CPUF2026: Istanbul: Heritage(s) - Cultural Pasts Urban Futures Işık University Istanbul, Turkey, July 6-8, 2026 |
| Conference website | https://amps-research.com/conference/istanbul-heritages/ |
| Submission deadline | April 20, 2026 |
Istanbul: Heritage(s)
Cultural Pasts - Urban Futures
July 6-8, 2026
Abstracts deadline: April 20, 2026
LOCATION
Isik University, Istanbul Turkey
CALL
Definitions of heritages, cultural pasts and urban futures are intrinsically linked. They cross disciplines, geographies and times. They can be complex, contradictory and often contested. As a result, when we think about heritage we must think holistically. UNESCO is explicit about this. Heritage is related to place and the traditions of its peoples. The future of a city is connected to the history on which it was built. Questions of contemporary culture are always aligned with their past, and their future. In this context, heritage, culture and place are all entwined.
To understand this interconnection requires historical knowledge, social context and an awareness of art and design, whether that be related to a community narrative or a global movement. It needs to be viewed through artworks, buildings, cities and objects, both ‘universal’ examples of architecture and sculpture, and more understated design vernaculars and local crafts. It needs to be seen as something ‘intangible’ – a sense of place and identity or the meaning ascribed to a city, neighborhood or local artwork. In short, it needs to be examined across disciplinary boundaries and scales.
Seeking to engage with the varied ways in which we understand heritage, cultural pasts and urban futures then, this conference asks how we interpret these themes locally, regionally and internationally. It does so while seeing the host city, Istanbul, as a place that typifies the varied questions at play.
Historically seen as the meeting point of Europe and Asia, Istanbul was an imperial capital for the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires. One of the most visited cities in the world, it was European Capital of Culture in 2010. With the centre of the city classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, it boasts iconic examples of both art and architecture, the Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar being just two of the most famous examples. Home to cutting edge design, digital art, modern architecture and music, it is seen as a centre of contemporary culture.
Located in this iconic setting, the Cultural Pasts – Urban Futures conference is expressly international and welcomes perspectives from across a range of fields: the humanities and the social sciences; architecture, urban planning and landscapes; heritage studies and design, and more. As such, it is open to local, regional and international discussions of art historical research, building renovation projects, digital art and heritage, anthropological study and socio-cultural critiques – past, present and future….
Reflecting the interests of Işık University and AMPS, presentations will be loosely organized around several strands, including but not limited to:
Architecture & Design – papers on the diversity of research in the fields of architectural, landscape, urban planning and design theory | Digital Heritage – questions and cases studies of technologies and medias such as film, laser scanning, VR and data mapping in the heritage sector | Socio-Cultural Studies – critiques of the socio-cultural issues that comes into play when thinking about culture, place and heritage | Art History – discussions on art historical projects, theories and practices internationally | Historical Conservation– considerations on sites of heritage, whether from the fields of archaeology, museology & conservation, or social questions of heritage led gentrification or regeneration | Art & Design – examinations of how contemporary artists, architects, and designers engage with context and heritage.
SUBMISSIONS
Click here to submit an abstract.
FORMATS
In-person: Live in Istanbul at Işık University
@Istanbul: For delegates visiting Istanbul but presenting virtually
Virtual: presentations coordinated by AMPS
Pre-recorded: Pre-recorded presentations or films will be available permanently on the AMPS Academic YouTube channel
Written papers: In all cases, delegates can present full written papers for inclusion in associated conference publications
PUBLICATIONS
The publishers that AMPS works with include Routledge Taylor & Francis, UCL Press, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Vernon Press, Libri Publishing and Intellect Books.
Conference outputs include the AMPS Proceedings Series, ISSN 2398-9467; Special Issue Publications of the academic journal Architecture_MPS ISSN 2020-9006; Books from this event will be developed by Intellect Books with short films available on the AMPS Academic YouTube Channel.
Written papers are optional. If submitted they should be 3,000 word length. Formatting instructions to follow after the conference. All papers are double- blind peer-reviewed for the AMPS Conference Proceedings Series. Subject to review, selected authors will be invited to develop longer versions as articles in the academic journal Architecture_MPS or in specially produced conference books.