Organised by ISOCARP in association with The Faculty of Urban & Regional Planning Cairo University

Download the Congress Brochure for detailed information

Read about the Congress Structure and Parallel Sessions .

Congress Theme

Globalization can be considered as part of a larger process of building a world market. Most often it has been described as: a process of integrating national economies into world markets, the transition from a “high volume economy” into a “high value economy”, a process that modifies deeply the structural framework of rational choice, at the global, national or the local level. However, globalization is not only an economic phenomenon, it includes also different social, technological, political and cultural structures and processes (UNESCO 2001) with relevant effects on physical space.

The planning profession is affected by globalization in many aspects.
Some of them will be addressed at this congress and proper answers will be sought.
Amongst many, the following questions seize our attention the most:

Is cultural identity disappearing due to the “globalizing” cities/environment process? Can this be modified / managed by planners? Are there still differences among global cities?
How can planners turn into advantage the increasing competition between places?
Most planning takes place at the local level. How do planners collaborate with the other regional and urban stakeholders coping with global processes at this level?
Which are the most relevant effects on developing and transitional countries and their cities?
How does the implant of components and characteristics of global networks of tourist – recreational equipment, of telecommunication, of transnational articulation affect planning and managing cities and city systems within countries?
How do we cope locally and regionally with economic, technological and environmental transformations at global scale in our planning work?
Are there new instruments in resolving conflicts about land uses and economic development policies?
Can planners show good practices of intervention in cities’ capacity to adapt to the world market insertion process?

The above mentioned questions can be explored in different ways.
First of all, the need emerges to understand how globalization is shaping cities and regions; which are the focal points, the “hinges”, around which the cities turn. This implies a set of effects on environmental, economic and social resources.

Secondly, there is an urgent demand for analysis, understanding and interpretation of the relationship among urban and social morphologies in their dynamic evolution and different contexts.

Moreover, planners gathering in a worldwide meeting have to exchange their experiences and compare their practices about governing cities and regions facing globalization-related issues.

In the end, it is necessary to look carefully into different approaches both from the geographical and the political point of view. This perspective can help in finding common values to strengthen the valorization of local resources and social networks.

The host city of the Congress is one of the largest metropolises in the Mediterranean area and one of the leading cities of the Muslim world. This fact will offer us a further opportunity to open up the discussion on a multicultural and mutual relationship among different civilizations.

Keynote Speakers

Ismael Serageldin, Director General Library Alexandria, Egypt
Alberto Magnaghi, Dip. Urbanistica/Pianficazione del Territorio Firenze, Italy
Invited: Lieu Thai Ker, Director RSP Architects & Engineers, Singapore

Congress Objectives and Output

The main task of this congress is a wide exchange of experiences and opinions among planners and researchers on territorial phenomena and urban / regional planning practices in a globalizing world. The relationships between globalization and localism have been a recurrent theme in recent debates on cities and their dynamics and policies.

The real effects of the globalization phenomenon appear to be widely articulated both at the geographical and the political level. Under its “shining” surface the key feature of this process is the heterogeneity of a world where differences still matter more than it appears.

According to this scenario, the exchange of experiences among worldwide planners is a unique opportunity to think about peculiarities and innovations related to the space and management of city and region looking at cultural, geographical and social differences in the globalization era.

It is worth looking in depth at the relationship between developed and developing countries as far as the diverse rhythms and characteristics of the growth of cities and metropolis of these different realities are concerned.
Moreover, a core issue is the role and the future of nodal cities in less developed countries that participate in the global city system, facing the impacts generated by the modes of production and life that characterize rich countries.

Congress Team

Download the List of Congress Team Members and Speakers.

Registration and Fees

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About ISOCARP

The International Society of City and Regional Planners is a global association of professional planners, founded in 1965. The Congress is the Society’s major annual event, offering a context for debate and the exchange of knowledge on topics related to city and regional planning.

In recent years, it has become traditional to preface the main Congress event with the Young Planners’ Workshop in which younger members of the profession gather to work on a significant planning problem being experienced by the host city. The 2003 Congress will be no exception.

The objectives of the Society are to bring together recognized and highly qualified individual planners in an international network, to improve the planning practice through the creation of a platform for the exchange between planners from different countries and to promote the planning profession in all its aspects, including planning research and education for planning.