With success, the third edition of international conference on Cities Identity through Architecture & Arts (CITAA) was organized and held in the University of Pisa of Italy from the 11^th and until the 13^th of September 2019.

Covering an array of topics, the conference discussed the influence of Architecture and the Arts in shaping the identities of cities as well as their influence on the quality of life. Concepts of City Identity and Branding, Urban Growth and Development, Spatial Transformation, Conservation of Heritage, Tourism and more were topics of discussion and research.

Opening Session

An opening ceremony marked the start of the conference, which included a 'greetings and communications' session by the institutions during which words were given by:

Prof. Ing. Alberto Landi, the president of the School of Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy.

Prof. Luca Lanini, D.E.S.T.E.C, Department of Energy Engineering, University of Pisa, Italy.

Prof. Ferdinando Trapani, Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, Italy & Coordinator of Academic Support between IEREK and Italian Universities.

Dr. Mourad Amer, PhD, President and CEO of IEREK.

Prof. Francesco Molinari, Department of Architecture, University of Florence & Conference Chair

Following the eloquence with which they delivered their messages, our keynote speakers then drove the conference’s main theme by delivering their lectures:

Prof. Francesco Molinari, International Researcher & Project Manager: Innovation in Culture & ICT relationship

Prof. Edmond Manahasa, Department of Architecture, Epoka University: "A new approach in defining urban identity"

Prof. Luca Lanini, D.E.S.Te.C., Università di Pisa: “Designing the Future. Art, Architecture and City in the Work of Ivan Leonidov”

Prof. Elisabetta Di Stefano, Department of Humanities, Università di Palermo: "City's Identity and Aesthetics of Atmospheres"

Valentina Gensini, Director of the Contemporary Art Centre Le Murate. Progetti Arte Contemporanea, Florence: "Uncomfortable Heritage: Le Murate and the RIVA Project as experiences of urban re-appropriation"

Conference Parallel Sessions

Held in parallel to one another, the sessions were split into 5 sessions over a duration of two days as follows:

Session 1: The City’s Image and Self-identity
Moderators: Prof. Valerio Cutini, Prof. Luca Lanini

Session 2: Urban Growth & Design: Its Impact on the City’s Image
Moderators: Prof. Mario Giorgio Bevilacqua, Prof. Ferdinando Trapani

Session 3: Local Architecture & Shaping the City’s Identity
Moderators: Prof. Lina Malfona, Valentina Gensini

Session 4: Urban Morphology & Spatial Transformation
Moderators: Prof. Elisabetta Di Stefano, Dr. Arch. Ludovica Marinaro

Session 5: Conservation of Urban Heritage Areas
Moderators: Prof. Francesco Alberti, Dr. Arch. Giovanni Pescarmona

Closing Session

The Plenary session of the conference was concluded with an enlightening Lecture delivered by the conference chair, prof. Francesco Alberti, with the title of “Life between Monuments: Local Identity & Global Tourism in the Historic Neighborhood of San Lorenzo in Florence”. The final session then incorporated a general discussion of the presented research as well as final remarks and future plans by the session moderators, conference chair and keynote speakers. A final ceremony and delivery of the certificates was held in gratitude of the informative contributions made by the attendees.

Please be informed that the Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts – 3rd Edition conference will be held on the 11th through the 13th of September, instead of being held in May, as the attendees of both the Middle and Far East have requested the change since the day that was announced coincides with the month of Ramadan.

It is easy to identify a city's identity by looking at its architecture. Architecture is the platform where all cultural, historical and economic monuments meet. With each city's unique identity, the impact is left and history made. Similarly, traditions represent a critical piece of our culture and identity. They help form the structure and foundation of our families and our society. They identify the part of a history that defines our past, shapes who we are today and who we are likely to become. Once we ignore the meaning of our traditions, we're in danger of damaging the underpinning of our identity.

The identity of cities has become a serious issue for many countries at present, so that the role of organizations and governments has become to maintain and fix architectural buildings to save their heritage. For this reason, IEREK has organized the international conference on "Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Arts".

This conference will talk about how historical cities are to change in the future and how architecture and arts are to be preserved. It will also discuss the city's self-identity, how this identity could be affected over the upcoming years as well as how the architecture of a city and contemporary arts could affect the identity of a city. 

This conference will also increase awareness of the importance of conserving architectural monuments and arts. IEREK, through this conference, aims to gather research and exchange knowledge from different perspectives and views on the different ways through which architecture and contemporary arts are developed.

Also, IEREK seeks to emphasize the basis of urban development and identities as well as investigating the diverse approaches taken in both fields; architecture and contemporary art.

Following the success of the first and second international conferences on "Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Arts", the third edition of the conference will be held from the 11th to the 13th of Sep,  2019. Benefit from an opportunity to benefit from and exchange knowledge with experts in this field.

Selected papers of the conference will be published in a book series by Springer in a book series titled Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Others will be published in the Resourceedings journal by IEREK Press.

• 1. Cultural Spaces and Landscapes in Contemporary Arts
• 2. Cities with Religious and Cultural Themes
• 3. Urban Growth, Morphology and Its Impact on Cities' Identity
• 4. Slums and Urban Fringe Belts
• 5. New Developments in Urban Design and Shaping the City and Its Culture
• 6. Contemporary Arts in Modern and Historical Cities
• 7. Future Plans to Enhancing the Cultural Tourism of Historical Places
• 8. The Cities’ Image and Self-identity
• 9. Ideologies and Movements: Shaping the City and Its History
• 10. Artistic Heritage and Its Impact on Contemporary Arts
• 11. The Correlation Between Architecture and Arts and Conservation
• 12. Architecture and Arts in Cultural Transformation Age
• 13. Policies and Guidelines for Planning and Developing the Historical Areas
• 14. Best Practices for Dealing with Historical Areas and Buildings
• 15. Branding the Cultural Heritage of the City
• 16. Transition to Smart Cities: Structure and Transformation
• 17. Future of Our Past: Archeology is Yesterday's Visual Arts for Today
• 18. The Dialogue Between Ancient and Contemporary Visuals
• 19. Mapping Cities' Vocabularies: Ecological Approach of Conservation Projects
• 20. Planning for Sustainable Context of Re-discovering Heritage Vocabularies
• 21. Advances in Technologies of City Planning and Development
• 22. International Case Studies in Emerging the Characteristics of Cities' Identities

Instructions

- Each research paper should have one main author who should pay the full fee (Author fees) regardless of attendance.

- Each co-author (1-5 max) has his/her own separate fees to pay as shown in a table below.

- A research paper fee allows only one author, whether main or co-author, to attend the conference and receive only one copy of the conference proceedings book in both hard and soft copies. Extras can be requested for a fee shown below.

Conference Fees:

Author Fees (Short Paper)
Short-Paper consists of 4 – 5 pages, and suits researches that make significant contributions, but still in progress or can be reported briefly.

Author Fees (Full Paper)
Full-Paper is the basic standard peer-reviewed paper and often consists of 8 - 12 pages

Regular Attendance Fees 

Extra Fees (upon request) 

- Delegates in any event who cancel their registration due to special circumstances for any reason will receive refunds according to the following plan and according to the number of days from the start of the event:

EXCEPTION

A refund is not possible if

- An acceptance letter has been issued (Authors only)

- The proceedings of the event have been published (Authors only)

- All matters have been finalized (accommodation/travel expenses paid for)

Visa Rejection Cases

Documents to be issued by IEREK to acquire a visa are as follows:

* Final Acceptance Letter (Authors only)

* Visa Invitation Letter

* Invoice/proof of payment

We encourage all authors and attendees to ensure their having acquired all documents (those applicable) mentioned.

* Authors: may choose to let their co-author present his/her research on his/her behalf free of charge. If the author does not have a co-author, a member of the scientific committee shall present on the author’s behalf.

* Audience members/Registrants: will only be allowed to attend another similar event of their choosing that is organized by IEREK free of charge.

All accepted papers of the third Cities' Identities through Architecture and Art (3^rd CITAA) after the peer-review process will be either published as chapters in the Book Series “Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation” (ASTI) by Springer or in The International Journal of Proceedings of Science and Technology (Resourceedings) online by IEREK Press.

The ASTI Book Series by Springer is by highly professional members of an International Editorial Board to ensure a high-quality publication material to be eventually published online and printable.

The ASTI Book Series will be submitted for indexation in Web of Science (ISI), EI-Compendex, and Scopus databases.

The Previous proceedings of 2^nd Conference of Cities' Identities through Architecture and Art (2^nd CITAA) are in the process of production will be published in the ASTI book series in November 2019. As for the rest of the proceedings they are published online in the international journal of Proceedings of Science and Technology (Resourceedings). 

Note that only authors of accepted papers who will register before the deadline of 12 August 2019 will be allowed to present during the conference sessions (see Important Dates and Conference Fees). 

If you are not sure whether you or one of your co-authors will be able to attend the conference, you should bear in mind that there is a fee to be paid for Audiences (Co-authors, Learners, and Interests). The accepted paper will not be included in the conference proceedings without paying the fee (see Conference Fees for more details). A research paper fee allows only one author, whether main or co-author, to attend the conference and receive only one copy of the conference proceedings book in both hard and soft copies. Extras can be requested for a fee shown below.

The proceedings of the Cities' Identities through Architecture and Art (3^rd CITAA) will consist of 4 sections (or Parts), each edited by the following group of Chief Editors:

Prof. Antonella Versaci

Assistant professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University "Kore" of Enna

Prof. Francesco Alberti

Associate professor of Urban planning and design at University of Florence, DIDA - Department of Architecture

Prof. Marta Seera

PhD Architect and adjunct lecturer in the Depart-ment of Theory and History of Architecture and Communication Techniques (THATC) at the Vallès School of Architecture (ETSAV), Polytechnic University of Catalonia – Barcelona Tech (UPC)

Prof. Nabil Mohareb

Head of Faculty of Architecture- Design & Built Environment, Tripoli Branch, Beirut Arab University

Prof. Sreetheran Maruthaveeran

Senior Lecturer, Landscape Architecture Department, University Putra Malaysia PhD (Landscape Architecture & Planning), University of Copenhagen, Denmark

- IEREK provides you the English Review service; where we will be responsible for the language review process of your paper. This service will get your paper revised in terms of grammar, punctuation, and language structure; without changing the scientific content.

- This service will ensure you have the perfect language structure, to get your perfect paper published. This will help you increase the number of citations and make it easier for others access the information provided in your paper.

Fees for the editing process:

If you are interested in getting this service, please email us your paper on: [email protected]

- IEREK has an unyielding policy regarding plagiarism. We believe that copying/taking the ideas and work of other Authors without permission and credit, is fraudulent.

- The Reviewing committee and IEREK employees have the authority to reject a paper during its reviewing process,  on the basis of the paper being subjected to either minor or major plagiarism.

- Duplicating any content, even if it is one sentence or one table without the consent of its original Author, will lead to the paper’s refusal upon the complaint of the plagiarism victim.

Since conferences are the places where new science results are typically first presented so, it helps you sharpen the saw, meet experts & influencers face to face, learning in a new space, build your knowledge base, expand your resources and grow your professional network. Yet attending conferences organized by IEREK will not only helps you gain previous benefits but also can be very rewarding on the professional level due to below reasons:

1. Open Discussions: We bring together leading academic scientists to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of smart cities development. Furthermore, you get to converse with other researchers from different universities and countries. You learn from experts in the field. It is a great opportunity to find more about your field and listen to ideas that could help inspire research ideas of your own.

2. Internationally Accredited Certificate: The participants are granted internationally recognized certificates which will be added to their certificates of experience or could be presented to the official authorities concerned.

3. Publication: The conference proceedings will be published by one or more journals since authors can choose to publish their research paper either in "Resourceedings" international journal of science hosted by IEREK Press or "SSRN" by "ELSEVIER". Besides, high-quality manuscripts based on scientific committee evaluation will be published either in Environmental Sciences & Sustainable Development (ESSD) by IEREK Press or a book series by "Springer".

4. Research Technologies: Conferences also can expand your resources by providing a great opportunity to promote gathered information on new technologies related to your research. Moreover, they let you test them out, share teaching tools and techniques, or even obtain samples of textbooks.

5. Networking: Conferences help in networking which often increases your chances of collaboration in future projects. As you can engage with respectable professors and discuss with them the very latest research projects they could be working on.

6. Academic Reputation: Attending many conferences will make you a known figure in academic circles, not to mention the benefits for your C.V as it will create an impression that you are an active member of the academic community.

7. Conference Proceedings Material: Delegates will have the choice of receiving the conference proceedings as either a hardcover book or in digital format on a CD. The CD will additionally contain proceedings from previous conferences in this series.

8. Venue: Getting an overview of the place or city where the conference is being held and learning about its people and culture.

Moreover, all conference papers are archived online in the E-Library of IEREK‘s website where they are immediately and permanently available to the international scientific community.

- For participants who need Entry Visas, IEREK will issue a visa letter for applicants who are accepted to present at our conferences.

- Please notice that we will endeavor to assist you in obtaining a visa but the responsibility is yours and the decision rests solely with the appropriate Embassy.

Below are details for a list of hotels that are found within a 15 minutes walking distance from the conference's venue. 

Please note that booking for accommodation is your own responsibility. 

Pisa is a legendary city and one of the most famous in this region of Italy. Tourists often stop at Pisa en-route to Florence but it is a fantastic city to stay in and offers a great deal more sites than just it’s legendary leaning tower. Located on the western coast of Italy, Pisa is only 20 minutes from the Ligurian Sea and has great transport links to Florence, Livorno and La Spezia. With a population of just 91,000 it is one of the smaller cities in the Tuscany region of Italy, but has historically been one of the most important and influential cities.

The following are some suggestions of places to visit while you are in Pisa, Italy.

1.Leaning Tower

You have to admit - the Leaning Tower of Pisa does look a bit odd in real life, but that's what makes it a fun and perfect spot for a selfie!

2.Pisa Cathedral

This is the less well-known but more grand building attached to the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Inside, you'll see Galileo's Lamp, very impressive frescoes, and intricate marble work.

3.Casciano Baths

Over one thousand years old, this spa's relaxing properties are just as potent today as they were back when it was built. The natural spring water, Acqua Mathelda, is mineral-rich and promotes dilation of the blood vessels.

4.Keith Haring mural

Pisa offers much more to see beyond its well-known Renaissance art. In the 1980s, legendary New York artist Keith Haring was so enamored with the city that he painted a mural inspired by his admiration. Look out for it- hidden off Piazza Vittorrio Emanuele II.

5.University Botanical Garden

Established in 1544, this was the first university botanical garden in Europe. Enjoy its greenery and open air buildings!

6.Museum of San. Matteo

A relatively well-kept secret, this small museum houses most of the original art from Pisa's historical buildings.

Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation Book Series
IEREK Series for Interdisciplinary Studies

Springer:

- On 10 May 1842 (his 25th birthday), Julius Springer founded his bookstore and publishing house in Berlin, laying the foundation for today’s company.

- After 175 dynamic years, the name Springer stands for a globally active publisher dedicated to the advancement of science, putting its authors and editors at the heart of the company’s publishing activities.

- Springer is a leading global scientific, technical and medical portfolio, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content through innovative information, products and services.

- Springer has one of the strongest STM and HSS eBook collections and archives, as well as a comprehensive range of hybrid and open access journals.

- Springer is part of Springer Nature, a global publisher that serves and supports the research community. Springer Nature aims to advance discovery by publishing robust and insightful science, supporting the development of new areas of research and making ideas and knowledge accessible around the world.

- As part of Springer Nature, Springer sits alongside other trusted brands like Nature Research, BioMed Central, and Palgrave Macmillan.

About the Series:

Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation (ASTI) is a series of peer-reviewed books based on the best studies on emerging research that redefines existing disciplinary boundaries in science, technology, and innovation (STI) in order to develop integrated concepts for sustainable development. The series is mainly based on the best research papers from various IEREK and other international conferences or direct submissions and is intended to promote the creation and development of viable solutions for a sustainable future and a positive societal transformation with the help of integrated and innovative science-based approaches. Offering interdisciplinary coverage, the series presents innovative approaches and highlights how they can best support both the economic and sustainable development for the welfare of all societies. In particular, the series includes conceptual and empirical contributions from different interrelated fields of science, technology, and innovation that focus on providing practical solutions to ensure food, water, and energy security. It also presents new case studies offering concrete examples of how to resolve sustainable urbanization and environmental issues. The series is addressed to professionals in research and teaching, consultancies and industry, and government and international organizations. Published in collaboration with Springer, the IEREK Interdisciplinary Series for Sustainable Development will acquaint readers with essential new studies in STI for sustainable development.

Publication

Publishing your paper with a reputable and renowned publisher is necessary to maintain the high quality standards of the scientific process along with retaining your copyright. It is even more advantageous to increase the exposure of your paper to the rest of the scientific community either online, offline, or in both versions.

All of the papers present in the book either belong to the best research papers in IEREK’s conferences or the authors’ direct submissions.Fees for direct submission: - The revision process: 200$ (nonrefundable)- Once the paper is accepted and approved: 200$.

Second Edition

Opening Session

The conference started with a welcoming word by Professor Hassan Abdalla ((Dean, School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, UEL) and a brief overview of the conference topics to be discussed, the expected outcome and current and future work.

 Following his speech, Dr. Fulvio Wirz, (MA Programme leader at UEL and Associate at Zaha Hadid Architects) took over the podium to introduce the conference.

The session was then wrapped up by a speech from IEREK's Chief Executive Officer and founder, Dr. Mourad Amer and a presentation on the company, its aims & goals and events overtime, which was delivered by its General Director, Dr. Abdelaziz Sakr.

Conference Sessions

Held in parallel to another conference on Urban Regeneration & Sustainability, the program was split into 4 sessions in total. Each session was held and moderated by reputable professors who were did an outstanding job organizing the conference and its sessions. Each Day was initiated with a keynote speech delivered by speakers on the topics of the conferences as per the scheduled sessions and their respective titles. The Keynotes and their speeches were delivered as follows:

Day 1:

A Full day visit to the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to experience the area and get a glimpse of the different developments undertaken.

Day 2:

Dr. Fulvio Wirz -Lecture title: "Digital Fabrication and the City: the Shift Towards Modular Complexity in Urban and Architectural Design"

Day 3:

Professor Gabriele Sorrento -CEO and Founder of Mindesk: a VR-based design platform.

Lecture title: "Virtual Reality: Breaking the Fifth Wall"

Professor Hocine Bougdah -Reader in Architectural Technology in Canterbury School of Architecture.

Lecture title: "Heritage inspired Contemporary Urban Settlements: The case of the Ksour in the M'Zab Valley, Algeria"

First Edition  

The opening session started with a welcoming word from Prof. John Joughin (Vice Chancellor of UEL), Prof. Hassan Abdalla (Dean, School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, UEL) and Mr. Gilles Retsin (Senior Lecturer in MSc Computing and Design, UEL – Gilles Retsin Architecture).

It was shortly followed by a word from Dr. Hocine Bougdah (Reader in Architectural Technology, University for the Creative Arts, Canterbury, UK – IEREK Advisor)

Moving on to the conference sessions which was held at the which was led and moderated by great and reputable professors and professional personnel who were of great help in organizing this conference and its sessions. The sessions were preceded by the Keynote Speakers. The topics discussed during the conference are of great interest to the field of integrating computer techniques into architecture, and each session was followed by an “Open Discussion”, and the day was concluded by a “Round Table Discussion” moderated by key persons in the conference.

The Conference Keynote Speakers were:

1. Professor Patrik Schumacher -  Director of Zaha Hadid Architects
2. Professor Mario Carpo Reyner Banham - Professor of Architectural History and Theory, The Bartlett, UCL
3. Professor Jose Sanchez Assistant - Professor at USC & Director of Plethora Project
4. Benjamin Dillenburger  - Assistant Professor of Architecture, ITA ETH

The sessions and discussions were moderated by:

• Jose Sanchez Assistant - Professor at USC & Director of Plethora Project
• Gilles Retsin - Senior Lecturer in MSc Computing and Design, UEL – Gilles Retsin Architecture
• Soomeen Hahm - Director & Founder of Soomeen Hahm Designs
• Patrik Schumacher - Director of Zaha Hadid Architects
• Daniel Köhler - University of Innsbruck iOUD, Lab EDS
• Kory Bieg - Assistant Professor UT Austin, OTA+, ACADIA
• Mollie Claypool - Lecturer, University College of London
• Hassan Abdalla - Dean, School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, UEL
• Manuel Jimenez - Garcia University College of London, MADM Design
• Mario Carpo - Reyner Banham Professor of Architectural History and Theory, The Bartlett, UCL
• Benjamin Dillenburger - Assistant Professor of Architecture, ITA ETH
• Manuel Jimenez - Garcia University College of London, MADM Design

The Tour at “The Crystal a Sustainable Cities Initiative by Siemens”