#NMP2026
Networks, Markets & People
Promoting the scientific debate on the effects of contemporary ecological, technological, social, and economic global challenges on settlement systems, especially in Inner Areas and metropolitan cities.
Global Challenges & Transitions
Exploring the “liquid” society, production shifts, and environmental impact.
The “Liquid” Society
Contemporary settlements express the distance between built-up inertia and the “liquid” society flowing underneath. Blurred lines have substituted neat dualities like urban-rural.
Mobility & Production
Mobility of people, goods, and capital defines our era. Production settlements shift from delocalization to reshoring, driven by adaptive production and digital hyperconnections.
Housing & Resources
Access to housing is a challenge due to limited supply and tourism pressure. Meanwhile, resource scarcity and population aging pose risks to welfare systems.
Ecological Transition
A post-humanist epistemology recognizes humans as part of a larger ecosystem. We need approaches focused on spatial justice, regeneration, and planetary limits.
Digital Technologies & AI
Digital technologies bring potential but also risks. AI challenges the labor market and is seen as a disruptor of traditional industries and intellectual production.
The goal is to share benefits equitably, ensuring accessibility rights, social inclusion, and new forms of “commoning”.
Social Innovation
Collaborative governance models chart the route for next-generation settlements—connecting the built environment and the social system.
Context & Policy Framework
Marginalized & Inner Areas
The widening socio-economic gap is critical in South/East Europe. The National Strategic Plan for Inner Areas now acknowledges “irreversible depopulation”. Cultural and Creative Industries are key to restraining devitalization.
European Policy Pillars (2021–27)
Green transition, Digital transition, and a Resilient society are the foundation. We must regulate transitions to avoid tradeoffs between being “tech-competitive” and “inclusive”.
Evaluation & Responsibility
Substantial EU investments require multidimensional evaluation systems. Decision-makers must select feasible interventions, remembering that financial resources are borrowed from future generations.