Report from the 2019 association of European schools of planning annual conference: 9–13 July 2019, Venice,Italy

ABSTRACT

The 2019 AESOP conference took place in Venice, on 9–13 of July. This year’s conference consisted of five intensive days that included more than 100 different panels, which consisted of thematic and special sessions, roundtables, discussions and poster presentations. Overall, more than 1000 scholars attended the 2019 AESOP, representing almost 100 different institutions word wide. The 2019 conference was overall a stimulating and intriguing event, which was further enhanced by the city of Venice, the chosen venues and the evident organization. One could only hope that future conferences will continue to embrace the same level, depth and diversity of topics, while encouraging a wider and more critical approach to the question of planning history.     

Towards Achieving Resilience at the Rural–Urban Fringe: the Case of Jamestown,South Africa

The “rural–urban fringe” is under assault worldwide, as cities expand in seemingly unstoppable growth, commonly known as “urban sprawl.” As cities grow, this “transition zone” becomes a contested area as various actors fight for space, with varying opinions on land use. This paper describes the decision-making dynamics governing land use in Jamestown, located in the rural–urban fringe, in Stellenbosch Municipality, South Africa. A fundamental lesson that emerged out of the research is that local outcomes are highly vulnerable to economic and political realities that may exist far from the area itself, resulting in clear winners, and “losers,” often depending on the ideological perspective of the individuals involved. The paper aims to draw out several lessons for planners and advocates of sustainable urban design: given the complex pressures governing land use in present day South Africa, what is there to be learned from this particular case in terms of “best practice” and best/better ways forward?     

‘Why Can’t the Future be More Like the Past?’ Planning History Track,Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP), Annual Congress,Department of Civic Design,University of Liverpool, 15–18 July 2009

AESOP’s 2009 Congress was hosted by the University of Liverpool as part of the centenary celebration of its Department of Civic Design, the world’s oldest university planning school. ‘Why Can’t the Future be More Like the Past?’ was the conference title on all the banners and conference bags – an oddly querulous question, nevertheless it did the trick in getting participants to think historically throughout AESOP 2009. Michael Hebbert and Dirk Schubert ran a planning history track for six of the conference’s seven parallel session slots. Their call for papers elicited 30 abstracts which reduced to 17 papers, a comfortable quantity allowing good time for presentation and discussion. The track had the fortune to be allocated a wood‐panelled Architecture lecture theatre with superb projection facilities – more than one speaker gasped at the glory of their own PowerPoint images.     

History,civilization and urban planning development in China — report from the 10th Academic Committee of Planning History & Theory Conference: 26–29 October 2018, Guilin,China

ABSTRACT

The 10th Academic Committee of Planning History & Theory (ACPHT) Conference took place on 26–29 October 2018, in the Guilin University of Technology (Guilin, China). The annual conference was held for the first time in 2009. Themed ‘Urban Planning in the Course of Civilization’, the 2018 conference probed the continuation and evolution of planning history from different civilizations, defined here as cultural characteristic at a particular place and time. More than 200 delegates attended the conference, bringing together researchers from the fields of planning history, architectural history, city design, public administration, cultural heritage protection, archaeology, art and media, municipal aviation, to socialize and share their work with each other, and to gain insight into interdisciplinary historical research methods. Based on a selection of relevant panels and roundtables, the report explores four prominent themes discussed in the conference: planning history in different historical periods, urban form and heritage, the practical role of planning history, and interdisciplinary approach. The relationship between civilizations development and planning history is illustrated through four topics. It also summarizes the academic consensus, theoretical significance, problems and difficulties, and future-oriented experience of the conference.