Call for abstracts: Special issue "Circular Cities and Regions – Planning for Sustainable Social and Inclusive Communities"
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Special Issue for the 19th AESOP Young Academics Conference 2025 “Circular Cities and Regions – Planning for Sustainable Social and Inclusive Communities”, 17th – 20th March 2025 in Hanover, of the plaNext–Next Generation Planning journal
Guest Editors: Lena Greinke, Linda Lange, Malachy Buck and Pavel Grabalov
In the face of unprecedented urbanisation and environmental challenges, the demand for innovative and sustainable approaches to urban and regional development and design has reached a critical juncture. This is the starting point to further examine and elaborate the concept of circularity .This Special Issue serves as a convergence point for visionary thought of? academics, leaders, and practitioners across disciplines, all united by the common goal of investigating circularity within urban and regional contexts. The aim is to consider the topic of circularity in planning at various levels and to analyse existing approaches and strategies from different angles. Circular cities and regions are more than just seeking economic solutions for transformation towards climate neutrality. On different levels like the region, the city, a district or a neighbourhood, circularity can be a key factor to ensure a sustainable future. Including resilience, inclusion and communities as well as many other topics into circularity, it gets clear that it offers new alternatives in the “throwaway world“.
The objectives encompass integrating circular principles into the very fabric of cities and regions, seeking to minimise waste, maximise resource efficiency, and cultivate sustainable innovation and development. This ensures that solutions are intricately tailored to the unique needs of each region, addressing issues of equity, accessibility, social innovation and cohesion. The discussions will delve into evaluating existing policy frameworks and proposing novel strategies facilitating the transition to circular urban and regional planning, emphasising regulatory incentives and governance structures. Therefore, contributions from different academic fields (e.g. spatial planning, urban geography, political science, landscape architecture, etc.,) are invited to discuss and exchange various opinions, circumstances and options. We accept both traditional academic articles based on empirical research as well as argumentative papers, visual stories and communications in creative formats.
plaNext–Next Generation Planning is a journal published by the Young Academics Network of AESOP and dedicated to supporting young scholars and fostering equitable academic discourse. It was founded in 2015, and since 2025 the journal has been indexed in Scopus. Submitted contributions undergo a peer review process, ensuring the quality and relevance of the content.
One or more of the following four main topics can be dealt with in the contributions:
Built Environment and Urban Design: Traditionally perceived as linear, planning and architecture have contributed to significant resource consumption and land use. In response to climate change, there’s a shift towards sustainable, circular planning models endorsed by initiatives like Amsterdam’s circular strategy. This transition necessitates planners to embrace adaptive strategies for evolving environmental and societal conditions.
Mobility, Economy and Energy: Regions and cities, as future logistic and mobility hubs, must integrate circular solutions to transform infrastructure into accessible and clean mobility systems, thus reducing pollution and congestion. Collaborations are essential between economic, social, and municipal actors to enhance synergies, such as sustainable waste management and better utilization of resources, fostering a circular economy. Increasing public awareness and strategic incentives are vital for developing sustainable energy solutions and transforming excessive infrastructure into green spaces, thereby involving local knowledge in the transition process.
Societies, Culture and Participation: This topic emphasizes the exploration of circular urban planning and design and its transformative effect on communities, aligning with the Global Sustainable Development Goals, particularly target 12. It focuses on how circular initiatives impact lifestyles, social structures, and community well-being, highlighting the importance of cultural diversity and community engagement in developing circular cities that reflect unique local identities.
Waste Management, Nutrition and Food: In alignment with the Global Sustainable Development Goals, specifically target 12, the EU aims to halve food waste by 2030, necessitating both technological innovations and cooperative circular systems for production and consumption. This topic emphasizes creating and implementing circular waste management strategies, as highlighted by the European Consumer Food Waste Forum’s identified interventions to reduce food waste. Achieving these goals requires widespread support and participation from industry, local initiatives, and citizens, embedding the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling in daily life to realize ecological, social, and economic benefits such as reduced transport for regional foods and sustainable practices in gastronomy.
The timeline for publication is scheduled as follows:
— Call for abstracts: 20th of March 2025
— Deadline for the submission of abstracts: 20th of April 2025
— Acceptance of abstracts: 30th of April 2025
— Deadline for the submission of full papers: 13th July 2025
— Peer Review and Revision: July 2025 – October 2025
— Publication: End of 2025
Abstracts should not exceed a maximum number of 500 words. Please send your abstracts to the journal's official email: planextjournal@gmail.com by adding “Young Academics Conference 2025 Special Issue” in the subject. Please include your full name and affiliation.
Potential contributions are not limited to the papers presented at the 19th AESOP Young Academics Conference 2025 but open to everyone working on the abovementioned topics. We are looking forward to your abstracts.
