Urban Planning & Architectural ...
Online Conference
22 Oct 2024 / 24 Oct 2024 read moreProfessor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa.
SARChI Chair in Spatial Transformation, Chairperson Platform 100.
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Introducing the first edition of The City is [Not] a Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities in collaboration with Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa, IEREK is proud to announce that the conference will be held as a hybrid conference from 5 to 7 July 2022, choose to attend physically in South Africa, or online from the comfort of your home country.
THE CITY IS [NOT] A TREE creates awareness of the problems that cause spatial, physical, political, social, economic, racial, and religious divisions in cities. Architects, planners, built environment professionals, social and political scientists, economists, designers, and artists will come together to discuss the reasons for the divisions as well as to conceptualize an approach to heal those divisions. The conference involves developers, local authorities, and communities in the conversation.
The fuller conception of the nature of divisions in cities means that effective principles and strategies can start to be formulated towards healing and transformation into livable and loveable places, which are a ‘home’ to more integrated communities, cities, and a more just and unified society.
We are laying the ground for the possibilities of a new commons, new social and physical formations, seeking ways to work meaningfully for societal advantage. We explore the different kinds of approaches, tools, and possibilities that may be learned between different actors, knowledge, and disciplines.
The conference unpacks two possible conditions:
The city is a tree - the city reproducing itself (more walls, more divisions)
The city is not a tree - the city remaking itself anew (an alternative condition)
The ecologies of division shape spatialities, territories, and geographies, between or within nations and different groupings. The difficult questions and tensions lay and where do these divisions manifest? Do they manifest into borders, walls, buffers, and security? How were these spaces or lines socially or physically constructed, and how are they policed, maintained, perpetuated, or contested?
‘Place’ is neither exclusive to the building/object nor the space around it, but both are inclusive of human inhabitation, encompassing space for the individual and for society. How the actors who shape the built environment define it, is a fundamental component of human interactions and relationships. In divided and pathological societies, this suggests redefinitions and repurposing of what place/space could mean and could be. The (re)definitions of space as a first step in the making of ‘place’ and the forming of a sense of ‘home’.
Fuelled by systemic problems, the urban ecologies of divided cities appear as mutually constituted physical, psychological and social conditions. Socio-spatial realities remain entrenched in identities and the urban psyche without even much notice or resistance. The project is an inquiry into such intersecting systemic currents, but it is also an exploration of the imaginative and potentially creative possibilities which could begin to challenge either-or binaries and offer the potential for creative space. As a collaborative and inter-disciplinary project, THE CITY IS [NOT] A TREE is also interested in the imaginative and multi-stranded confluence of memory, history, and social and political contexts, helping construct new physical, social and symbolic ground on which to build.
The City is [Not] A Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities will be the subject of an international conference to be held in Pretoria, South Africa, in May 2022, with a selection of proceedings to be developed into a book publication. As questions, analyses, investigations, proposals and provocations, some of the sub-themes of the project are surmised below:
1.1 Understanding how divisions are constructed, reproduced and contested
1.2 Awareness of the division
1.3 Reasons and formation of the division
2.1 Possible approaches and tools for facing the challenges of division
2.2 Strategies to the healing process of division
2.3 Solutions to lay grounds for new common, social, and physical formations
2.4 Ways to work meaningfully for societal advantage
2.5 Forms of resistance against division
2.6 Bottom-up, grassroots movements for peacebuilding
3.1 Ecologies of division and their effect in shaping spatialities, territories and geographies, between nations, groups, faiths, economic classes, and races
3.2 Where do the tensions lay, and where do they exist?
3.3 Gates, Walls and the Enclosure of Urban Space
3.4 Urban Inequalities and Environmental (In)Justices
3.5 Urban Socio-Economic Inequalities
3.6 How were these spaces or lines socially or physically constructed?
3.7 How were these spaces or lines socially or physically policed or maintained
3.8 Understanding the both material and non-material borders through which urban division is constructed and maintained
4.1 Effect of placemaking
4.2 Human interactions with the place and space
4.3 Redefining the purpose of place and space
4.4 The use of memory work to reimagine the divided city
5.1 The role of architecture and urban planning in rebuilding space
5.2 How social movements reimagine urban space and place
5.3 The role of art and creativity to sustain intercommunal relationships
5.4 How different groups construct identities in the city
All accepted extended abstracts (1,500 words) submitted to the "The City is [NOT] a Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities (1st UEDC)" after the double-blinded peer-review process will be published in the conference proceedings in the ASTI Book series by Springer. Authors of high-quality selected Extended Abstracts will be asked to submit a full-lengthed paper to be published as chapters, as part of an edited volume, in the Book Series “Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation” (ASTI) by Springer after the conference.
The ASTI Book Series by Springer is by highly professional members of an International Editorial Board to ensure a high-quality publication material to be eventually published online and printable.
The ASTI Book Series is indexed Scopus and will be submitted for indexation in Web of Science (ISI) and EI-Compendex databases.
In case of selection to publish your full-lengthed research in the edited Book by 'Springer' and provide it with world-wide visibility, authors must submit an extended version of their Extended Abstract that is at least 6000 words long.
If you are not sure whether you or one of your co-authors will be able to attend the conference, you should bear in mind that there is a fee to be paid for Audiences (Co-authors, Learners, and Interests). The accepted paper will not be included in the conference proceedings without paying the fee (see Conference Fees for more details). A research paper fee allows only one author, whether main or co-author, to attend the conference and receive only one copy of the conference abstract book in both hard and soft copies. Extras can be requested for a fee shown below.
Publishing in ASTI by Springer (Scopus indexed)
After the conference, the submitted manuscripts of authors interested in publishing in the ASTI book series will undergo a rigorous peer review process resulting in a final decision made by the editors. Only accepted research will be published as a chapter in the Book Series entitled “Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation” (ASTI) by Springer. The ASTI Book Series is by managed highly professional members of an International Editorial Board to ensure high-quality material for online publication.
The ASTI Book Series is fully indexed in Scopus. Some titles have been successfully indexed or submitted for indexation in Web of Science (ISI).
About the ASTI series
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) is a series of peer-reviewed books based on important emerging research that redefines the current disciplinary boundaries in science, technology and innovation (STI) in order to develop integrated concepts for sustainable development. It not only discusses the progress made towards securing more resources, allocating smarter solutions, and rebalancing the relationship between nature and people, but also provides in-depth insights from comprehensive research that addresses the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) as set out by the UN for 2030.
The series draws on the best research papers from various IEREK and other international conferences to promote the creation and development of viable solutions for a sustainable future and a positive societal transformation with the help of integrated and innovative science-based approaches. Including interdisciplinary contributions, it presents innovative approaches and highlights how they can best support both economic and sustainable development, through better use of data, more effective institutions, and global, local and individual action, for the welfare of all societies.
The series particularly features conceptual and empirical contributions from various interrelated fields of science, technology and innovation, with an emphasis on digital transformation, that focus on providing practical solutions to ensure food, water and energy security to achieve the SDGs. It also presents new case studies offering concrete examples of how to resolve sustainable urbanization and environmental issues in different regions of the world.
The series is intended for professionals in research and teaching, consultancies and industry, and government and international organizations. Published in collaboration with IEREK, the Springer ASTI series will acquaint readers with essential new studies in STI for sustainable development.
About Springer:
Springer is a leading global scientific, technical and medical portfolio, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content through innovative information, products and services. Springer has one of the strongest STM and HSS eBook collections and archives, as well as a comprehensive range of hybrid and open access journals. Springer is part of Springer Nature, a global publisher that serves and supports the research community. Springer Nature aims to advance discovery by publishing robust and insightful science, supporting the development of new areas of research and making ideas and knowledge accessible around the world. As part of Springer Nature, Springer sits alongside other trusted brands like Nature Research, BioMed Central, and Palgrave Macmillan.
Click on the below image to learn more about the editors
Amira Osman is a Sudanese/South African architect, researcher, academic, activist, public speaker, and author. She is now gaining experience in the world of publishing. She is a Professor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology. She currently holds the position of SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment). Amira believes that the architectural profession has a critical role to play in the achievement of buildings, neighbourhoods and cities that are more equitable, beautiful and functional – creating environments that are lovable, increasing opportunities and offering people a better chance at improving their lives and livelihoods. The belief that the profession has the potential to offer both technical and social expertise towards these aims is the driving force behind Amira’s work – indeed, she has spent most of her career advocating for these principles. Amira obtained a PhD in Architecture from the University of Pretoria in 2004. She was a convener for the World Congress on Housing (2005) and the Sustainable Human(e) Settlements: the urban challenge (2012), she served as UIA 2014 Durban General Reporter and Head of the Scientific Committee for the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA), she was Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the 9th International Conference on Appropriate Technology (9th ICAT)(2020). She is a joint coordinator for the international CIB W104 Open Building Implementation network. Amira has extensive experience curating international events, coordinating complex programmes and exhibitions in terms of design, conceptualising content and managing diverse teams.
John Nagle is Professor of Sociology at Queen’s University Belfast. He is also Fellow for SEPAD (Sectarianism, Proxies & De-sectarianisation), a project hosted at the Richardson Institute, Lancaster University. His research focusses on divided cities, particularly Belfast and Beirut. He examines social movement activism in divided cities and in the context of postwar power-sharing. He has published 6 books and more than 50 articles and chapters in leading international journals and edited volumes.
Dr. Sabyasachi Tripathi teaches Economics at Adamas University, Kolkata. Currently, he is on leave from September 2019 for his Postdoctoral studies at National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia. He completed Ph.D. in Economics from Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore in 2013. He has earned a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Jadavpur University. Before joining Adamas University he has worked as a Fellow at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and as a Research Fellow at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), New Delhi, India. He has also taught at Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
He is working in different areas of development-related issues such as regional economics, poverty, inequality, and international trade from both Indian and cross-country perspectives. His research outputs have received meritorious attention from the global community by publication in international journals and presentations in various international conferences held in different countries in the world. He has published 36 articles in various internationally reputed journals such as Habitat International (Elsevier), International Journal of Urban Sciences (Taylor & Francis), Journal of Business and Globalisation (Inderscience), Journal of Income Distribution (Ad Libros Publications Ltd.), Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies (Wiley Blackwell), Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science (Springer Nature Switzerland), Journal of Applied Economics Research (Sage). He has participated in more than 20 international conferences and visited 17 countries in the world. He has also participated as a Young Economist in the 4th Lindau Meeting of the Winners of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel held in Lindau, Germany. He has received Shri T R Satishchandra Memorial Best Thesis Prize in Economics from Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. He acted as a reviewer for more than 50 research papers from interracially reputed journals such as PLOS One, World Development, Urban Research and Practice, China Economic Review, and Review of Urban and Regional Development Studies. He is also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Public Affairs (Wiley-Blackwell).
The 1st edition of the international conference “The City is [Not] a Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities that will be held in collaboration with Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) at The Capital Menlyn Maine Hotel.
To help the organizers plan for inter-disciplinary dialogue, participants are requested to choose from the conference themes/ Topics upon registration.
They must also refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in registering and submitting their abstracts/ papers.
Organized from the comfort of your own home, the conference offers a virtual attendance option for your convenience. That said, participants will have a chance to present their abstract/research, online, and have their work considered for publication in the proceedings.
Virtual presenters are required to submit an abstract and extend this abstract following the “author instructions” below and before the deadline (see Important Dates). At least one author must pay the registration fee (see Conference Fees).
For any reason, authors may wish to submit pre-recorded video presentations no later than 15 days prior to the conference. Alternatively, they may wish to record a voice-over PowerPoint presentation for submission to the conference organizers.
Organized on the Campus of Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa, offering a Physical attendance option for your convenience. That said, participants will have a chance to present their research, on campus, and have their work (Extended Abstracts) considered for publication in the ASTI Series by Springer as part of the conference proceedings.
See Author Instructions and Conference Fees for more information.
If your extended abstract is accepted, it may be published in the conference proceedings book in the Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation Book Series by Springer (indexed in Scopus) even if you are not attending the conference. In this case, the accepted work will not be included in the final conference program and the fee will cover the cost of editorial handling and peer-review evaluation of your paper (See Author Instructions and Publishing Opportunities)
Roundtables/Panels are moderated discussions among researchers, students, policymakers, and practitioners. A roundtable/panel proposal must have a title, an abstract of up to 300 words, at least 3 keywords, 1 moderator, and at least 4 speakers/panelists. In addition to one roundtable/panel abstract, each speaker/panelist may wish to submit his/her own abstract of up to 300 words, which must have a title, its author’s name, and at least 3 keywords; it’s optional. At any rate, each roundtable/panel participant must register separately to be able to attend the conference.
To sign up, click here
Non-presenting participants may also wish to attend the conference as Audience Members or Co-authors contributing to an already submitted abstract/ paper.
Important Note:
IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit is fraudulent. The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process, on the basis of the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.Authors must refer to, and abide by, the following instructions in submitting their abstracts/ papers:
- The author should prepare and submit an Abstract (250 300 words) through the website and before the abstract submission deadline.
- The abstract should clearly state the purpose, results, and conclusions of the work to be described in the final paper.
- The author should select the most relevant topic for the paper from the corresponding conference topics.
- The author can use/download an abstract writing template to submit the abstract file accordingly.
To download the Abstract Writing Template, Click Here
- Upon submission, an abstract will undergo a preliminary evaluation process by members of our scientific committee.
-A relevant topic of the conference should be proposed with clear writing, aims, and objectives of the study clearly presented and sound literature and methodology of the work.
- The author will receive a notification by email, within 2 weeks, of:
Extended Abstracts:
- Should be no longer than 1,500 words and suits research that makes significant contributions and is either still in progress or can be reported on briefly.
- The structure of an extended abstract should resemble that of a paper and should contain its abstract, keywords, introduction, problem statements, and state the major issue(s) addressed, the potential significance of the work, the theoretical and methodological approach(es) pursued, major findings, conclusions, implications, and relevant scholarly references.
- An extended abstract will go through a double-blind peer-review process before inclusion in a conference proceedings book to be published in ASTI; a Scopus-indexed Interdisciplinary IEREK book series published by Springer.
- After review, high-quality papers may be invited to extend their work/ extended abstracts into full papers for consideration in an Edited volume to be published in the Series.
- The author should adhere to the deadlines available in the Important Dates section to be considered in the conference proceedings book.
- The full/short paper should be written in English as it's the official language of the conference.
Full-Length Paper (In case of selection after the Extended Abstract Submission):
- The Full/ Long paper submission is 6000 ~ 8000 Words in length.
- The full paper should state the major issue(s) addressed, the potential significance of the work, the theoretical and methodological approach(es) pursued, major findings, conclusions, implications, and relevant scholarly references.
- A full/long paper will be considered for publication and published, upon acceptance, in Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation; a Scopus-indexed Interdisciplinary IEREK book series published by Springer.
- The author should submit the full paper written on/ following the writing template and available through our online submission system.
- The Full-length paper should be written in English as the official language.
- The full/short paper should be written in English as it's the official language of the publication.
All Chapters will be screened for similarity using iThenticate; a Turnitin Plagiarism detection software, used for academic publishers. Springer Similarity guidelines are as follows:
To download Paper Writing Template, Click Here
Step 5: Payment Completion & Confirmation
Once Preliminary approval for presentation at the conference and/or consideration for publication is granted, authors will be expected to complete payment in reference to the Conference Fees.
Note:
In this phase of revision, the research paper will be evaluated based on its originality, structure, and relativity to the conference theme. If the paper gets acceptance by one reviewer, a paper preliminary acceptance notification will be sent to the author accordingly.
- As soon as payment is confirmed and done successfully, corresponding official documents can be issued from our end such as:
Step 6: Rigorous Peer Review Process (Full-length papers only)
Only after payment is confirmed,
- and the full paper submission deadline is reached, a submitted full-length paper is assigned to an Editor from the Editorial Board, in alignment with IEREK’s revision SOP (double-blind process).
- Each paper/ chapter is evaluated by a minimum of two reviewers, after which a final decision by the responsible Editor is made. There is no maximum to the number of times a paper can be reviewed, depending on the quality of the submission.
- Once a decision is made by the Editors, IEREK Editors will communicate one of the following three final decisions:
- If modifications are in order, authors will be sent the relevant instructions and a deadline will be set. Missed deadlines may result in complete exclusion from the final publication/ final rejection.
- A back and forth process, modifications will be sent back to the responsible Editor/ Series Editor and another round of evaluation conducted.
Student | Academic | Professional | Deadline | |
*ID must be shown | *Affiliation must be provided | *Affiliation must be provided | ||
Author: Type A -Presentation Only | ||||
Regular payment | 250 € | 08 Jun 2022 | ||
Late Payment | 350 € | 22 Jun 2022 | ||
Author: Type B- Extended Abstract Submission | ||||
Early Bird | 300 € | 350 € | 400 € | 15 May 2022 |
Regular payment | 350 € | 400 € | 500 € | 08 Jun 2022 |
Late Payment | 450 € | 500 € | 600 € | 22 Jun 2022 |
Co-author/ Audience | ||||
Regular Payment | 150 € | 200 € | 250 € | 22 Jun 2022 |
Student | Academic | Professional | Deadline | |
*ID must be shown | *Affiliation must be provided | *Affiliation must be provided | ||
Author: Type A -Presentation Only | ||||
Regular payment | 250 € | 08 Jun 2022 | ||
Late Payment | 350 € | 22 Jun 2022 | ||
Author: Type B- Extended Abstract Submission | ||||
Regular payment | 200 € | 250 € | 250 € | 08 Jun 2022 |
Late Payment | 300 € | 350 € | 350 € | 22 Jun 2022 |
Co-author/ Audience | ||||
Regular Payment | 50 € | 50 € | 50 € | 22 Jun 2022 |
Additional Conference Kit (Excluding Delivery) *Contact us for a quotation on shipping fees. | 100 € |
Paper Extention fees for publishing in the Edited volume after selection. | 200 € |
*Authors may request that their kits be delivered, for an additional fee decided by the courier, and upon request. Alternatively, authors located in Egypt can pick them up from Cairo/ Alexandria office.
* For Full paper extensions, please check the Authors' Instructions Step 3 the part entitled "Full-Length Paper (In case of selection after the Extended Abstract Submission)"
Payment Terms and Guidelines:
Title | Date |
---|---|
Abstract Submissions Deadline | 08 Feb 2022 |
Last Notification for Abstract Acceptance | 15 Feb 2022 |
Extended Abstract Submission Deadline
|
15 Apr 2022 |
Last Notification for Extended Abstract Acceptance | 15 May 2022 |
Early Payment Deadline | 25 Apr 2022 |
Regular Payment Deadline | 8 June 2022 |
Late Payment Deadline | 22 Jun 2022 |
Letter of Visa (for delegates who need visa entry) | 06 May 2022 |
Letter of Final Acceptance | 30 May 2022 |
Conference Program | 05 Jun 2022 |
Conference Launch | 05 Jul 2022 |
Attending a conference dramatically enhances both your professional and personal development. They help you sharpen the saw, meet and converse with industry experts, expand your resources and grow your professional network. IEREK Conference will help you:
1. Open Discussions: We bring together leading academic scientists, from different universities and countries, to exchange and share their experiences and research results.
2. Internationally Accredited Certificate: The participants are granted internationally recognized certificates acknowledged by IEREK, the University, and Partnering Organizations.
3. Publication: Selected high-quality manuscripts will be published, after peer review, in the Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) book series by Springer which is fully indexed in Scopous.
4. Research Technologies: Conferences can expand your resources by providing a great opportunity to promote gathered information on new technologies related to your research.
5. Networking: You can engage with industry experts to discuss with them the very latest research projects they could be working on and increase your chances of collaboration in future projects.
6. Academic Reputation: Attending many conferences will make you a known figure in academic circles and an active member of the academic community.
7. Conference Abstracts Material: Delegates will receive the conference Abstracts book in both hardcover and digital format on a CD. Shipping fees may apply.
Geci is an urban scholar-practitioner based in Johannesburg working in the intersection between people, place and technological change. She is a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Witwatersrand where she is hosting the African Civic Tech Innovation Network and setting up the new Tayarisha: African Centre of Excellence in Digital Governance. She is also associated with Singularity University, the University of Cape Town’s African Centre for Cities, and South African Cities Network, a learning network of the country’s metropolitan municipalities. Geci’s work is mainly in Africa and the global south. She has a diverse background, spanning a range of foresight, policy, innovation and practice topics, and has worked extensively in R&D, government and civic organisations. She previously worked with South Africa’s Ministry of Finance (National Treasury), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Advanced Policy Institute. She has also recently served on the South African Ministerial Task Team on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the South African Council of Planners (SACPLAN), and the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) Board. She is current Vice President of the AfricaLICS Board (the community of innovation scholars in Africa). Geci holds Bachelors’ degrees in Computer Science and Sociology (Coe College); Masters’ degrees in Urban Planning and Architecture from UCLA (Los Angeles); and a PhD from the University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg).
Althea Peacock is founding partner and director of Johannesburg based practice Lemon Pebble Architects and Urban Designers and graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a resident and professional architect practicing in the chimeric Johannesburg landscape for the past 20 years. Consequently, she is continuously thinking through being a black women architect and its implications to discourses on identity, marginalized history and narrative, feminist practice and spatial politics, and how these manifests in their projects of making of homes, educational buildings, and other built infrastructures. Ms. Peacock has been a guest critic and examiner at various universities for several years. This experience feeds back into her architectural practice which promotes and is at the confluence of critical spatial thinking, spatial justice, erased identities and landscapes, space making, learning, and mentoring as intrinsic components of spatial practice.
Dr. Michael W. Mehaffy is Executive Director of the Sustasis Foundation in the USA, as well as the International Making Cities Livable (IMCL) conference series. He is also a researcher, educator, lecturer, author and consultant who has played a key role in a number of internationally leading urban development, research and education projects. He was a consultant to the United Nations for the Habitat III conference and its outcome document, the New Urban Agenda. He was also the first Director of Education for The Prince’s Foundation in London, the Prince of Wales’ educational charity, where the education program he developed later became a Masters and Ph.D. degree program in sustainable urban development at the University of Oxford. He has held appointments in research and/or teaching in seven graduate institutions in six countries, and he is on the editorial boards of four international journals of urban design. He studied music at the California Institute of the Arts and philosophy at the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin prior to graduate study in architecture with Christopher Alexander at the University of California, Berkeley, later earning a Ph.D. in architecture at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. He has remained a close collaborator with Alexander, and a scholar on the latter’s work. He was editor and contributor to A City is Not a Tree: 50th Anniversary Edition, a new edition of the classic paper by Alexander, with contemporary commentaries by urban researchers including Mike Batty, Luis Bettencourt, Bill Hillier, and others.
Ricardo is the proponent of the "Theory of Encryption of Power" that is mainly concerned with the ontology of radical democracy and the dialectical foundations of difference through an intense engagement with studies of coloniality and the reshaping of classical conceptual devices such as "the people" and "sovereignty". His books in English include, "Being and Contingency: Decrypting Heidegger's Terminology" (2020); "Decrypting Power" (2018, as editor) and "Decolonizing Democracy: Power in a Solid State" (2016) all published with Rowman and Littlefield International (London and New York). In Spanish, his books include his seminal series entitled "Teoría Crítica Constitutional" (or constitutional critical theory), with three books published between 2009 and 2014. He has also written many specialized articles on constitutional law, cinema, art, and politics. He has recently published two novels in Spanish (El Cuerno de Gabriel 2020, and La Revolución de las Orugas 2022). He was a visiting professor at Instituto Tecnológico Autonómo de Mexico (ITAM) and has taught special courses at Universidad Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) PUC Rio de Janeiro, Universidad Central de Quito (Ecuador), Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad de Mexico (UACM), Universidad San Luis de Potosí (Mexico) PUC Minas Gerais, Universidade Federal de Ceará (both in Brazil). He has been Guest Lecturer at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), University of California in Berkeley, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Complutense, Madrid (Spain) and Universidad de Valencia-Spain, among others.
Ahmedi Vawda has worked on the post-apartheid reconstruction of the democratic state project since 1994 at the nexus of land, housing, human settlement and community development. As part of a slew of anti-apartheid activists of generation X, schooled in critical developmental studies engaged on the terrain of education, the labor and community movement, alert to the power of building counter cultures, the 1994 social contract became an obsession. He was ‘deployed’ to moving the sunset clause administration for land towards its stated program objectives of restitution, tenure and land reform in 1994; then appointed by the government of local unity in the city of cape town in 1997 to head up the transformatory branch of community development to enable a more equitable access to community services for all; relocated to undertake the second generation of policy iterations for the department of housing in 2002 with periods of recall over the next 18 years; and appointed to facilitate the human settlements performance enhancements per the national development plan in 2010. The application of multiple cross disciplinary interventions in the democratic project has enabled access to an incredible network of fellow travelers.
She researches broadly in the field of marginalized populations, with work spanning urban informality and inclusion of Autism and Neurodiversity. Through her Cairo-based practice, Progressive Architects she specializes in autism inclusive design and is the author of the Autism ASPECTSS™ design guidelines, the world’s first research-based design framework for autism worldwide. ASPECTSS™ has been presented at the United Nations as a framework for international autism design policy, as well as showcased in lectures and keynotes at Yale University, Harvard’s GSD, the National Autistic Society in the UK, Ireland’s AsIAM, Google Zurich and the World Autism Organization. It was awarded the UIA International Research Award in 2014 and was the subject if her well-received TedxTalk in 2015. Through various consultancies ASPECTSS™ has been used to design projects spanning five continents and ranging in scale from interior classroom retrofits to urban-scale neighbourhoods in Europe, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Ireland and the UAE. Her body of work was recently showcased at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale in an exhibit titled “Autistic Imaginaries of Architectural Space”, as well as at the 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennale as part of the Shaping the City program. She has recently joined the New York-based think-tank and inclusive practice MIX Design as Autism Design lead , where she brings the lens of autism and neurodiversity to their intersectional practices. Her other field of research looks at another form of marginalization through the study of informal settlements, and in 2015 she published the Juxtopolis© Pedagogy, a studio-based research/design methodology. The Juxtopolis© Pedagogy's resultant work has been presented and exhibited worldwide, including at Columbia University's GSAPP; Durban, South Africa; the 2016 and 2018 Venice Biennales as well as a recent publication titled “The Informal City and the Future of our Cities: Towards a Manifesto” which outlines the product of her 2017 RIBA Masterclass on the subject. She is co-author of the book "Learning from Cairo" and her Juxtopolis Pedagogy was featured in Columbia University's book series on Architecture and the City "The Arab City: Architecture and Representation".
Dr Alona Martinez Perez is a Senior Lecturer at the Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University with qualifications in both architecture and urban design. Originally from Bilbao, Spain, she trained as an architect in England and Scotland. She completed her PhD titled “The Architecture of the Periphery” at the University of Sheffield with a focus on the theory of the periphery in the European city, using a case study in Madrid. She won the PhD Conference bid for AHRA (Architecture and Humanities Research Association) at Plymouth University and has presented over 20 papers and conferences on peripheral issues.
Previous roles include Lecturer in Architecture at Plymouth University (2013-2017), Lecturer in Placemaking at the University of Ulster (2009-2013), tutor for architecture at the University of Dundee and Research Director at the Geddes Institute for the project of cities and regions (where she is currently a fellow).
Dr Martinez Perez worked in practice for nearly a decade in both England and Scotland for both public and private sector clients on many prestigious projects in retail, health, education, hospitality and master planning and continues to work on smaller projects.
She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture and Urban Design, a Master of Science in Urban Design from Edinburgh College of Art, and a degree in Architecture from Huddersfield University. She has been a visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg since July 2017 working on peripheral development and de-colonisation, a visiting Professor at the University of Trento and has taught as a visiting lecturer at Edinburgh University, University of Pescara and University Federico II LUPT.
She has written extensively at international level and has published in Domus, Urbanistica and the Journal of Urban Design.
She has presented at International conferences as a keynote speaker.
In 2011 she was awarded the Urbanistica Prize by the INU, the prestigious National Urban Institute (Italy) for two exhibitions and conferences with the project Belfast@Venice.
Amira Osman is a Sudanese/South African architect, researcher, academic, activist, public speaker, and author. She is now gaining experience in the world of publishing. She is a Professor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology. She currently holds the position of SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment). Amira believes that the architectural profession has a critical role to play in the achievement of buildings, neighbourhoods and cities that are more equitable, beautiful and functional – creating environments that are lovable, increasing opportunities and offering people a better chance at improving their lives and livelihoods. The belief that the profession has the potential to offer both technical and social expertise towards these aims is the driving force behind Amira’s work – indeed, she has spent most of her career advocating for these principles. Amira obtained a PhD in Architecture from the University of Pretoria in 2004. She was a convener for the World Congress on Housing (2005) and the Sustainable Human(e) Settlements: the urban challenge (2012), she served as UIA 2014 Durban General Reporter and Head of the Scientific Committee for the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA), she was Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the 9th International Conference on Appropriate Technology (9th ICAT)(2020). She is a joint coordinator for the international CIB W104 Open Building Implementation network. Amira has extensive experience curating international events, coordinating complex programmes and exhibitions in terms of design, conceptualising content and managing diverse teams.
Ciaran Mackel founded the design and research-oriented practice ARdMackel with a studio in Belfast and has a portfolio of residential, cultural, and community projects on a number of which he is currently collaborating with visual arts practitioners. The practice has gained a number of design awards for its buildings.
He is also an Associate Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the Ulster University Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment and is currently teaching a vertical studio unit focussed on the Gaeltacht Quarter – a culture-led regeneration project in Belfast. He has been visiting critic to ENSA School of Architecture in Nantes and to Plymouth University School of Architecture.
He is a regular contributor to architectural periodicals writing reviews, editorials and essays to generate discussion on architecture and urbanism. He has also been architect – assessor on a number of architectural and building competitions.
Ciaran was a founder board member of PLACE, developed in co-operation with Belfast City Council to provide a city-center venue as an Architecture and Built Environment Centre. He was also a founder member of the Forum for Alternative Belfast. Ciaran currently serves on the Boards of a number of organizations including, The Gaeltacht Quarter, and the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation and he is also an architect advisor to the Ministerial Advisory Group of the Department for Communities.
Carla Schmidt obtained her Master's degree in Architecture (Cum Laude) from the Tshwane University of Technology in 2018. Her master’s thesis was titled: The Design of an Education-Centred Mixed-Use Redevelopment in Central Pretoria.
It investigated a strategy for the regeneration of Wachthuis, an architectural landmark of Pretoria Architecture and a leading example of Pretoria Regionalism, within the context of reactivating and revitalizing the city and with the objective of creating social space contributing to fostering a sense of community.
In 2015 she was awarded the Fuchs Prestige Prize in Architecture, a Dean’s List: BTech Scholarship in 2014, and a Tshwane University of Technology Post-Graduate Scholarship in both 2015 and 2016.
As Fuchs Prestige Prize in Architecture winner’s obligation, she presented at the AZA 2015 Student Architecture Festival.
She was invited by the CAA to participate in the International Student Charrette and Masterclasses at RIBA’s 2017 International Week which explored the themes created through the New Urban Agenda, where she participated as part of the Historical City working group.
Carla lectures at the Tshwane University of Technology in Architectural Design II and Archicad in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year programmes. She is Research Assistant to the SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment).
She is a registered Candidate Architect at the South African Council for the Architectural Profession and works with
M°NL° Studio and Schmidt Associates on a variety of projects.
He has worked in academia and professional practice, as well as in the NGO sector where he was manager and researcher for the South African chapter of the Dallant Networks / Ford Foundation project Urban Impact (URB.im), and manager and researcher for the Social Housing Focus Trust (SHiFT).
His research interests include the socio-spatial and discursive histories of colonialism-apartheid, urbanisms in contemporary African cities and, more broadly, critical thinking around modernity and decoloniality in space, education and society.
Architect and Urban Planner, Master in Architecture (University of York, England), PhD in Information Science (UFMG), Post-doctorate in Geography (UFMG). Coordinator of the PRAXIS-EA/UFMG research group and researcher of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development). Investigations about contemporary production of urban space, exclusion system in cities, shared and/or collaborative design and production processes, technical assistance to low-income dwellers and social movements, strategies and impacts in the formation of the State-Capital corporation and occupations, removals, evictions and resistance to the processes of production of cities. Author of the book "The exclusion system in the Brazilian neoliberal city", published by Lutas Anticapital.
- For participants who need Entry Visas to the country where the conference will be held, IEREK will issue the corresponding invitation letter for accepted applicants to facilitate visa issuance.
- Please note that we will endeavor to assist you in obtaining a visa but the responsibility is yours and the decision rests solely with the appropriate Embassy.
Invitation Letter Issuance Process
1- In case the participant is an author who has submitted a research paper to the conference, it must get accepted by the Scientific Committee
2- Required participation fees must be paid
3- The participant should send the following information to the conference's official email:
* A clear copy of passport
* Passport number
* Full name as written in your passport.
* Date of Issuing and Expiration
* Date of Birth
* Email address of the nearest Embassy/Consulate to you
* Mobile Number including country code
4- Conference coordinator will issue the needful invitation letter and send a copy to the participant's email, in addition to another one to the corresponding embassy/consulate
5- The participant should print out the invitation letter along with all other required documents by the embassy/consulate and apply for VISA
Cancellation Policy |
Up to 60 days before the event |
Up to 50 days before the event |
Up to 40 days before the event |
39 days before the event |
Penalty |
20% |
50% |
70% |
100% |
EXCEPTION
A refund is not possible if
-An acceptance letter has been issued (Authors only)
-The proceedings of the event have been published (Authors only)
-All matters have been finalized (accommodation/travel expenses paid for)
Visa Rejection Cases
Reason and proof of rejection must be submitted. If the reason for rejection is due to an error on our part, the participant will be refunded their full fee with a deduction of a 20% administration fee.
Documents to be issued by IEREK to acquire a visa are as follows:
*Final Acceptance Letter (Authors only)
*Visa Invitation Letter
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We encourage all authors and attendees to ensure their having acquired all documents (those applicable) mentioned.
If the reason for rejection is not related to any of the aforementioned and is an error on the participant’s part, the following will apply:
*Authors: may choose to let their co-author present his/her research on his/her behalf free of charge. If the author does not have a co-author, a member of the scientific committee shall present on the author’s behalf.
*Audience members/Registrants: will only be allowed to attend another similar event of their choosing that is organized by IEREK free of charge.
Delegates in any event who cancel their registration due to special circumstances will receive refunds according to the following:
Cancellation Policy |
Up to 60 days before the event |
59 days before the event |
Penalty |
20% |
100% |
A refund is not possible if
- An acceptance letter has been issued (Authors only)
- The proceedings of the event have been published (Authors only)
- A submitted manuscript is rejected by the editorial board after going through peer review.
Pretoria is one of South Africa's three capital cities. It stretches along both sides of the Apies River and extends into the western foothills of the Magaliesberg on the east.
It is Known as the Jacaranda City for all the purple blossom-bedecked trees.
1- The Union Buildings
The Union Buildings form the official seat of the South African government and also house the offices of the President of South Africa. They are considered by many to be the architect's greatest achievement and a South African architectural masterpiece.
2- Distong Museum of South Africa
It is a union of eight museums, seven in Tshwane and one in Johannesburg.
They have diverse collections covering the fields of fauna and flora, paleontology, military history, cultural history, geology, anthropology and archaeology.
3- Freedom Park
Freedom Park is a national and international site that celebrates the ideals of liberty, diversity and human rights.It is a cultural institution housing a museum and a memorial dedicated to documenting and honouring the many who sacrificed themselves to South Africa's liberation.
4- The Voortrekker Monument
This massive granite Structure is located on a Hilltop, and was Built to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854.
-Airports:
-Wonderboom National Airport
15.5 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 23 min. by car.
Address: Lintvelt Road, Doornpoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa
-Bus Stops:
-Tshwane Bus Services
4.9 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 10 min. by car.
Address: R104 WF Nkomo St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0183, South Africa
-Thaba-Tshwane Bus Stop
8.0 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 13 min.
Address: Stephanus Schoeman Rd, Thaba Tshwane, Centurion, 0187, South Africa
-Nana Sita
4.9 from Tshwane University of Technology/ 10min.
Address: 352 Nana Sita St, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
Hotels in Pretoria, South Africa
1-The Capital Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, South Africa
Address: 194 Bancor Ave, Menlyn, Pretoria, 0010, South Africa
17.1 KM from Tshwane University of Technology (30 min. by car)
Phone Number: +27 12 942 5000
2- Apogee Boutique Hotel & Spa
Address: 212 Johann Rissik Dr, Waterkloof Ridge, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
17.2 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 24 min. by car.
Phone Number: +27 12 786 0740
3- The Rasmus
Address: Solomon Mahlangu Dr, Erasmus Park, Pretoria, 0048, South Africa
19.9 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 24 min. by car.
Phone Number: +27 12 111 9170
4- Protea Hotel by Marriott Pretoria Loftus Park
Address: 416 Kirkness St, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0007, South Africa
10.3 from Tshwane University of Technology/ 21 min. by car.
Phone Number: +27 12 030 0420
5- Menlyn Boutique Hotel
Address: 209 Tugela Road, Ashlea Gardens, 0081 Pretoria, South Africa
14.7 km from Tshwane University of Technology/ 28 min. by car.
Phone Number: +27 86 100 7387
Outline of the conference:
The City is [not] a Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities is an international conference that will take place 5-7 July 2022 in Pretoria, with Professor Amira Osman as the Conference Chair. It is an international collaboration to research, discuss and devise strategies to address the spatial, physical, political, social, economic, racial, and religious divisions in cities that affect the lives of so many in different parts of the world, including South Africa.
The conference is a cooperation between Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and IEREK (International Experts for Research Enrichment and Knowledge Exchange), Germany/ Egypt, and the vehicle to build a platform from which we can deepen our understanding of both the reasons and the implications for the divisions as well as conceptualize a rigorous approach to healing these divisions and transforming our urban spaces. The objective is to involve developers, local authorities, and communities in the conversation to explore the different approaches, tools, and possibilities that may be learned from sharing between a variety of research disciplines and city stakeholders.
To Register, please click here! specifying whether you would like to attend the "Pattern language" workshop only or the whole event.
Contact Us
Conference support: [email protected]
Local contact (TUT): [email protected]
Professor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa.
SARChI Chair in Spatial Transformation, Chairperson Platform 100.
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