24/06/2026
REAL CORP 2027 - CALL FOR PAPERS
FREEDOM OF PLANNING – SOLIDARITY IN ACTION
Driving Urban Innovation, Resilience, and Housing Equity
32nd International Conference on Urban Planning
and Regional Development in the Information Society
4-7 APRIL 2027
KUNSZT WODNY, GDAŃSK, POLAND
www.corp.at
Call for Papers
For over three decades, Europe and the global community have experienced profound political, social, economic, and spatial transformations. There is no more symbolic or fitting location to reflect on these milestones and chart the future of our communities than Gdańsk – a global beacon of solidarity, freedom, and resilience.
As cities stand at the crossroads of the intensifying climate crisis and the exponential rise of artificial intelligence, urban planning must boldly redefine its boundaries. Technology cannot be an end in itself; instead, we must champion Digital Humanism – ensuring that smart cities, urban AI, spatial monitoring, and digital twins serve democratic participation, human well-being, and spatial justice.
Building upon 30 years of transformative planning experience, REAL CORP 2027 invites researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and innovators to bridge the gap between historic lessons and future urban disruptions. Together, we will explore how next-generation spatial planning, affordable housing, smart mobility, and climate adaptation strategies can co-create resilient, inclusive, and climate-neutral regional ecosystems.
Who Should Participate?
Urban planners, regional developers, academics, architects, sociologists, economists, engineers, and all professionals passionate about shaping the future of cities and regions are warmly invited to join.
Call for papers – invitation to present and publish your work
Contribute to REAL CORP 2027! We welcome high quality theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions across a broad spectrum of topics, including but not limited to:
Key Thematic Areas
Track 1: Digital Humanism, Urban AI, Next-Gen Geo-Technologies: Using data-driven planning methods while keeping humanity at the centre of technological deployment
1.1 Urban AI and machine learning: Leveraging artificial intelligence for predictive spatial planning and resource optimisation
1.2 Digital twins and spatial monitoring: Utilising earth observation, remote sensing, and GIS to monitor urban sprawl, land use, and environmental changes
1.3 Democratic participation: open data, citizen science, community engagement, and interactive digital tools for co-creative planning processes
1.4 Advanced spatial visualisation, communication tools, and information systems for regional development
Track 2: Climate Neutrality, Adaptation, Resilient Ecosystems: Addressing the urgent need for cities to adapt to environmental disruptions and reach net-zero goals
2.1 Climate adaptation strategies: Designing and adjusting urban spaces to be resilient to extreme weather events, heat islands, and rising sea levels
2.2 Climate-neutral cities: Innovative concepts for decarbonisation, renewable energy integration, and circular urban metabolisms
2.3 Nature-based solutions: Integrating green and blue infrastructure into dense urban areas for ecological balance
Track 3: Smart Mobility, Walkability, Spatial Justice: Rethinking infrastructure to enable seamless, sustainable, and fair access to urban life for everyone
3.1 The 15-minute city and mixed-use zoning: Creating self-contained neighbourhoods to reduce traffic and enhance local (commercial) vitality
3.2 Walkability and active mobility: Designing pedestrian-centric public spaces and micro-mobility networks
3.3 Systemic accessibility (inclusive design): Moving beyond single-building accessibility to create end-to-end inclusive chains across public transit, tourism, hospitality, and event destinations
Track 4: Social Cohesion, Housing Equity, Urban Transformation: Reflecting on historical spatial shifts and tackling contemporary social challenges in housing and regional disparity
4.1 From East to West? Evaluating the legacy, successes, and challenges of post-1990 European urban and economic transitions
4.2 The Solidarity City in the age of AI: Planning, Freedom, and Climate Neutrality after 30 Years of Transformation
4.3 Affordable housing and smart zoning: Strategies against gentrification, ensuring equitable housing supply and social mix in growing metropolitan regions
4.4 Regional and metropolitan development: Balancing spatial development between core economic hubs (such as the Tricity area) and lagging rural peripheries
For all these topics REAL CORP 2027 asks especially about
The role of urban planning and related disciplines;
Digitisation and technological innovation;
Short term measures, long range perspectives;
Ongoing research, new ideas, best practise examples, case studies.
Timeline
Submission of abstract until 15 November 2026 (reviewed and non-reviewed)
Feedback on general acceptance until 30 November 2026
Full paper for reviewing has to be submitted until 23 December 2026
Reviewing process until 24 January 2027
Final version of full paper for publication until 28 February 2027
Non-reviewed full papers need to be submitted by 31 January 2027.
Destination Gdańsk
Gdańsk, Poland's sixth-largest city and its major seaport, is located on the Baltic coast of northern Poland, close to the city of Gdynia and the resort town of Sopot; these form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto), with a population of approximately 1.5 million.
Kunszt Wodny (conference venue)
REAL CORP 2027 is going to take place in Kunszt Wodny (English: Water Artistry), a former pumping station close to Forum Gdańsk. Operational in its original role from 1539 to 1852, it was demolished in 1920 and reopened in 2023 as the central building of a cultural institute.
More information (including all papers back to 1996!) is available from our website www.corp.at.
We are looking forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to welcoming you to REAL CORP 2027 in Gdańsk, the city of solidarity and freedom!
Best regards from Vienna,
Manfred Schrenk, Clemens Beyer and the REAL CORP Team
REAL CORP 2027 is co-hosted by the city of Gdańsk and is a co-operation of
CORP – Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning, www.corp.at
Gdańsk University of Technology, pg.edu.pl
Gdańsk City Architect
ISOCARP – International Society of City and Regional Planners, www.isocarp.org
IUPF – INternational Urban Professionals Forum, www.iupf.net
www.corp.at
