The European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes, Vol 6, no 1.
Writers, scholars and politicians have historically recognized ‘the Mediterranean’ as a unique space and the cradle of multiple ancient civilizations. This liquid space –roughly defined by the sea and its coasts– has been continuously reimagined, redefined, negotiated, and challenged, sometimes to validate political ends, other times to contest mainstream geographical imaginaries. In resonance with the disciplinary and theoretical developments of mid-20thcentury, the historian Fernand Braudel famously placed the Mediterranean at the center of his analysis and his temporal exploration. His spatial understanding of the temporal concept of the long-durée, has influenced historical and geographical approaches over several decades. During this time, the Mediterranean Sea and its surroundings has also changed, both in terms of geography and imaginaries. This special issue inquires: How can a reconceptualization of the Mediterranean from a sea-based perspective be generative of new theoretical and methodological approaches? What creative methods and tools could be useful for understanding, rethinking and reimagining the Mediterranean Sea, its islands, and its surrounding coasts in light of the increasing challenges of climate change, energy transition, supply chains, migration and mobility?
Scholars have called for a reconceptualization of cities, of sea and land, notably through proposing concepts such as planetary urbanization or urbanization of the sea. With its 46000 kms of coastline and 450 million inhabitants, the Mediterranean Sea is a water basin shared by 24 countries that is currently facing numerous environmental, social and political challenges. Those challenges call for a rethinking of the sea space and the coastal regions of the Mediterranean as a space where many uses, flows and infrastructures can co-exist: from mobility, tourism, recreational uses and enjoyment of heritage, to logistics, data, and new energy infrastructures. It calls for a rethinking of water and land as porous spaces that require adaptive and resilient strategies. This special issue builds upon the two special issues of CPCL 2020 on Port City Cultures, Values, or Maritime Mindsets to extend the discussion with a focus on the Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding regions. The aim of this special issue is therefore to reexamine the Mediterranean from the seaside, focusing on diverse methodologies (such as archival, mapping/counter-mapping, visual tools, storytelling) while also inviting reflections on design proposals for new porous development and adaptive strategies.
Contributions are invited on six intersecting themes:
1. Environment and climate resilience.
2. Infrastructures and flows.
3. Digital History and heritage.
4. Pedagogy.
5. Temporalities and porosities.
6. Integrated Governance.
CPCL accepts full papers, written in English, 6,000 words maximum, including footnotes and bibliography. Manuscripts should be submitted online at cpcl.unibo.it by April 30th, 2023. CPCL does not accept e-mail submissions.
For more information, please check the full call at: https://cpcl.unibo.it/announcement/view/550
To download the call in PDF, please click here: https://unibo.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ae034523422a6c1b5b80091...