(RE)INVENT THE CITY IN TIMES OF CHANGE

A changing world requires flexible cities and territories, which can be able to present themselves to their inhabitants, visitors, users and partners in building urban dynamics in a context of safety, and also be inducers of wellbeing and initiative.

Therefore, to (re)invent is to restructure already known connections with new elements, to project associations and experiences with known and respected memories, putting creativity and skills focused on the future. On the other hand, change is to recognize limitations and potentials and, if possible, to control actions and decisions in order to avoid ruptures on private and collective spheres.

21st century offers urban actors (experts, promoters, population and politicians) unique challenges, mostly related with demographic dynamics and sustainability. The liberal urbanism model, which has ruled over the majority of urban interventions during the last 40 years, is outdated, inoperative and incapable of self-regulation and regeneration. By uncovering a crisis of values, it hampers societies’ evolution towards a new paradigm which can efficiently respond to the referred challenges. The end of a cycle is near and, evenly, change happens at different speeds and ways. To understand and discuss about this change, which has already been announced, but hasn’t yet occurred, is the goal of this congress.