Emerging Communities Forum 2026

Istanbul 2050: Bridging Grassroots Ingenuity and Global Policy

İstanbul Planlama Ajansı (İPA) Florya Kampüsü - 7-9 October 2026

TOPICS AND WORKGROUPS

The topics will be condensed to a number that allows a more efficient allocation of conference resources, time and moderators. The Topics will be combined into few final Forum Workgroups:

  • Post Globalisation (lessons learned from the last 30 years, challenges that emerge, multilateralism review and alternatives). The revolution of economic solutions, the individual digital reach to replace traditional grants, etc., for reaching community resilience
  • Future Workshop for Cities (let’s dream about the community of the future, let’s prepare for the challenges and anticipate new planning approaches) – We can contribute with the “software” and e.g. how landscaping and industrial design can solve food and water gaps.
  • Diversity as an Asset: not only inclusive but peaceful. Reconciliation of fronts, political agendas and interest groups. Global tension and domestic fires are expected to continue until the time of the conference. Big opportunity to underline the value of diversity.
  • Artificial Intelligence and Web 5.0: what do we expect, what do we know and what we don’t. Opportunities, fears and challenges, reducing gaps (knowledge, affordability, data concentration, monopolies, local/ regional alternatives)
  • Heritage and Cultural Diversity (identity vs segregation, protecting history and uniqueness of places and peoples, intangible and invisible cities, etc)
  • Human Centric Industry 5.0: collaborative design and home micro-manufacturing, self-sufficiency, etc, which are becoming essential elements of the future circular economy in our world (“personal manufacturing”, in-house energy, autonomous food production, aquaponics, AI Waste Management), and against dependence from global supply chains.
  • Right to Repair, Micro-Implementation and Community driven Circular Economy (Waste-to-Tech) Community oriented use of knowledge, Action-Based Advocacy, digital mutual aid influencers, self-taught urban resilience engineers, clicks for charity, blueprints for turning “saving the world” from a political debate into weekend projects.
  • Rural Links: The rural hinterland of mega cities, essential for reducing global dependencies from supply chains, circular economy, migration without misery
  • Regeneration: formalising the informal, investment and heritage, rehabilitation without relocation, adaptive reuse, learning from advanced economies, etc.
  • Ethics: The unwritten rules of the Bridge; trust and power; Commerce of Data; Ethics of AI
  • Food: Supply Chains and Food Security; Commodification of Food Production; Street Food and Intangible Identity

ACTIVITIES

  • Key Notes and guests: Inviting not only colleagues of our fields, but also individuals who are successful community “micro-actors”, who have been able to influence, educate and inspire global communities. We want to listen to actors in circular economy/ right to repair advocates, waste-to-tech creators, Direct Action Philanthropists, and many other community leaders.
  • Workshops: Inviting members to deliver a pre-conference workshop with local colleagues as a short seniors’ or young professionals’ capacity development activity. This activity shall be used as a service to the Istanbul community. Generated funding will be used to support the participation of a small number of young professionals from low-income regions.
  • Gamification of the Conference: We want to create fun and interactive tasks for visitors to participate, connect and break the ice. Examples: micro-activism, participation awards, quizzes, talent shows, etc.
  • Creating a Call to Political Action: Let's create a collaborative statement to demand “right to repair” legislation, Tax Credits for Digital Philanthropy, Neighbourhood Micro-Grants, beyond the traditional planning and design related statements.

Save the Date! 

7-9 October 2026 (the week of the 5th October World Habitat Day 2026)

Venue

İstanbul Planlama Ajansı (İPA) Florya Kampüsü, Istanbul, Turkey

Tentative Schedule Summary 

  • Wednesday 7: Welcome Ceremony
  • Wednesday 7, Thursday 8: Full discussion days
  • Friday 9: Final Discussion, Conclusions for Event, “Consensus Statement” or Framework, Awards, Closing Session, and Farewell Dinner
  • Weekend: Excursions