Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to invite you to the 7th international conference on Changing Cities; Spatial, Design, Landscape, Heritage & Socioeconomic dimensions, 15-19 June 2026, Spetses Island, Greece.
The main theme of the 7th Changing Cities conference is
“Artificial intelligence enhancing Cultural Heritage and Tourism Development in smart cities”.
The conference is organised by
- University of Thessaly, Department of Planning & Regional Development, Research Unit of Urban Morphology and Design,
in collaboration with
- University of Patras, Department of Architecture.
The series of international conferences on CHANGING CITIES aspires to bring together urban planners and designers, architects, landscape designers, urban geographers and historians, urban economists, urban sociologists, and urban policy makers. It aims at investigating new challenges of cities and their future, and becoming an international forum of transaction of ideas on cities’ transitions.
We have so far organized six conferences, with peer-reviewed Proceedings, taking place always in June, and always in venues with unique natural landscape and cultural heritage.
- CHANGING CITIES I: Spatial, Morphological, formal and socioeconomic dimensions, 18-21 June 2013, Skiathos Island, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES IΙ: Spatial, Design, Landscape and socioeconomic dimensions, 22-26 June 2015, Porto Heli, Peloponnese, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES IΙI: Spatial, Design, Landscape and socioeconomic dimensions, 26-30 June 2017, Syros Island, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES IV: Spatial, Design, Landscape and socioeconomic dimensions, 23-28 June 2019, Chania, Crete Island, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES V: Spatial, Design, Landscape, Heritage and socioeconomic dimensions, 20-25 June 2022, Corfu Island, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES VI: Spatial, Design, Landscape, Heritage & Socioeconomic dimensions, 24-28 June 2024, Island of Rhodes, Greece.
- CHANGING CITIES VII: Spatial, Design, Landscape, Heritage & Socioeconomic dimensions, 15-19 June 2026, Spetses Island, Greece.
All Changing Cities conferences have been welcomed by the academic community worldwide, usually attracting over 300 presenters from more than 50 countries – Greece and Europe, USA and Canada, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, Far East, and Oceania. On this basis, we believe the 7th Changing Cities conference will also be a successful academic event. This year, the conference puts an emphasis on Cities and Artificial Intelligence encouraging urban development.
As always, other conference thematic axis focus on:
- Resilient Cities,
- Smart Cities,
- Environmental Urban Planning,
- Green Architecture; Urban Design & New Technologies,
- Climate Change, Circular Economy and Sustainable Development,
- Urban Design in Planning,
- Sustainable Urban Planning & Development,
- Urban Redevelopment, Regeneration & Resilience,
- Urban Cultures & Public Open Spaces,
- Built Heritage Management & Historical Centres ,
- Cultural Heritage Management,
- Urban Landscapes, Landscape Planning & Design,
- Transportation Planning and Policy in Cities,
- Place Marketing & City Branding,
- Urban Economies & Spatial Impacts,
- Planning Laws & Real Estate,
- Multicultural cities,
- Shrinking Cities,
- Divided Cities,
- AI cultural heritage,
- AI and smart tourism destinations.
The conference venue is at the Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses Foundation (AKSS), Spetses Island. The buildings of AKSS have well-equipped conference rooms. Spetses is a very popular car-free island close to Athens; The town of Spetses is characterized by a scenic old harbour surrounded by heritage Venetian buildings, 18th and 19th century-neoclassical mansions, and picturesque beaches.
The conference will be a creative event, and we ‘ll have an enjoyable time together!
We look forward see you all on Spetses island!
Aspa Gospodini, PhD
Professor of Urban Planning & Design,
University of Thessaly,
Department of Planning & Regional Development
Chair of the Organising Committee & Scientific Board
of the series of Changing Cities Conferences.