The latest edition of the successful 4EU+ educational project, UNREAD, concluded with a three-day conference held at Charles University from 26 to 28 March 2025. The event focused on perspectives in urban studies and sustainability.
Bringing together leading minds from across Europe, the conference sparked dynamic conversations and fresh ideas on shaping the cities of tomorrow. It featured a range of sessions, including keynote speeches, group presentations, and roundtable discussions. Topics included housing issues, gentrification and revitalisation, as well as comparative studies of urban infrastructure in different cities:
Perception of the housing problem in Paris and Warsaw - a comparative analysis;
Social Housing Policies – The Case of Berlin and Prague;
Urban Shifts: A comparative and interdisciplinary Study of Gentrification in Milan, Warsaw and Amsterdam;
Gentrification, Revitalisation, and Industrial Heritage: Warsaw, Poland and Milan, Italy;
Revitalization Practices: Warsaw, Prague & Medellin, a comparative analysis;
Public transport and cycling infrastructure as a city’s green development strategies: an example of Utrecht and Warsaw;
Sustainability and Accessibility to Urban Green Spaces. Cities: Milan and Warsaw.
Participants were welcomed by Doc. Luděk Šídlo, Vice-Dean of the Geographic Departments at the Faculty of Science, Charles University. Students and academics from 4EU+ universities – Charles University, Heidelberg University, the University of Milan, Sorbonne University and the University of Warsaw – actively contributed to the success of the conference. The event also included an interactive social programme, including a city tour to the South Town housing estate.
"Participation in the UNREAD course was a great opportunity to deepen knowledge of urbanization, cities and related regulations and reflect on their future. After proper preparation by weekly meetings, we presented group papers, which compared, in an interdisciplinary way, at least two cities from different European countries. Every group presented various aspects of urban challenges, such as gentrification, revitalisation, or housing policy. Thanks to the international perspective, we were able to confront our ideas on the cities that are close to us, but also open ourselves to observations about other cities. I think many of us understood the connection between history, law and geography, which materializes in the space of a modern city. For me, it was a great experience and an unforgettable first step into the international scientific world!"
“The course Urban Regulations and Political Memory addressed urban studies from many perspectives, which later inspired our own analyses during the conference. Their interdisciplinarity forced us to look at cities throughout themes like ecology, law, transport or historical politics. Learning about different case studies highlighted similarities in contemporary urban challenges. During the conference, the themes of the housing crisis and the impact of climate change on cities were among others the most significant, indicating the international nature of these problems.
The conference itself was a valuable experience, as many of us were attending the conference for the first time. The groups, made up of students from different countries and fields of study, were extremely engaged and explored their topics in details. Meeting in Prague not only enabled us to get to know each other personally and have lively discussions, but also to deepen our knowledge of local urban issues previously discussed on the course.”