Submission deadline: June 15, 2025 Notification of acceptance: June 30, 2025
The international conference WATERLINES. Research, Projects and Visions for the Connection between Cities and Waterfronts; organized by the research group “Hub for Heritage and Habitat”; of the Department of Excellence DICEA at Università
Politecnica delle Marche, addresses themes of urban reconnection between cities and port areas, urban regeneration design for port infrastructure spaces, and the reuse of disused or obsolete port spaces and functions.
Port areas in contemporary cities are characterized by significant mutability due to maritime and commercial dynamics. This causes profound transformations in the relationships between support infrastructures (road, rail, logistics) and the surrounding
urban fabric. In the interconnections between port and city, one often finds threshold; or border; conditions, where the transition between the maritime-port context and the urban environment is marked by reciprocal influences but also by functional
and usage conflicts. The contact between these two spheres remains unresolved, giving rise to friction zones and unused or underused spaces that interpose themselves between the urban core and the port. These threshold areas therefore represent significant
opportunities for urban regeneration, as their strategic position allows for a rethinking of the city-port relationship in a contemporary key.
Through redevelopment and regeneration interventions, these areas can become points of connection that promote dialogue between different urban and port functions, contributing to the creation of public spaces and new centralities that revitalize the
city and foster sustainable development. In this context, the conversion and transformation of these areas require an integrated vision that considers their dual value: on one hand, as support spaces for port functions, and on the other, as spaces
for interaction and livability for the urban community.
The aim of the call is to generate, through written and project-based contributions, a broad, open, and multi-scalar debate on "port cities" the relationship between port functions and urban areas, and between the sea and the city.
1. CATEGORIES Participation in the conference is possible through two non-exclusive categories: A. Text; category: abstract and subsequent full paper with images; B. Manifesto; category: poster panel with text and images for exhibition
during the conference.
All selected contributions will be published in a bilingual Italian/English volume. Upon receipt of abstracts, the organizing committee will define the program and presentation methods for the International Conference.
2. RESEARCH TOPICS Proposed contributions, both textual and design-based, should identify theoretical-methodological and operational references capable of supporting regenerative strategies for port cities. These strategies should aim to restore
visibility to areas affected by marginalization and underuse, and propose strategic uses that, through architecture, can reactivate a paradigm of development and collective enjoyment of disused areas as shared cultural spaces.
The call seeks contributions related to the following research tracks, which will correspond to the thematic sessions of the Conference:
A. CONNECTIONS The mutual relationships between port areas and cities are often complex and unresolved. Ports require infrastructures and specialized areas for their development that, in many cases, create rifts in the relationship between urban
areas and water, which are difficult to bridge. In many European and international port cities, the issue of connections between cities and port areas is of primary importance for sustainable development, improved quality of life, and enhanced tourist
appeal. These efforts also aim to mitigate the negative and degrading effects that port areas can have on the urban landscape.
B. NODES The development and transformation of port areas – such as relocations, new land reclamations, etc. – often leave behind numerous vacant and unused spaces: dross-scapes awaiting urban regeneration strategies and the reuse of
buildings, containers, and infrastructures. Participants are invited to submit contributions that explore the theme of nodes and new urban polarities within port contexts, as these are fundamental areas for the construction of the contemporary city.
C. LANDSCAPE Port cities exhibit complex relationships with their territories and have significant impacts on the landscape. By presenting large-scale interventions and urban strategies connecting port and coastal areas, this theme investigates the
landscape in a broad sense, with a focus on sustainable development and stewardship of coastal habitats. Contributions should demonstrate how port activities and urban functions can activate integration mechanisms between city and port, aimed at achieving
a model of sustainability that ensures compatibility with the urban hinterland and reveals, through the design of cohesive spaces, elements of development and attraction for cities.
The international conference WATERLINES, organized by the research group Hub for Heritage and Habitat, is part of the Summer School "Ancona Waterline Lab – Reconnections between Ancona’s historical harbour area and its Marina, along
the city’s waterfront," which explores strategies for reconnecting Ancona's urban and port areas by overcoming infrastructural barriers that limit their relationship with the sea.
The Summer School aims to transform threshold areas into public spaces integrated with the city, serving as elements of reconnection. The goal is to overcome the isolation of the tourist port and the northern recreational coast, transforming them into
attractive urban places capable of offering tourist services in a continuous system with the city center. Participants in the Ancona Waterline Lab will develop future visions for the port areas, restoring links and relationships between land and sea
threshold zones and enhancing their unique morphology.
3. TIMELINE AND SUBMISSION DETAILS A. TEXT; CATEGORY
Abstract Abstracts must be submitted via the online form https://forms.gle/GR4yvkAsT2vUPQuY8 and must include: a text of approximately 3,000 characters including spaces; a bibliography of up to 5 references; a maximum of 5 sample
images.
Submission deadline: June 15, 2025 Notification of acceptance: June 30, 2025
Conference – Participation and Registration
The conference will be held in person on September 5 and 6, 2025, at the MOLE VANVITELLIANA, Sala Polveri, Via Giovanni da Chio, Ancona. It will consist of thematic sessions corresponding to the research topics. Upon acceptance of the abstract, authors
will receive information regarding registration and full paper submission.
Full Paper – Submission and Publication
The full paper must be prepared according to guidelines provided by the organizing committee and submitted by September 30, 2025.
B. MANIFESTO; CATEGORY The "manifesto" consists of a board in 297 x 900 mm format, following the template and editorial standards (available at https://tinyurl.com/4mbfmzah), including: title/slogan a text of
3,000 characters including spaces (in English or Italian); a composition of images
Submission of the contribution (in PDF format) by June 15, 2025 via email to waterlines@sm.univpm.it with subject: WATERLINES_MANIFESTO
4. REGISTRATION FEES AND PUBLICATION FEES Registration fees vary based on participation type:
Speaker/Discussant" for tenured faculty and full-time researchers: €250
panel: €60 Additional fee for publication in City, Territory and Architecture (Springer Open): €400*
Payment details will be provided upon acceptance of the contributions. The publication fee per article is €800. The organization will subsidize €150/article for tenured faculty and €280 for non-tenured contributors. Information on
accommodations and the conference dinner will be shared with registered participants.
