REVISIONING PERI-URBAN FUTURES
A two-day International Conference
Oct 1-2 2021
In neoliberal economic policies, cities are considered as ‘engines of growth’ which could attract national and global business, and investment that could contribute to the larger economic growth of the country (Mitra and Mehta, 2011; Siddiqui, 2014). Cities are fast expanding with stringent regulations on urban development densities pushing businesses and people out of urban cores. The outward expansion of large cities has meant increasing and more complex interactions with the surrounding rural areas and gradual changes in their land uses and occupations, transforming them into peri-urban areas, where urban and rural activities and or institutions are juxtaposed. In the peri-urban interface the three systems-social, economic and environmental constantly interact: the agricultural system, the urban system and the natural resource system (Allen, 2003), emerging at a fast pace and playing a critical role in the country’s growth and economy (Saxena and Sharma 2015).Unfortunately, due to a lack of adequate planning and policy attention to peri-urban areas, they suffer from poor infrastructure, wide spatial disparities and poor access to amenities resulting in severe social, economic and environmental problems (Marshal and Randhawa, 2017; Sharma and Saxena, 2015). If no new planning and policy actions are taken within the next decade, several cities will have irreversibly altered the resource base required for sustained economic prosperity and resilience (OECD, 2011; Sankhe et al, 2010).
REVISIONING PERIURBAN FUTURES aims to bring to forefront the critical role of peri-urban regions for enabling inclusive and resilient urban futures addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Reduced inequality (SDG10); Good Health and well-being (SDG3); Work and economic growth (SDG 8); Climate action (SDG13);
We invite submissions that address the issues related to the multiple definitions and complexity of the peri-urban, historical constructions, politics and policies of sustainability, and legislative frameworks. Specific research questions include but are not limited to the following:
● How do we define the peri-urban? What are the differences in conceptualizing the peri-urban in the Global North and South?
● What concepts and approaches can help in studying the complex peri-urban dynamics?
● What are the current and future challenges for sustainability of peri-urban regions?
● How do the everyday socio-spatial narratives of the peri-urban (re)define the concepts of identity, belonging and marginalisation in cities? And what implications do these have on health and wellbeing, environmental and social justice?
● What are the national and international planning and policy challenges to enable inclusive and sustainable peri-urban development?
Keynote Speakers

Prof Vishal Narain
Professor, Economics & Public Policy, Management Development Institute Gurgaon, India

Mr Joe Ravetz
Co-Director of Centre for Urban Resilience & Energy at Manchester Urban Institute
The University of Manchester
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
OCTOBER 1-2 2021
Time | Conference Day 1 – 01/10/2021 | Presentations topics | Conference Day 2 – 02/10/2021 | Presentations topics | ||||
Mexico | South Africa | Turkey | India | UK/Nigeria | Programme | Programme | ||
07:00 – 07:45 | 14:00 – 14:45 | 15:00 – 15:45 | 17:30 – 18:15 | 13:00 – 13:45 | Waiting Lobby Opens | Waiting Lobby Opens | ||
07:45 – 08:00 | 14:45 – 15:00 | 15:45 – 16:00 | 18:15 – 18:30 | 13:45 – 14:00 | Introduction to PIVOT and Keynote | Introduction to Keynote | ||
08:00 – 08:30 | 15:00 – 15:30 | 16:00 – 16:30 | 18:30 – 19:00 | 14:00 – 14:30 | Keynote by Prof Vishal Narain Public Policy and Governance, MDI, Management Development Institute Gurgaon, India | Commons and the city: changing access to natural resources in the peri-urban interface | Keynote by Mr Joe Ravetz, The University of Manchester, UK | Spaces between or new places emerging? Towards a ‘collective peri-urban intelligence’ |
08:30 – 08:45 | 15:30 – 15:45 | 16:30 – 16:45 | 19:00 – 19:15 | 14:30 – 14:45 | Discussion | Discussion | ||
Roundtable Discussion | Roundtable Discussion | |||||||
08:45 – 09:00 | 15:45 – 16:00 | 16:45 – 17:00 | 19:15 – 19:30 | 14:45 – 15:00 | Dr Lazaro Eliyah Mngumi | Current and future challenges for sustainability of peri-urban regions-The case of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Dr Lakshmi Rajendran | TBC |
09:00 – 09:15 | 16:00 – 16:15 | 17:00 – 17:15 | 19:30 – 19:45 | 15:00 – 15:15 | Dr Sheeba Chander, Dean, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS), India | Modelling Periurban Areas in Indian Context-Case study of Chennai Metropolitan Area. | Dr Eda Yucesoy, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey | Assembling the boundaries of a metropolitan city: critical perspectives from Istanbul’s urban growth |
09:15 – 09:30 | 16:15 – 16:30 | 17:15 – 17:30 | 19:45 – 20:00 | 15:15 – 15:30 | Dr Mohammad Arif | Understanding Socio Economic Dilemmas of Peri-urbanization: A Case Study from Eastern India | Prof Héctor Ávila-Sánchez, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico | Peri urbanization in Mexico: realities and challenge |
09:30 – 09:45 | 16:30 – 16:45 | 17:30 – 17:45 | 20:00 – 20:15 | 15:30 – 15:45 | Discussion | Discussion | ||
09:45 – 10:30 | 16:45 – 17:30 | 17:45 – 18:30 | 20:15 – 21:00 | 15:45 – 16:30 | Break | Break | ||
Short Film Screening Session | Photo Competition Screening Session | |||||||
10:30 – 10:50 | 17:30 – 17:50 | 18:30 – 18:50 | 21:00 – 21:20 | 16:30 – 16:50 | Dr Lakshmi Priya Rajendran, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK | Living In/The (In)Visible Peripheries | Photo Exhibition | |
10:50 – 11:00 | 17:50 – 18:00 | 18:50 – 19:00 | 21:20 – 21:30 | 16:50 – 17:00 | Discussion | Discussion | ||
Session 1 | Workshop Award Winning Presentation | |||||||
11:00 – 11:15 | 18:00 – 18:15 | 19:00 – 19:15 | 21:30 – 21:45 | 17:00 – 17:15 | Presentation 1 by Dr Jorge Díaz Tejada, | The Mayan Train, a Mega Project to mainstream Peri-Urban Sustainable Communities | Presentation 1 by Swati Sharma, School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal, India | Impact of governance on the dynamics of peri-urban areas |
11:15 – 11:30 | 18:15 – 18:30 | 19:15 – 19:30 | 21:45 – 22:00 | 17:15 – 17:30 | Presentation 2 by Hafsah Siddiqui, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, UK | Living on the Margins: Citizenship and Claims-Making in Peri-Urban Pakistan | Presentation 2 by Dr Carlos L. Delgado Castillo, Iberoamerican University, Mexico City | Pattern analysis as a tool for definition of the essence of a place: a case of the southern periphery of Mexico City |
11:30 – 11:45 | 18:03 – 18:45 | 19:30 – 19:45 | 22:00 – 22:15 | 17:30 – 17:45 | Presentation 3 by Aman Singh, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India | Assessing the Relationship between Regional Accessibility and Distribution of Services Across Peri Urban Areas – Case Study of Indore, India | Presentation 3 by Ms Beste Sabir, PhD Student, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey | Urban Alchemy: Potentials of Shared Community Gardens on Cultivating Sustainable Habits and Democratic Citizenship for Urban Wellbeing |
11:45 – 12:00 | 18:45 – 19:00 | 19:45 – 20:00 | 22:15 – 22:30 | 17:45 – 18:00 | Q/A & Discussion | Presentation 4 by Onyinyechi Ossai, University of Nigeria, Nsukka | Land use Dynamics and Quality of Life of Residents in Nsukka Peri-Urban Area, Enugu State | |
Session 2 | Activities, Publications & Awards, Winners Announcement, Closing Session and Discussion | |||||||
12:00 – 12:15 | 19:00 – 19:15 | 20:00 – 20:15 | 22:30 – 22:45 | 18:00 – 18:15 | Presentation 4 by Dr Mohammed Firoz, National Institute of Technology Calicut, India | Governance, Planning And Management Framework for Spatial Planning in the Urban Rural Interface Areas : A case of Kerala, India | Photo Exhibition and Short Film Screening Results | |
12:15 – 12:30 | 19:15 – 19:30 | 20:15 – 20:30 | 22:45 – 23:00 | 18:15 – 18:30 | Presentation 5 by Prof Abdul Razak Mohamed, School of Planning and Architecture, India | Connectivity of Roads is the Measure of Spatial Access to Infrastructure Facilities in City Peripheral Areas – Case of Chennai, India | 4 Winners of the Country Workshops | |
12:30 – 12:45 | 19:30 – 19:45 | 20:30 – 20:45 | 23:00 – 23:15 | 18:30 – 18:45 | Presentation 6 by Dr Ozlem Altinkaya Genel, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands | Scaling Istanbul: Urbanization Dynamics in the Marmara Region between 2006 and 2018 | Publications & Awards | |
12:45 – 13:00 | 19:45 – 20:00 | 20:45 – 21:00 | 23:15 – 23:30 | 18:45 – 19:00 | Discussion/Day 1 Closure | Day 2 Closure |
REGISTRATION OPEN
Submission Guidelines
Abstract submission must be no more than 300 words and must highlight one (or more) of the themes set out above. Submissions are encouraged from across the world and from a wide range of disciplines, including but not limited to, urban planning and development, ecology, cultural studies, public health, engineering, and design. When submitting your abstract, please follow the guidelines below to what your abstract should include:
– an introduction that outlines the background and significance of the study
– a succinct description of the basic methodologies
– a clear indication of the major findings of the study
– conclusion
Please follow the formatting details given in the abstract template and send a 300 words (max) abstract to pivotfrontiers@gmail.com with subject title ‘PIVOT FRONTIERS CONFERENCE ABSTRACT SUBMISSION’
Submission Deadline: August 31st, 2021
The quality of abstract and relevance to the conference themes and topics will be the sole criteria based on which the Scientific Organizing Committee will select the abstract for presentation. Notification of selected abstracts will be sent early September 2021 along with guidelines for full paper submission.
Publications and Awards
The Book of Abstracts will be made available at the conference as an electronic PDF format.
The full papers will be published in online peer-reviewed conference proceedings with ISBN after the conference.
Selected papers from the conference will be invited to be part of a Journal Special Issue in a Scopus-Indexed , good impact factor journal which is planned as a part of the PIVOT project.
One Best Conference Paper Award will be given to a selected presentation which demonstrate academic rigour and innovative approach to the topic of study. The award will comprise of a Certificate, and 100 £ Gift voucher and an invitation to submit the proposed Journal Special Issue.
Scientific Committee
Dr Abid Mehmood, Cardiff University, UK
Dr Alireza Moghayedi, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Dr Arindam Biswas, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
Dr Binti Singh, KRIVIA Mumbai, India
Dr Christopher Maidment, University or Reading, UK
Dr Carlos Jimenez-Bescos, University of Nottingham, UK
Dr Eda Yucesoy, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
Ms Ifunanya Chiebube Chukwueke, University of Nigeria, Nigeria
Dr.Keith Jones, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK
Dr Lakshmi Priya Rajendran, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK
Dr.Mariantonietta Morga, Anglia Ruskin University, UK
Dr Martha Patricia Zarza Delgado, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Mexico
Dr Sheeba Chander, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, India
Student Organising Committee:
Mrs Christiana Okobi Ekpo, University of Cape town, South Africa
Mr Clement Obinna Shadrach, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Mr Daksh Jain, KRVIA, Mumbai, India
Ms Gloria Osei, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK
Mr Henry Ogunjobi, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK
Mr Jeremiah Echa, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Ms Ozga Tekce. Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
Mr Raghunath Bhaskar, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK
Ms Ramya Ravi, Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, India
Ms Veronica Albarran, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Mexico