Circularity in Cities: Towards Climate-Sensitive Planning

The Symposium on Spatial Planning, part of the 6th Doctoral Congress in Engineering (DCE25), will take place at FEUP, Porto, Portugal, on June 30th and 1st of July 2025.

This Symposium is organized by PhD students of the Doctoral Program in Spatial Planning (PDPT) at FEUP.

As cities face growing environmental challenges, circularity has emerged as a transformative concept in urban development, extending beyond the circular economy to encompass urban governance, spatial planning, and socio-technical transitions. This symposium explores how planning strategies can integrate climate adaptation action, land use, mobility, governance, and social equity to foster resilient and regenerative urban environments.

Key themes include territorial cohesion, spatial justice, and collaborative planning to support resource-efficient and climate-responsive cities. Additionally, housing policies, urban affordability, and the right to the city will be addressed as essential elements of a circular urban transition.

The symposium underscores the necessity for innovative governance and transformative policies to achieve authentic circularity. By bolstering institutional capacities and promoting participatory decision-making, we can prioritize resilience and inclusivity in urban development. Incorporating nature-based solutions across various spatial scales is essential for advancing long-term urban sustainability. This event works as a valuable platform for a diverse range of stakeholders to engage in productive dialogue and develop interdisciplinary strategies that align spatial planning with circularity, paving the way for dynamic, sustainable, and socially just urban futures.

Submissions

Format: Oral communications or PDPT Visual Exhibition

Please follow the abstract template (maximum 1 page) according to the Instruction for Authors available under the Registration page. The submission must be done through the SCI-MEET platform.

For more information, please click HERE.

Registration & Payment

Registration is mandatory for all participants through the SCI-MEET platform.

The Doctoral Program in Spatial Planning (PDPT) will cover the registration costs for any PDPT student from FEUP.

A limited number of registration waivers will be granted to other students, researchers or professors from FEUP, depending on the number of attendees. For any questions, please email up201902912@edu.fe.up.pt (Lara Bomfim).

Abstracts will be included in the Book of Abstracts only if at least one author of each accepted abstract is registered and has paid the registration fee (attended the event).

Please note that at least one author per submitted abstract must register for the Congress as soon as possible to secure participation.

Program

|| The full program will be available soon ||

Communications

Oral communication:  

  • Prepare a PowerPoint presentation to support your talk.
  • An editable PowerPoint template will be available soon.
  • Language: Presentations and slides must be in English.

PDPT Visual Exhibition: 

A space for doctoral and master’s students to showcase graphical works related to their research, including conceptual cartographies, thematic maps, photographs, diagrams, technical drawings, sketches, paintings, and other artistic productions.

  • Language: All materials must be in English.  
  • Guidelines:
    • Submission: Title, year, author, affiliation. Brief description of the work (max. 100 words);
    • Photography: proportion 3:2, format PNG or JPG, resolution 300 dpi;
    • Other material (diagram, thematic maps, technical drawings, etc.: size A3 vertical or horizontal  (297mm x 420mm), format PNG or JPG, resolution 300 dpi.

Publications

All accepted abstracts, with at least one author registered in the Congress with a paid fee, will be included in the event’s program and the Symposium Book of Abstracts.

|| The Book of Abstracts will be available soon ||

Awards

Authors of accepted abstracts presented at the Congress will be eligible for the Best Oral Communication and Best PDPT Visual Exhibition Awards.

Symposium Committees 

Symposium Chairs:

  • Fernando Manuel Brandão Alves, FEUP
  • Paulo Santos Conceição, FEUP

Symposium Organizing Committee:

  • Fernando Manuel Brandão Alves, FEUP
  • Paulo Santos Conceição, FEUP
  • Cauê Martins Rios, PhD Student PDPT, FEUP
  • Franklin Gabriel Menezes Gaspar, PhD Student PDPT, FEUP
  • João Pedro Andrade Silva, PhD Student PDPT, FEUP
  • Lara Costa Bomfim, PhD Student PDPT, FEUP
  • Nicolás Emilio Santelices Artaza, PhD Student PDPT, FEUP

Symposium Scientific Committee:

  • Álvaro Fernando de Oliveira Costa, FEUP
  • Anabela Salgueiro Narciso Ribeiro, FEUP
  • Catarina Dias Cadima, FEUP
  • Cecília Alexandra Abreu Coelho da Rocha, FEUP
  • Cecília do Carmo Ferreira da Silva, FEUP
  • Emília Maria Delgado Domingos Antunes Malcata Rebelo, FEUP
  • Fernando Manuel Brandão Alves, FEUP
  • Isabel Maria Fernandes Ribeiro Breda Lacerda Vázquez, FEUP
  • Miguel Luis Lage Alvim Serra, FEUP
  • Paulo Manuel da Costa Pinho, FEUP
  • Paulo Santos Conceição, FEUP
  • Sara Maria dos Santos Rodrigues da Cruz, FEUP
  • Vítor Manuel Araújo de Oliveira, FEUP

Contact: up201902912@edu.fe.up.pt (Lara Bomfim)