Sustainable Cities of Tomorrow
An international conference hosted by the Environmental and Sustainability Research Center
Open University, Raanana, Israel
Thursday February 22nd, 2024
Against the backdrop of growth in global urban populations, and acknowledgement of the key role of cities, city dwellers, and city leaders in advancing sustainability, there is an urgent need for research into how cities can be more sustainable, and on urban policies and practices that contribute to tackling the climate and ecological crises at the urban level and beyond. The Sustainable Cities of Tomorrow conference seeks to engage with questions surrounding the role of cities in supporting a more sustainable future. What expression do cities give to the social, political, economic and technological aspects of sustainability? Can cities prevail where states and international initiatives have failed? Which measures that are advanced today will determine the sustainability of cities tomorrow?
The complexity of urban sustainability, drawing knowledge from a range of fields within the earth and human sciences, necessitates a multi-disciplinary dialogue that builds on international themes while also expanding locally specific knowledge.
We invite the submission of papers from any field with relevance to the conference themes including, but not limited to:
● Policy, regulation and governance related to cities and sustainability
● Rights and responsibilities of urban citizens
● Politics, democracy and state-city relations
● Urban-rural relationships and regional governance
● Technologies, infrastructures for energy and mobility at the urban level
● Urban sustainability, AI and big data
● Urban form, building design and architecture in relation to sustainability
● Socio-material infrastructures and sustainability transitions
● Climate change policy and preparedness, urban resilience
● Health, wellbeing and sustainability in urban populations
● Urban inequalities, and socio-political aspects of urban sustainability
In order to encourage fruitful discussions, we will leave ample time for questions, including a response by the session chair.
Abstracts should be submitted, in English, via the following form by October 15th 2023.
Participants will be encouraged to send full papers or extended abstracts (1500-2000 words) to the session chair in advance of the conference.
The majority of the conference will be held in English with several panels to be held in Hebrew.
Early-Career Workshop
We are happy to offer an early-career workshop for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers during the two days prior to the conference. The workshop, held in English, will include discussions and feedback on participants’ papers as well as sessions dedicated to academic career skills, mentoring and local tours. A prize will be offered for the best early-career paper. Workshop participants will be required to submit a full paper in advance. If you are interested in participating in the workshop please note this on the conference application form. Further technical details will be sent to interested participants in due course. The workshop (except for accommodation costs) is included in the conference fee.
Key dates:
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15th October 2023
Notifications of accepted abstracts: Early November 2023
Early-career workshop: 20-21 February 2024
Conference & gala dinner: 22 February 2024
Conference Fees*:
Faculty member: 450 NIS (New Israeli Shekels)
Early career/non-tenured faculty: 350 NIS
Students (Master’s/PhD): 300 NIS
Non-academic participants: 550 NIS
*Excluding accommodation. Local accommodation options will be publish on the conference page.
Organizing committee:
Dr. Orr Karassin, Environment and Sustainability Research Center, the Open University of Israel
Prof. Rachelle Alterman, Center for Urban and Regional Studies, Technion, and Neaman Institute for National Policy Research
Prof. Yoden Rofe, Department of Environmental, Geoinformatics and Urban Planning Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Dr. Shula Goulden, Environment and Sustainability Research Center, the Open University of Israel
Dr. Maya Negev, School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Israel.
Dr. Nir Barak, Department of Politics and Government, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Dr. Uri Ansenberg, Department of Sociology, Political Science and Communication, the Open University of Israel
For enquiries, please contact via our email
