geographies, sustainability transitions, and the translation of knowledge into practical, data-driven solutions. Mytilene itself offers a uniquely relevant context where urban life, rural landscapes, and island conditions intersect directly, making it an emblematic location for discussing liveability across scales. 

City+2026@Mytilene aims to support researchers and students in working closely at the forefront of interdisciplinary urban studies, enabling them to present their research, receive feedback, expand networks, and strengthen opportunities for future collaboration. Building upon the success of previous years, City+ aims to expand conversations beyond cities, strengthening dialogue between urban and rural contexts, and examining how data, governance, design, innovation, technology, and community‑centric approaches can foster everyday liveability. 

1.   Overall Information 

1.1 Conference Outline

  • July 2–3, 2026: Keynote speeches, workshops and research presentations in Mytilene, Greece. 
  • July 4, 2026: Academic Field Excursion to Ayvalık, Turkey.
    • This one-day field trip across the Greek–Turkish Aegean border will show participants how people, places and planning interact in this border region. We will compare island, coastal and peri-urban settings, and look at cross-border movement, heritage landscapes, and how everyday life connects to regional planning across the Mytilene–Ayvalık area.
  • July 5, 2026: Academic Field Excursion to the Petrified Forest of Lesvos, Greece.
    • This one-day field trip will be co-organised with local scientists and research partners. We will begin in Molyvos, a traditional village with a castle and a strong heritage landscape to discuss place-making, planning challenges and everyday spatial practices in a real setting. We will continue to Sigri to visit the Petrified Forest and the wider UNESCO Global Geopark of western Lesvos. Here, we will look at the geopark’s geo-heritage, long-term environmental change, volcanic landforms and how communities respond to environmental pressures today. We will also see how simple ecological indicators, landscape evidence and environmental data can help guide decisions about adaptation, conservation, geo-tourism and sustainable regional development. This excursion links directly to the conference theme by showing how understanding landscape and environmental change can support better planning, resilient communities and smarter development choices — in both rural areas like Molyvos and coastal areas like Sigri.

1.2 Conference Theme

  • Improving Liveability for Urban and Rural Settings. This theme considers how the everyday quality of life can be strengthened across both urban and rural contexts. Current pressures, including climate risks, economic volatility, changing mobility patterns and rapid land-use change, affect multiple settlement types and therefore require integrative responses that operate across scales and territories. Urban data analytics provides a means to measure conditions, compare trends and support evidence-based decision-making. By combining quantitative data with local knowledge, more resilient, healthy and inclusive living environments can be shaped from dense urban neighbourhoods to coastal towns and remote rural communities.

1.3 Participation and Presentation

  • Participation format: In-person attendance. 
  • Presentation language: English.
  • Presentation format: Oral presentation is preferred but poster presentation is also acceptable.

2.   Conference Sessions 

City+2026@Mytilene invites submission of abstracts to one of the following General or Special Sessions. 

2.1 General Sessions  

  1. Climate Change, Adaptation and Urban–Rural Sustainability 
  2. Emerging Technologies, Smart Systems and Urban Data Analytics 
  3. Mobility, Accessibility and Transport Behaviour 
  4. Planning, Governance and Territorial Integration 
  5. Liveability, Health, Inclusion and Social Equity in Urban and Rural Settings

2.2 Special Sessions

  1. AI-Empowered Urban Renewal and Regeneration (Chair: Paolo Vincenzo Genovese/ Zhejiang University; Yafei Zhao/Qingdao Huanghai University; Zhixing Li/Zhejiang University of Technology; Rong Xia/Zhejiang University; Yunshan Wan/Zhejiang University; Xiaozhen Li/Technical University of Munich; E-mail: sharon.xia@zju.edu.cn)
  2. Building Liveable, Healthy, and Happy Cities (Chair: Chun Yin/Wuhan University; Yiyi Chen/Guangdong Academy of Sciences; E-mail: chun.yin1@outlook.com)
  3. Coastal, and Insular Cities and Peri-urban Areas Landscape: Planning Theory and Practice (Chair: Tsilimigkas Georgios/University of the Aegean; Kizos Thanasis/University of the Aegean; Derdemezi Evangelia-Theodora/University of the Aegean; E-mail: akizos@aegean.gr)
  4. Coastal Cities and Regions (Chair: Longwu Liang/University College London; Lei Wang/Ocean University of China; E-mail: longwu.liang@ucl.ac.uk)
  5. Designing Heat-Resilient Cities (Chair: Siqi Jia/The University of Hong Kong; Yifu Ou/Heriot-Watt University; Qunshan Zhao/University of Glasgow; Di Wei/The University of Hong Kong; Xudong Zhang/National University of Singapore; E-mail: siqijia@hku.hk)
  6. From Ruins to Routes: Intelligent & Immersive Design in Historical Contexts (Chair: Yang Liang/ Guilin University of Electronic Technology; Nan Bai/Delft University of Technology; E-mail: liangyang@guet.edu.cn)
  7. Geographic Information Systems: The Operating System of Smart Cities (Chair: Fu Ren/Wuhan University; Rui Zhu/University of Bristol; Lina Huang/Wuhan University; Chen Zhang/Shenzhen University; E-mail: czhang@szu.edu.cn)
  8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Cities (Chair: Xinlu Sun/Peking University; Andrew Sudmant/ University of Edinburgh; Zhifu Mi/University College London; E-mail: xinlu.sun@pku.edu.cn)
  9. Post-Industrial Realities: Digital Twins, Heritage Interpretation, and the Visitor’s Imagination (Chair: Sunny Han Han/Wuhan University; Florentina-Cristina Merciu/University of Bucharest; E-mail: hanhan41@whu.edu.cn)
  10. Resilient Built Heritage and Built Environment: Research Perspectives and Governance Responses (Chair: Xinyuan Dang/University College Dublin&KU Leuven; E-mail: dangxinyuan1994@gmail.com)
  11. Sustainable Nighttime Urban Landscapes and Public Wellbeing (Chair: Haiyun Xu/Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture; Thanasis Kizos/University of Aegean; Qiu Waishan/University of Hong Kong; Zhifeng Liu/Beijing Normal University; Chongxian Chen/South China Agricultural University; E-mail: xuhaiyun@bucea.edu.cn)
  12. The Development Nexus Between Transportation and Urban Space (Chair: Sanwei He/Zhongnan University of Economics and Law; Lei Wang/Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wenting Zhang/Huazhong Agricultural University; E-mail: hesanwei@zuel.edu.cn)
  13. Transformation of planning education, research, and practice (Chair: Han Haoying/City University of Macau; Shen Guoqiang/Zhejiang University; Zhang Chun/Beijing Jiaotong University; Yuan Yuan/Sun Yat-sen University; Chen Na/Sun Yat-sen University; E-mail: hanhaoying@gmail.com/gshen214@zju.edu.cn)
  14. Urban Blue and Green Spaces for Health and Well-being (Chair: Ziwen Sun/Beijing Institute of Technology; Haiyun Xu/Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture; Longfeng Wu/Peking University; E-mail: ziwen.sun@bit.edu.cn)
  15. Urban Spatial Planning, Environmental Design, and Population Health (Chair: Puyue Gong/ Tsinghua University; E-mail: puyuegong@gmail.com)

3.   Abstract Submission 

Please submit your abstract via the abstract submission form (available at https://forms.gle/ifVPuo8po3gF7vR8A). If you are interested in a Special Session, please select the Special Session in the abstract submission form. In addition, please also send your abstract to the Special Session chair via E-mail, so that the chair is informed of your interest timely. Details for Special Sessions can be found on the official website (https://cityplus2026-mjt.aegean.gr) or the WeChat link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KcUp2IGQ87dtA4R12LvsrQ.
In other cases, please select the General Session that best matches the scope of your abstract.

4.   Registration Fee

Conference Registration Fees

  • Student registration fee: €120 for early bird rates (before May 1, 2026); €150 for normal rates.
  • Non-student registration fee: €150 for early bird rates (before May 1, 2026); €180 for normal rates.

Academic Field Excursion Fees

  • € 60 for Field excursion 1 (Ayvalık, Turkey), and the fee will be charged by a Turkish travel agency.
  • € 20 for Field excursion 2 (Sigri, Greece), and the fee includes car rental and guided tour.

Registration Information

  • Registration link: https://cityplus2026-mjt.aegean.gr/?page_id=1121
  • Participants may choose to attend only the conference sessions on July 2–3, 2026, or register for both the conference and the two academic field excursions.
  • Participants are welcome to join both excursions or neither. Owing to organisational and logistical constraints, registration for only one of the excursions is not available.
  • The conference registration fee does not include accommodation. Recommended hotels are available here: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JP56a1JUM5rSxM2CM5qaQA

5.   Key Dates (Greece time) 

  • Open for abstract submission: December 5, 2025 
  • Extended deadline for abstract submission: March 31, 2026 
  • Extended notification of abstract acceptance: April 7, 2026
  • Deadline for early bird registration: May 1, 2026 
  • Conference dates: July 2–5, 2026

6.   Invited Speakers

  • Prof. Dimitris Ballas, Department of Spatial Sciences, Groningen University, The Netherlands
  • Pietro Elisei, Managing Director and Founder of URBASOFIA, Bucharest, Romania; Past President of ISOCARP, The Hague, The Netherlands 
  • Prof. Zhifu Mi, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, The United Kingdom
  • Prof. Giorgos Tsilimigkas, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece

7.   Presentation Awards

City+2026@Mytilene will recognise outstanding presentations for PhD students with the best oral and poster presentation awards. The awards will be selected mainly based on the following criteria: 

  • Content of the presentation;
  • Clarity and flow of the presentation; 
  • Novelty and contribution to the field;
  • Timing etc.

8.   Conference Organisers

8.1 Scientific Committee

  • Michael Batty (Chair), Professor, The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, The United Kingdom
  • Nan Bai, Assistant Professor, Department of Architectural Engineering and Technology, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
  • Benjamin Buttner, Deputy Chair, The Chair of Urban Structure and Transport Planning, Technical University of Munich, Germany
  • Manos Chaniotakis, Associate Professor, The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources, University College London, The United Kingdom
  • Harry Charrington, Professor, School of Architecture and Cities, University of Westminster, The United Kingdom 
  • D’Maris Coffman, Professor, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, The United Kingdom 
  • Ashraf Dewan, Associate Professor, School of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Australia
  • Weijun Gao, Professor, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, University of Kitakyushu, Japan
  • Haoying Han, Professor, Institute of Urban and Sustainable Development, City University of Macau, Macau, China
  • Jie Huang, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Abolfazl Karimpour, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, The United States
  • Ying Long, Professor, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, China
  • Liang Ma, Research Professor, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, China
  • Xiaobo Ma, Data Scientist, Pima Association of Governments, The United States
  • Nasser Najibi, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida, The United States
  • Fu Ren, Professor, School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, China
  • Zahratu Shabrina, Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography, King’s College London, The United Kingdom
  • Zhenfeng Shao, Professor, The National Key Laboratory of Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing Information Engineering, Wuhan University, China 
  • Guoqiang Shen, Professor, College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, China
  • Jiaoe Wang, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Jiayu Wu, Professor, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, China
  • Kang Wu, Professor, School of Government, Beijing Normal University, China
  • Weiwen Zhang, Professor, School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, China
  • Zhirong Zhao, Professor, School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, China
  • Pengyu Zhu, Professor, Division of Public Policy, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hongkong SAR, China
  • Rui Zhu, Senior Lecturer, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, The United Kingdom
  • Motti Zohar, Senior Lecturer, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Haifa, Israel

8.2 Local Committee

  • Thanasis Kizos (Chair), Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece
  • Efi Chatzi, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece
  • Giorgos Tsilimigkas, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece

8.3 City+ Committee

  • Yongping Zhang (Chair), Zhejiang University, China
  • Mengqiu Cao (Co-chair), University College London, The United Kingdom
  • Zhifu Mi (Co-chair), University College London, The United Kingdom 
  • Haiyun Xu (Co-chair), Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, China
  • Tianren Yang (Co-chair), University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
  • Xiang Ao, University of Oxford, The United Kingdom
  • Lorenzo Ceccon, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
  • Nicholas Chow, University of Oxford, The United Kingdom
  • Frank Chuang, Chengchi University, Chinese Taipei
  • Mingjie Dai, City University of Macau, Macau, China
  • Dasom Hong, University of Oxford, The United Kingdom
  • Yiru Jia, Beijing Forestry University, China
  • Qianwen Li, KU Leuven, Belgium
  • Yang Liang, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China
  • Zhicheng Liu, University College London, The United Kingdom
  • Annalisa Rollandi, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
  • Min Ruan, University of Oxford, The United Kingdom
  • Fred C. Sanders, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
  • Yang Song, King’s College London, The United Kingdom
  • Yongze Song, Curtin University, Australia
  • Juan Yan, Tongji University, China
  • Huajie Yang, City University of Macau, Macau, China
  • Peiheng Yu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Pengcheng Zeng, Tongji University, China
  • Qinfeng Zhao, Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University, China
  • Tuyu Zhou, SGS Economic & Planning, Australia

8.4 Organising Institutes

  • Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Greece 
  • City+: International Association for Interdisciplinary Urban Studies

8.5 Supporting Institutes

  • Association for European Transport
  • China Institute of Urbanisation, Zhejiang University
  • Chinese Economic Association (CEA) UK/Europe
  • College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University 
  • Elsevier
  • ISLANDS: Islands and Sustainability Erasmus Mundus Masters
  • Lab of Inclusive & Smart Governance for Urban-Rural Integration, Zhejiang University 
  • Mobility and Urban Systems Analytics Lab, University College London
  • National Territory Landscape Planning and Governance Research Centre, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
  • School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University
  • World Urban Planning Education Network (WUPEN)
  • ZJU-CMZJ Joint Lab on Data Intelligence and Urban Future, Zhejiang University

8.6 Supporting Journals

  • Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy (Springer Nature)
  • Asia Europe Journal (Springer Nature)
  • City and Built Environment (Springer Nature)
  • Frontiers of Urban and Rural Planning (Springer Nature)
  • Journal of Urban Mobility (Elsevier)
  • Structural Change and Economic Dynamics (Elsevier)
  • Sustainable Futures (Elsevier)
  • Transactions in Urban Data, Science, and Technology (Sage)

8.7 Supporting Special Issues

Kindly note that, City+2026@Mytilene does not accept the full paper submission. However, the paper related to the submitted abstract has the opportunity to be considered for publication in the following special issues. For the details, please directly contact the organiser of each special issue.

  • Special Issue 1: Climate Adaptation and Urban Resilience in Coastal Cities. 
    • Related Special Session: Coastal Cities and Regions by Dr. Longwu Liang. 
    • Journal: Marine Development.
    • Link: https://link.springer.com/journal/44312/updates/27827402
  • Special Issue 2: Cities and Climate Change. 
    • Related Special Session: Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Cities by Dr. Xinlu Sun. 
    • Journal: Advances in Climate Change Research (SCI; IF=5.2). 
    • Link: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/advances-in-climate-change-research/call-for-papers/special-issue-on-cities-and-climate-change/
  • Special Issue 3: From Industrial Heritage to Cultural and Creative Industries: Scenario Reshaping in Contemporary and Future Chinese Cities. 
    • Related Special Session: Post-Industrial Realities: Digital Twins, Heritage Interpretation, and the Visitor’s Imagination by Prof. Sunny Han Han. Journal: Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism. 
    • Link: https://accscience.com/journal/JCAU/special_issues/FRHCCISRCFCC
  • Special Issue 4: Human Activity and the Built Environment: New Data, Methodology, and Insights. 
    • Related Special Session: Not applicable. 
    • Contact Info: Dr. Mengqiu Cao (University College London; E-mail: mengqiu.cao@ucl.ac.uk). 
    • Journal: Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy (SSCI; IF=1.9). 
    • Link: https://link.springer.com/collections/ahafhiaihe
  • Special Issue 5: Sustainable Nighttime Urban Landscapes and Public Wellbeing.
    • Related Special Session: Sustainable Nighttime Urban Landscapes and Public Wellbeing by Dr. Haiyun Xu.
    • Journal: Sustainability Science.
    • Link: https://link.springer.com/collections/cbffafiehh
  • Special Issue 6: Urban Blue and Green Spaces for Health and Well-being.
    • Related Special Session: Urban Blue and Green Spaces for Health and Well-being by Dr. Ziwen Sun.
    • Journal: The International Journal of Healthy Space.
    • Link: http://www.hwipgl.com/h-col-108.html
  • Special Issue 7: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) for Sustainable and Immersive Urban Mobility and Urban Systems.
    • Related Special Session: From Ruins to Routes: Intelligent and Immersive Design in Historical Contexts by Dr. Yang Liang.
    • Journal: Sustainable Futures.
    • Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/sustainable-futures
  • Special Issue 8: Green Space Externalities on Housing Markets: Integrating Landscape Ecology and Machine Learning.
    • Related Special Session: Building Liveable, Healthy, and Happy Cities by Dr. Chun Yin.
    • Journal: Land.
    • Link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/special_issues/U2BJILU49D

9.   Contact Information

If you have any questions, please contact the local committee through the website or email listed below. These are the official channels for communication.

  • Website: https://cityplus2026-mjt.aegean.gr
  • E-mail: cityplusmytilene2026@gmail.com

10. Social Media

You can also stay informed by following us on the following social media platforms: 

  • Xiaohongshu: 5049418472
  • X: City+ (@CityPlusNetwork)
  • WeChat public account: CityPlus2016
  • City+ website: https://www.city-plus.org/
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityplus2016-network

11. Applying Co-organised Summer School

The Summer School “Islands as Lighthouses for Sustainability (ISLAS)” is co-organised by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Islands and Sustainability (ISLANDS), the University of the Aegean, and University of Groningen. Participants will explore key topics around marine and land planning on islands, with a focus on socio-economic adaptations, environmental sustainability, and cultural resilience. Participants will use spatial data and perform spatial analyses for different aspects of planning in selected island settings. They will develop research and analysis skills and deepen their understanding of planning for island sustainability and resilience. Participants will also participate in the City+2026@Mytilene conference on 2-3 July 2026. 

Location of Mytilene, Greece