CALL FOR PAPERS

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CUI ’25 / XIII. International Contemporary Urban Issues Conference
Theme: Rethinking Informality and Contemporary Urban Challenges

Format: In-Person

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The XIII. International Contemporary Urban Issues Conference (CUI ’25) will be held in Istanbul as an in-person event. The conference is coordinated by DAKAM (Eastern Mediterranean Academic Research Center) and organized by BILSAS (Science, Art, Sport Productions).

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About the Conference

Since its launch, CUI has provided a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on urban issues, bringing together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from diverse fields such as architecture, urban planning, sociology, economics, anthropology, and history. The conference has established itself as a key meeting point for exploring contemporary challenges in urban environments.

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CUI ’25 continues this tradition by focusing on informality as a multidimensional urban phenomenon. From its early introduction in the 1970s to its evolving significance in the neo-liberal age, informality shapes housing, labor, and daily urban life across the globe. Today, the blurred boundaries between formal and informal processes impact not only marginalized groups but also middle and upper classes, redefining the way cities are built, lived, and governed.

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All submitted abstracts will undergo a double-blind review process. Accepted papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings E-Book (ISBN), distributed digitally to participants during registration.

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Conference Focus

CUI ’25 invites participants to critically examine how informality and contemporary urban issues reshape cities worldwide. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The socio-economic and political dimensions of informality.

• Informal housing, settlements, and urban poverty.

• Informal labor and shifting employment relations.

• Neoliberal policies, deregulation, and their effects on urban life.

• Middle- and upper-class participation in informal urban development.

• Everyday encounters between formal and informal practices.

• Informality and resilience in the face of crises such as pandemics and climate change.

• Comparative studies of informality across global contexts.

• Interdisciplinary approaches linking informality to culture, identity, and urban experience.

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Why Participate?

• Engage with an international community of scholars and practitioners working on urban issues.

• Share your research on contemporary urban dynamics and informality.

• Contribute to theoretical and practical debates shaping the future of cities.

• Publish your work in a peer-reviewed proceedings book with an ISBN.

• Experience Istanbul as a living laboratory of historical and contemporary urban challenges.

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Join Us

We warmly welcome proposals from researchers, professionals, and graduate students worldwide. CUI ’25 offers a unique opportunity to explore the complexities of contemporary urban life, rethinking the intersections between formality, informality, and global urban transformations.

Let’s investigate together how urban issues define our shared futures.

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