Call for Forum Team

Dear IUPF members,

After three meetings with our colleagues from iPA (Istanbul Planning Agency), who will be our Forum hosts, we finally can announce:

Call for Expressions of Interest: Leadership Team

Forum: "Istanbul 2050:
Bridging Grassroots Ingenuity and Global Policy"

The International Urban Professional Forum (IUPF), in partnership with the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA), is seeking dedicated members to serve as IUPF Leads on the Joint Steering Committee for our upcoming forum in Istanbul, 7–9 October 2026.

The "IUPF Spirit" of Participation

In alignment with our mission to keep registration fees accessible for low-income urban actors, IUPF will operate on a Radical Solidarity Model:

• Contributory Leadership: To maximize the "Inclusivity Fund," all Board members and Volunteers contribute a reduced €100 registration fee.
• Shared Risk: registration expenses shall be reimbursed to volunteers only if conference earnings permit.
• The Goal: Every Euro saved by our volunteer leadership directly lowers the barrier for a professional from a developing urban context to join us.

Conference Topics & Thematic Pillars

In Istanbul we will incorporate an innovative approach with a "Call for Stories", hoping to generate a memorable event beyond the traditional professional b2b meeting. Instead of asking for a paper on "Urban Drainage," we will ask for a story about "How a local neighbourhood association prevented flooding using traditional knowledge." We are not looking for scientific reports, but for inspiring solutions and visions.

The following areas are currently under development for the "Istanbul 2050" narrative:

• 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) 
• 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.
• Urban Rural Links: The rural hinterland of mega cities, essential for reducing global dependencies from supply chains, circular economy, migration without misery
• Urban 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

Apply for Workgroups and Teams (IUPF Lead):

Terms of Reference (ToR)

• Proven Experience: Success in organizing innovative, non-traditional conferences.
• Time Commitment: Willingness to invest substantial hours in a high-pressure, short preparation window.
• Digital Mastery: Excellent command of digital tools (Videoconferencing, collaborative budgeting, scheduling, and digital comms).
• Thematic Alignment: Deep commitment to IUPF/ECF topics as listed above.
• Cultural Competence: (Advantageous) Knowledge of Turkish culture or language, or previous experience working in the MENA/ Balkan Region.
• IUPF Membership: Only approved Members can join the team. If you want to become a member, apply here.

How to Apply

Please use the form below to submit a brief (max. 300 words) statement of interest outlining your relevant experience and your vision for the leadership roles by Friday May 1st, 2026. Please only submit this statement. 

By applying you allow the IUPF board to share your statement with the inter-institutional steering committee of the conference. The results of the selection will be announced immediately. By applying you agree with our Data Policy (Politique de Confidentialité) and with the Terms and Conditions of the Website (see links below).

Following the appointments of general co-director and co-curator (IUPF lead), we invite members to join specialized teams in the following capacities:

• Event Platform Managers (Registration & Bookings)
• Logistics and On-site Committee (Services & Local coordination)
• Content Teams (Topic-specific experts & Keynote coordination)
• Marketing, Branding & Website Design
• Sponsorship & International Outreach
• Young Professionals Workshop Coordinators
• Flexible