The "Towards an International Landscape Convention - Rethinking Land Use" is a PhD workshop part of the Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) and a larger movement to establish an International Landscape Convention (ILC) by UN Habitat, which will provide a framework for the policy, planning, protection and management of landscape worldwide to help address global challenges.

Currently, there is no international legal instrument specifically addressing the policy, planning, protection and/or management of the everyday landscape.  While some special landscapes are protected under existing conventions, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Convention or the Convention on Biological Diversity, these instruments do not provide a comprehensive, integrated or holistic approach, recognise the immense restorative capacity of the land to address global challenges or understand landscape as the bedrock of society, the very infrastructure upon which we depend to survive and thrive. 

The proposal for an ILC aims to provide a framework to see this bigger picture, recognising the cultural, natural, and socio-economic value of land and by promoting collaboration among various stakeholders, including governments, civil society and local communities.

As part of development of the ILC, UTC in cooperation with IFLA invite PhD students around the world to showcase their research that is giving voice to this infrastructure, exploring the power of the physical, cultural, everyday landscape to ensure that it is no longer a blind spot but recognised as a vitally important resource to be looked after, resuscitated, celebrated; the very fabric of our identity, wellbeing, self-confidence and worth.

In particular, we invite current PhD candidates and those who have completed within the last two years to submit a Pecha Kucha-style presentation of 400 seconds, each presentation consisting of 20 slides, each shown for only 20 seconds before automatically progressing to the next one.  We are looking for work which expands the perceived boundaries of landscape architecture beyond the technical - research that is creative, original and unpublished. We welcome research that explores the bigger picture, the rich complexity of landscape and its contribution to quality of life and quality of the environment, its social, cultural, spatial or economic facets.

Key Dates

August 15th, 2024: Abstract submission deadline:  300 word abstract, setting out theme, subthemes, literature, methodology and findings

September 2nd, 2024: Notification of acceptance week commencing 2nd September

September 27th, 2024: Pecha Kucha submission of complete timed presentation (20 slides x 20 seconds, pdf format) to UTCBirmingham@gmail.com and chair.eaa@iflaworld.org

October 3rd, 2024: Presentation at BCU, Birmingham. We welcome submissions which can be presented in-person or remotely via MS Teams. The presentation language is English.

For more information, please download the brief here or email UTCBirmingham@gmail.com

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) is an initiative of the World Urban Campaign driven by UN-Habitat. The UTC is conceived as an open space for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is also intended as a platform to build consensus between partners engaged in addressing urbanization challenges and proposing solutions to urban futures.

The AAK Town Planners Chapter is conducting the 2022 AAK UTC.

The Theme for the UTC is Essentials of City Building: Managing Urban Development.

The sessions entail:

Session One: Managing Urbanization- Critical Analyses
Session Two: The Silver Bullet in Urban Management
Session Three: Resilient Urban Housing
Session Four: Nexus Between Health and Homes
Session Five: Adaptive Planning in Upgrading Informal Settlements (physical and virtual).
Session Six: Management of Urban Mobility
Session Seven: Adaptation and Resilience in Urban Development

More information and booking here.

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) is an initiative of the World Urban Campaign driven by UN-Habitat. The UTC is conceived as an open space for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is also intended as a platform to build consensus between partners engaged in addressing urbanization challenges and proposing solutions to urban futures.

The AAK Town Planners Chapter is conducting the 2022 AAK UTC.

The Theme for the UTC is Essentials of City Building: Managing Urban Development.

The sessions entail:

Session One: Managing Urbanization- Critical Analyses
Session Two: The Silver Bullet in Urban Management
Session Three: Resilient Urban Housing
Session Four: Nexus Between Health and Homes
Session Five: Adaptive Planning in Upgrading Informal Settlements (physical and virtual).
Session Six: Management of Urban Mobility
Session Seven: Adaptation and Resilience in Urban Development

More information and booking here.

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) is an initiative of the World Urban Campaign driven by UN-Habitat. The UTC is conceived as an open space for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is also intended as a platform to build consensus between partners engaged in addressing urbanization challenges and proposing solutions to urban futures.

The AAK Town Planners Chapter is conducting the 2022 AAK UTC.

The Theme for the UTC is Essentials of City Building: Managing Urban Development.

The sessions entail:

Session One: Managing Urbanization- Critical Analyses
Session Two: The Silver Bullet in Urban Management
Session Three: Resilient Urban Housing
Session Four: Nexus Between Health and Homes
Session Five: Adaptive Planning in Upgrading Informal Settlements (physical and virtual).
Session Six: Management of Urban Mobility
Session Seven: Adaptation and Resilience in Urban Development

More information and booking here.

The Urban Thinkers Campus (UTC) is an initiative of the World Urban Campaign driven by UN-Habitat. The UTC is conceived as an open space for critical exchange between urban researchers, professionals, and decision-makers who believe that urbanization is an opportunity and can lead to positive urban transformations. It is also intended as a platform to build consensus between partners engaged in addressing urbanization challenges and proposing solutions to urban futures.

The AAK Town Planners Chapter is conducting the 2022 AAK UTC.

The Theme for the UTC is Essentials of City Building: Managing Urban Development.

The sessions entail:

Session One: Managing Urbanization- Critical Analyses
Session Two: The Silver Bullet in Urban Management
Session Three: Resilient Urban Housing
Session Four: Nexus Between Health and Homes
Session Five: Adaptive Planning in Upgrading Informal Settlements (physical and virtual).
Session Six: Management of Urban Mobility
Session Seven: Adaptation and Resilience in Urban Development

More information and booking here.

Read the agenda and more info here