Planning and constructing urban cities do not necessarily mean exhausting today's resources and endangering the future's supplies. On the contrary, sustainable development and architecture ensure that we get the most out of the available resources without damaging the environment or increasing the risk of lacking resources in the future.

Bearing in mind the threat of global warming, which is witnessed vividly in forest fires and the melting of arctic glaciers, the world pays more attention to sustainable techniques in urban planning and construction that do not negatively affect the environment. Various countries and organizations have invested in renewable energy resources and sustainable architecture and construction projects.

It is now the role of engineers, architects, and researchers to come up with contemporary solutions to increase the life cycle of buildings, ensure the proper implementation of sustainable development techniques, and reduce wasted energy and construction materials. This is done to ensure the maintaining of a sustainable society and the reduction of negative environmental outcomes.

Reaching sustainable development requires huge efforts, especially when it comes to architectural design and urban planning due to the rapid increase of population around the world. Therefore, IEREK, alongside various organizations, has dedicated much attention to gathering researchers and architects interested in this field to share their knowledge and experiences to benefit humanity and future generations.

Following the success of the previous editions of "Urban Planning & Architectural Design for Sustainable Development," the 7th edition of the conference will be an opportunity to benefit from and exchange knowledge with experts in this field.

Selected papers of the conference will be published in a book series entitled Advances in Science, Technology, & Innovation (ASTI) by Springer. Other papers will be published by IEREK Press

• 1. City Planning: Urbanization and Development

  1.1 Urbanization and Development: new directions and issues

  1.2 Urban Spaces, Society and its Culture

  1.3 Urban Sprawl, Boundaries, and Greenbelt

  1.4 Built Environment: Impact and Approaches

  1.5 Sustainable and Natural Resources Management

  1.6 Planning Inspiration from Past and Innovation

• 2. Past and Future: City's Image and Preservation

  2.1 City’s Values, Image, and Identity

  2.2 Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism

  2.3 Biomimetic Approaches to Architectural Design for Increased Sustainability

  2.4 Social Feedback and User's-Oriented Development

  2.5 Waterfronts, Corridors, and Buffers of the City

  2.6 Historic Preservation, Management, and Rehabilitation

• 3. Compact Cities Context at Low and High Densities

  3.1 Compact City Debate: A Global Perspective

  3.2 Compact Cities in Developing Countries: Assessment and Implications

  3.3 The Regional Dimensions of the Compact City Debate

  3.4 The Need for Compact Development in Fast-Growing Areas

  3.5 Compact Policies for Megacities: Core Areas and Metropolitan Regions

  3.6 Challenges of a Rapid Urbanized Economy

• 4. Evolving Architecture and Rethinking Cities

  4.1 Public Transportation-Planning and Sustainable Networks

  4.2 Public Involvement in Sustainable Development

  4.3 Future Challenges for Contemporary Cities

  4.4 Infrastructure, Facilities, and Systems: New ICT Technologies and Sustainable Economy

  4.5 New Way Finding and Place-Making of the City

  4.6 The Architecture of Cyberception

• 5. Art and Defining the City

  5.1 Intersection of Public Art and City Planning

  5.2 Art Integration in Urban Morphology

  5.3 new perspectives for urban morphology

  5.4 Arts, Culture, Identity, and Creative Place-Making

  5.5 Urban Culture: Cities Share their Experiences

  5.6 A Look inside Art and Creative Spaces

All accepted papers of the Urban Planning & Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (7^th UPADSD) after the peer-review process will be either published as chapters in the Book Series “Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation” (ASTI) by Springer or in The International Journal of Academic Research Community Publication (ARChive) online by IEREK Press.

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. 

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.

The University was established in 1321 by the Florentine republic, and now it develops cooperation with research institutions and academics from all over the world to promote scientific and cultural internationalization, and it became one of the privileged destinations for international researchers and students. Florence is considered as an important international historic and cultural center, famous for the best-known and magical sights in Italy like The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Piazza Duomo.

University of Florence (Università degli Studi di Firenze)

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:

Step 1: Abstract Submission Process

- 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

Step 2: Abstract Review

- 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:

• Approval, after which they will be requested to prepare and submit their full/short paper submissions.
• Rejection, if the topic proposed does not fit the theme of the conference.

Step 3: Paper Submission & Preliminary Review

There are 2 types of paper submission at this conference:

• Short Paper 
• Full/Long Paper 

Short Paper:

- A short paper submission consists of 4–5 pages and suits researches that make significant contributions, but still in progress or can be reported briefly.

- The structure of a short paper should contain its abstract, keywords, introduction, problem statements, and the hypothetical solution along with further studies that they will go through when they want to extend their paper to be published online.

- A short paper is only included in the conference Abstracts book and will not have a chance to be published online by Springer or by IEREK’s Journals unless the author extends their work to a full-length paper and pay the corresponding fee.

Full-Length Paper:

- The Full/ Long paper submission is 8 – 12+ pages 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 included in the conference abstracts book as well as get published online by Springer or by IEREK PRESS Journals.

- The author should submit the full/short paper written on the writing template, through our online system before the paper submission deadline.

- The full/short paper should be written in English as it's the official language of the conference.

Step 4: Similarity Check/ Plagiarism Detection

All Chapters will be screened for similarity using iThenticate; a Turnitin Plagiarism detection software, used for academic publishers. Springer Similarity guidelines are as follows:

• Max. % from all sources: 10-15%
• Max. % from one source: 3-5%
• Higher than 30% (all sources): Reject completely
• Lower than 30% (all sources): Ask for revision to decrease the similarities  

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:

• A signed/stamped preliminary acceptance letter
• Receipt of Payment
• Visa Invitation Letter

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:

• Accepted without comments
• Revise and Resubmit – Minor or Major revision
• Final Rejection

- 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.

• The registration fee does not cover accommodation expenses. A list of accommodation options can only be suggested by our team if available. Contact [email protected] to inquire.
• The fee covers:
  • The conference Kit inclusive of: a printed abstracts book, a softcopy of the abstracts book on a USB/CD, Conference notebook, IEREK pen, Conference Flyers/ Printouts.
  • IEREK Participation/ Contribution Certificate
  • Preliminary Acceptance Letters
  • Consideration for publishing in the IEREK ASTI series by Springer or IEREK Press
  • Lunches and Coffee Breaks

• If multiple abstracts by the same first author submitted to the conference, a 25% discount is applied to each additional submission.
• Each research paper should have one main author who should pay the full fee (Author fees) regardless of attendance. Co-authors, each, have their own fees to pay to attend the event. This applies to online attendance as well as physical attendance.
• 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 an additional fee.
• Professionals are categorized as participants who are not affiliated with universities such as practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs etc.

• Authors who cannot attend the conference in person can:
  • Virtually present their work (Table B) above.
  • Record their presentations by providing a voice-over PowerPoint and send it to [email protected]scholar.org.
  • Nominate one of their co-authors, or a single external individual, to present on their behalf.

Payment Terms and Guidelines:

• Authors who have registered and completed payment for virtual attendance CAN request a change to physical attendance. However, a change from physical to virtual is NOT possible.
• After online registration and payment, the registration fee cannot be reimbursed.
• Final Acceptance/ rejection of your full/ extended paper can only be given after the peer review process.­­
• Inclusion in the conference program, acceptance letters issuance and consideration for publication must be preceded by registration and payment completion.
• Payment of the registration fee can be made via the following methods (only after online registration):
  • Bank transfer
  • Online payment gateway
  • Cash in IEREK branches
• Contact our Financial Department for inquiries/ requests.

Attending conferences is very beneficial, especially, on the professional level; conferences are full of people promoting new ideas which will expand your knowledge and undoubtedly help your career.

• Open Discussions:We bring together leading academic scientists to exchange and share their experiences and research results in all fields. Furthermore, you get to converse with other researchers from different universities and countries. You learn from experts in the field. It is a great opportunity to find more about your field and listen to ideas that could help inspire research ideas of your own.
  
  
• Internationally Accredited Certificate:The participants are granted internationally recognized certificates which will be added to their certificates of experience or could be presented to the official authorities concerned.
  
  
• Publication: The conference proceedings will be published by one of IEREK Press' Journals, either in "Resourceedings" or "ARChive". High-quality manuscripts, based on scientific committee evaluation, will get the chance to be published either in Environmental Sciences & Sustainable Development (ESSD) by IEREK Press or as a book chapter in the ASTI book series by "Springer".
  
  
• Research Technologies:Conferences also can expand your resources by providing a great opportunity to promote gathered information on new technologies related to your research. Moreover, they let you test them out, share teaching tools and techniques, or even obtain samples of textbooks.
  
  
• Networking:Conferences help in networking which often increases your chances of collaboration in future projects. As you can engage with respectable professors and discuss with them the very latest research projects they could be working on.
  
  
• Academic Reputation:Attending many conferences will make you a known figure in academic circles, not to mention the benefits for your C.V as it will show that you are an active member of the academic community.
  
  
• Conference Proceedings Material:Delegates will have the choice of receiving the conference proceedings as either a hardcover book or in digital format on a CD. The CD will additionally contain proceedings from previous conferences in this series.

Moreover, all conference papers are archived online in the E-Library of IEREK‘s website where they are immediately and permanently available to the international scientific community.

The 1^st International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2015) was held in the University Of Salento- Lecce Italy.  The conference was chaired by Professor Fabio Pollice (Department Of History, Society and Human Studies, University Del Salento) and organized by IEREK. 

The 2^nd International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2017) was held in association with Università degli Studi di Palermo.  The conference was chaired by Prof. Ferdinando Trapani (Associate professor in Urban Planning, Department of Architecture, Polytechnics School at the ‘Università degli Studi di Palermo’) and organized by IEREK.  

The 3^rd International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2018) was held under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Education and Scientific Research in Egypt, and Mr. Mohamed Farid Khamis, Founder of El Shorouk Academy and the main sponsor of this conference. The conference was hosted by The Higher Institute of Engineering in El-Shorouk Academy in cooperation with the League of Arab States, The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), The Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), and The Center for Environment and Development for The Arab Region in Europe (CEDARE).

The conference was held from the 13^th to the 15^th of December at JW Marriott Hotel Cairo, Egypt. It was chaired by Prof. Gouda Mohamed Ghanem (Vice Chairman of El Shorouk Academy– Egypt) and was organized by IEREK.

The 4^th International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2019) was held as an Online conference.  The conference was chaired by Professor Hocine Bougdah (Research and Education Consultant, IERS-UK / Visiting Lecturer, University of Westminster, London, UK.) and organized by IEREK. 

The 5^th International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2020) was held as an online conference in collaboration with the University Of Florence, Italy.  The conference was chaired by Professor Francesco Alberti (Professor at the Department of Architecture (DiDA), University of Florence, Florence Italy.) and organized by IEREK.

The 6^th International Conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD 2021) was held as an online conference in collaboration with the University Of Florence, Italy.  The conference was chaired by Professor Francesco Alberti (Professor at the Department of Architecture (DiDA), University of Florence, Florence Italy.) and organized by IEREK.

For IEREK's Previous Publications, Please Click here

- Urban planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) held in Lecce of Italy in October, 2015.

Elsevier

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Special Issue: Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD)

Publication Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/18770428/216?sdc=1

- Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) – 2nd Edition held in Palermo Italy in October 2017.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Urban and Transit Planning

(Selected Papers) Publication link: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030173074

IEREK Press

The Academic Research Community Publication (ARChive)

Vol 2, issue #1 (2018): Urban Planning and Transport

Publication link: https://press.ierek.com/index.php/ARChive/issue/view/13/showToc

- Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) – 3rd Edition held in Cairo, Egypt in December 2018.

IEREK Press

The Academic Research Community Publication (ARChive)

Vol 3, issue #2 (2019): Recent Studies in Urban Sustainability and Future Cities' Planning

Publication link: https://press.ierek.com/index.php/ARChive/issue/view/32/showToc

- Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) – 4th Edition (Online Conference) in November 2019.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Advanced Studies in Efficient Environmental Design and City Planning

Publication link: http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030651800

- Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) – 5th Edition (Online Conference in Collaboration with Florence University, Italy) in July 2020.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Urban and Transit Planning - 2nd Edition

Publication link: (In Press)

- Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD) – 6th Edition (Online Conference in Collaboration with Florence University, Italy) in September 2021.

Springer

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) Series.

Urban and Transit Planning - 3rd Edition

Publication link: (In Peer-Review)

- 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 notice 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 email address of 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

Florence is famous with the best-knowns sights in Italy that it would take weeks to see everything in it, also it is one of Europe’s most popular cities. It has many breathtaking views and tourist attractions from museums to churches and palaces.

The following are some suggestions of places to visit while you are in Florence, Italy:

1.The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Piazza Duomo

Cathedral is formed of Piazza Duomo and group of buildings which gather some of Italy’s greatest treasures into one relatively small area. It contains some of the best-known masterpieces of architecture and art by the greatest of the Italian Renaissance Donatello, Giotto, Michelangelo and Ghiberti. By walking around the buildings you will admire the intricate inlaid marble exteriors, then you will step inside each one to look closely at the strained glass works of art.

2.San Miniato al Monte

The church was built between the 11th and 13th century and decorated with green and white marble in geometric patterns similar to the facades of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croco. You can enjoy the impressive view of Florence from the front of the church which is even higher than Piazzale Michelangelo. The sight of the church inlaid green and white marble façade which was the first time for that dramatic effect was used in Florence then it became the most popular façade decoration.

3.Uffizi Palace and Gallery

The gallery is one of the world’s top art museums that contains magnificent paintings from 14th to 16th centuries painters which changed the face of western art. Its collections are staggering in their quality and diversity. The building stretching along the river wasn’t only intended as a residence, but also as governmental offices and scientific studies. The octagonal Tribuna that is considered as one of its loveliest spaces, was commissioned to display the most prized jewels and paintings of Francesco I de' Medici.

4. Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio was built in 1345 and considered as the oldest bridge in Florence. The purpose of the bridge was to link the two sides of the Arno and the Medici with arches topped by a jumble of shops which is one of the city’s prettiest scenes. The shops became the home of Florence’s talented goldsmiths and a stroll across that show dazzling array of fine jewelry.

Airports

Florence Airport, Peretola

8.6 km from University of Florence / 22 minutes by car

Address: Via del Termine, 11, 50127 Firenze FI, Italy

Location on map: Florence Airport

Phone: +39 055 30615

Aeroporto Firenze “Regional airport”

7.9 km from University of Florence / 20 minutes by car

Address:  Via S. Piero a Quaracchi, 50145 Firenze FI, Italy

Location on map: Aeroporto Firenze

Phone: +39 055 30615

Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport

106 km from University of Florence / 1 hr 20 minutes by car

Address:  Via del Triumvirato, 84, 40132 Bologna BO, Italy

Location on map: Bologne Gugliemo Marconi Airport

Phone: +39 051 647 9615

Pisa International Airport

85.3 km from University of Florence / 1 hr 12 minutes by car

Address:  Piazzale D'ascanio, 1, 56121 Pisa PI, Italy

Location on map: Pisa International Airport

Phone: +39 050 849111

Bus stations

San Marco Rettorato

55 meter from University of Florence / 1 minutes by walking

Address: 50121 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

Location on map: San Marco Rettorato

Piazza Di San Marco

85 meter from University of Florence / 1 minutes by walking

Address: 50121 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

Location on map: Piazza Di San Marco

San Marco Chiesa

110 meter from University of Florence /1 minutes by walking

Address: 50121 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

Location on map: San Marco Chiesa

Museo Di San Marco

130 meter from University of Florence /2 minutes by walking

Address: 50121 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy

Location on map: Museo Di San Marco

Hotels

Grand Amore Hotel & Spa-4 stars’ hotel

290 meter from University of Florence / 3 minutes by walking

Address: Via dei Servi, 38/A, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Phone: +39 055 035 1500

Location on map: Grand Amore Hotel

Hotel Panorama Artinside- 3 stars’ hotel

290 meter from University of Florence / 4 minutes by walking

Address: Via Camillo Cavour, 60, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy

Phone: +39 055 238 2043

Location on map: Hotel Panorama Artinside

Hotel Veneto- 3 stars’ hotel

350 meter from University of Florence / 4 minutes by walking

Address: Via Santa Reparata, 33, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy

Phone: +39 055 289433

Location on map: Hotel Venento

Hotel Athenaeum- 4 stars’ hotel

550 meter from University of Florence / 2 minutes by car

Address: Via Camillo Cavour, 88, 50129 Firenze FI, Italy

Phone: +39 055 589456

Location on map: Hotel Athenaeum