Migration and mobility reduce the cohesion in many urban communities. Numerous cities have become complex entities in which ethnically, socially, and culturally segregated communities have developed. Extended leeway for individual life designs and collective ways of living are often linked to growing disparity and conflicts related to identity and self-assertion.

At the same time, cities provide the breeding ground for new, mostly cultural, expressions of civic participation, creating new forms of public spheres or civic involvement. The city reflects these social challenges and becomes a laboratory of cultural and social developments in which issues of economy and work, social belonging and recognition, cultural self-perception and external perception, and political participation and justice are renegotiated.

The main speakers include Charles Landry, founder of COMEDIA (UK), a collaborative network of people who share thoughts, ideas, projects, and initiatives concerned with city life, culture, and creativity and Phil Wood (UK) a leading expert in cultural diversity and urban development (Intercultural Cities). Other prominent presenters are Paul Scheffer from the University of Amsterdam and the Berlin Humboldt University's Wolfgang Kaschuba.

Cultural and citizenship education have to reposition themselves since forms of participation and development opportunities are becoming vital issues in cities. Bringing experts from architecture and sociology together with multipliers and practitioners in cultural and citizenship education, this European conference will engender creative stimulation for urban cultural and citizenship education.

The conference language is English, but no interpretations services are available.

There is no participation fee, and the number of participants is limited. Participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible.