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We are delighted to announce the 1st UNIC Thematic Conference, which will be held from 7-9 May 2025 at Malmö University.
In an era marked by rapid urbanization and the pressing need for sustainable development, cities face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The UNIC Thematic Conference aims to address these critical issues by fostering multidisciplinary dialogue and innovation. Drawing on contemporary inter-disciplinary scholarship and engaged research, the conference will explore sustainability and urban resilience within postindustrial settings.
The event will bring together leading scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to share insights, develop collaborative solutions, build bridges between research and innovative education and chart pathways toward more resilient and sustainable urban futures.
Another key objective of the conference is to develop these thematic streams with an emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in governance networks and social dynamics. Topics include but are not limited to:
Professor MARWA DABAIEH is a full Professor of Architecture and urban sustainability at Malmö University, renowned for her expertise in sustainable architecture, vernacular design, and climate-responsive building techniques. With a career spanning over 20 years in both academia and practice, her work focuses on integrating low-tech, passive design strategies and ecological solutions into modern architectural frameworks.
Professor Dabaieh specializes in participatory action research, where she employs urban living labs and community-driven design to co-create sustainable solutions with local populations. Her research addresses pressing global challenges, including climate adaptation, environmental justice, and the representation of marginalized human and more-than-human ecologies in urban contexts. She is particularly known for her innovative use of vernacular knowledge, coupled with modern computational tools like parametric design and machine learning, to design resilient, low-energy buildings. Throughout her career, Professor Dabaieh has led and contributed to several international research projects and has published extensively on sustainable building practices and urban resilience. At Malmö University, she is promoting research on architecture and urban sustainability, guiding doctoral candidates and spearheading interdisciplinary projects that bridge the gap between academia, practice, and community engagement.
Prof. Dabaieh's talk is about The Path Forward for Climate Justice and Equitable Adaptation in Diverse Urban Landscapes. It will focus on climate adaptation strategies that prioritize equity and inclusivity, particularly in cities with diverse, marginalized communities. By examining case studies from superdiverse urban areas, the talk will discuss how localized, socially engaged research can guide climate-just urban transformation. In addition, this keynote will explore the intersection of technological innovation and human-centred design, stressing the importance of maintaining cultural heritage and social needs in "smart city" plans. Highlighting examples of participatory planning and the integration of traditional architectural wisdom, it could show how cities can be both technologically advanced and socially sustainable. Moreover, the talk will show how Resilient by Design, Using Bioclimatic Architecture to Build Climate-Smart and Inclusive Cities through introducing bioclimatic architecture concepts and their potential applications in urban resilience. By addressing how passive cooling, thermal comfort, and biodiversity support are achieved through design, the talk will highlight strategies that use architectural form to reduce carbon footprints while fostering inclusive, climate-resilient urban spaces.
ROBERTO SAN SALVADOR DEL VALLE holds a BA in History, a PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences and a MA in Leisure Studies. He is currently Professor at the University of Deusto, where he teaches at the Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastián campus. He is Director of the Deusto Cities Lab Katedra, a trans-disciplinary ecosystem pursued through research projects, learning programs and actions open innovation, transforming cities through 360 city governance.
His talk is described as follows: "The world, its cities, territories and communities, present relevant imbalances: climate change, concentration of wealth, inequalities, xenophobia, populism, authoritarianism... We demand proposals and solutions from governments, companies and non-profit organisations to address these challenges. However, we must put the emphasis on the pH Factor: people. Our objective must be, through learning, research and action, to activate and involve the referent and anonymous citizens in the transformative innovation of the cities that they inhabit and pass through. Referent people, at the head of institutions, companies and social entities, can transform the world, its cities, territories and communities. But, anonymous people, as human beings, users, consumers, citizens and activists, can transform the reality they inhabit. A more democratic governance of cities involves the incorporation of institutions, companies, social entities and anonymous citizens both in dialogue and deliberation and in co-creation and implementation. The result of the democratic governance will be the articulation of ecosystems of transformative innovation in which a more human and sustainable development will be possible."
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