The Society and Urban Form (SURF) Lab, Department of Architecture, University of Cyprus, is pleased to invite researchers, educators, students, practitioners, policymakers, youth workers, and community organisations to participate in the PS-U-GO – Education in Living Labs: Participatory Skills for Sustainable Urban Governance and AESOP Thematic Group on Public Spaces and Urban Cultures (TG PSUC) International Conference 2026, entitled:
“Youth as Agents of Hope: Urban Living Labs and Community-Engaged Learning”
📅 29–30 October 2026
📍 Larnaka, Cyprus
The two-day international conference is jointly organised by the Erasmus+ PS-U-GO project and the AESOP Thematic Group on Public Spaces and Urban Cultures (TG PSUC). Hosted by the SURF Lab at the University of Cyprus and supported by Larnaka2030 – European Capital of Culture 2030, the conference will explore the role of Urban Living Labs as spaces for education, participation, and sustainable urban governance.
Conference Theme
The conference will examine how young people can actively contribute to shaping more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities through participatory approaches, experiential learning, and community engagement. Discussions will focus on topics such as Urban Living Labs, youth participation in urban planning, community-engaged pedagogies, co-creation, civic empowerment, and innovative educational practices.
Call for Contributions
Participants are invited to submit abstracts for:
- Paper presentations
- Practice-based project presentations
- Participatory and community-based case studies
Contributions may be presented as oral presentations, visual essays, or videos (10–15 minutes) and should address theoretical, methodological, educational, or practice-based perspectives related to the conference themes. Abstracts should be 250–300 words, following the official conference template.
Key Dates
- 10 July 2026 – Call for Participation opens
- 1 September 2026 – Deadline for abstract submission
- 15 September 2026 – Notification of acceptance
- 29–30 October 2026 – Conference
- 30 May 2027 – Conference publication
Publications
A Book of Abstracts will be published before the conference, while the conference proceedings, including presentations and discussions, will be published online after the event. Both publications will receive ISBN numbers.
Registration
Participation in the conference is free of charge. Please note that participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.
Submission Information
Abstracts should be prepared using the official template and submitted to:
📧 charalambous.nadia@ucy.ac.cy
📧 mariamshulqamy@gmail.com
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