It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the CITIES International Conference 2026. This event is hosted by the Urban and Regional Planning Department, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya.
After 24 years of its establishment, the department has become one of the leading planning schools, further proven by this international conference. It is our great honor in particular and ITS in general that this event is trusted upon us. We believe that this opportunity will increase our reputation in the eye of the international academia.
This year, CITIES, as an annual event, will be held for its 12th term. We believe that this conference has been and will continuously serve as a meeting platform for urban and regional planners, academia, practitioners, and researchers from around the world. We also credit this conference to be one of the media to discuss and share current topics in urban and regional planning.
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning ITS Surabaya aims to explore highly integrated territorial approaches, focusing on urban-regional transformation, mobility and connectivity, environmental resilience, and smart planning governance. All of this will be accommodated into the main theme of this year’s conference, which is “Beyond Urban Boundaries: Reconnecting Cities and Regions.”
I hope this conference will contribute to the development of cities and regions. Together with other academics, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders, we are ready to face challenges in the future and be part of a team to build regions and cities that are better, more comfortable, and more humane. I believe that this conference is a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and information in many aspects.