Peripheral Centralities: Present and Future

We invite participation in a seminar and publication project on the subject of Peripheral Centralities: Present and Future as part of a series of seminars funded by the Urban Studies Foundation.

We are interested in presentation and written work from scholars and practitioners in architecture, urban/ landscape design, urban geography and urban planning examining present-day and proposed/imagined developments, via a social, political, cultural, environmental and/or design lens, that represent new peripheral centres – iconic architectural focal points, self-contained master planned developments, future employment/infrastructure hubs, loci of alternative living/politics – or a centering of the outer suburban peripheries of cities.

In this series, we hope to build on previous debates on issues such as, but by no means limited to: (i) flex space; (ii) central infrastructures (e.g.  TODs,  rail stations, and  airports);  (iii) entertainment, sports and consumer landscapes; (iv) university and college campuses; (v) design icons  and “starchitecture”  in the periphery;  (vi) massive urbanism  beyond  the centre; (vii) workplaces such as warehouses, data and distribution centres; as well as (ix) projects that are part of disaster and emergency management in times of climate crisis, pandemic and war.

We are thinking of the projects that literally or figuratively “stand out” and seek centrality in the Continuous City, or the anesthetic landscape of the Zwischenstadt. Given the location of this seminar –Toronto – we will also be interested in discussions relating to that city region’s (or any city region’s) quest to densify the suburbs and traditional neighbourhoods.

We are anticipating a two-day in-person seminar with opportunities for hybrid presentations. Six to eight thematic panels will be anchored by invited speakers and complemented by three additional presenters each who will be selected through this open call.

Please send an abstract of about 250 words for a paper proposal that addresses some of the themes raised in this CfP. Abstracts should be submitted to Roger Keil (rkeil@yorku.ca) by April 30, 2022.  Once accepted, participants must submit a 2500-word pictorial essay (including 2-5 high-quality images) by August 31, 2022. The intention is to expedite the assembly of a high-quality book for a quality press such as 010 Publishers, Jovis, Princeton Architectural Press.

Presenters will be selected by the organizers and will be notified by mid-May. Please note that we will schedule this seminar on Peripheral Centralities prior to the 2022 ACSP conference to make it attractive to colleagues who are also planning to attend that event. To signal your interest or discuss an idea please contact the seminar organizers, Nicholas Phelps (Nicholas.phelps@unimelb.edu.au), Paul Maginn (paul.maginn@uwa.edu.au), Roger Keil (rkeil@yorku.ca).