CITIES 2026
BEYOND URBAN BOUNDARIES: RECONNECTING CITIES AND REGIONS
Will be held on September 17, 2026 at City of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
CITIES International Conference is an annual international conference continually held by the Urban and Planning Regional Department of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS Surabaya). With its debut conference in 2005, CITIES was and has been designated as a vessel for researchers, academics, and practitioners to present, disseminate, and discuss research results and scientific analyses in urban and regional research areas. Through the dedicated endeavors of every party, CITIES, which was once national-scoped in its early years, has transformed into an international-scoped conference since 2013. Thus, the diversity of speakers and participants has expanded to a worldwide audience, be it from the Asian, European, Australian, or American Continent.
For over a decade, the CITIES conference series has provided a platform to engage in timely discussions on contemporary urban and regional planning issues. Previous themes have examined topics such as smart cities, peri-urban transformations, spatial and economic interactions, and the role of digitalization in planning. In 2025, the conference highlighted the core issue of urban complexity and how cities under increasing pressure could be steered toward futures that are more adaptive and intelligent. Building upon that foundation, the 2026 conference broadens its perspective beyond administrative limits to address a highly integrated territorial approach with the theme: “Beyond Urban Boundaries: Reconnecting Cities and Regions.”
The concept of reconnecting cities and regions in the CITIES 2026 theme recognizes that contemporary urban challenges such as environmental degradation, infrastructure demands, and spatial inequalities rarely stop at city limits. Cities and their surrounding rural or peri-urban landscapes are deeply intertwined. Addressing these dynamic, overlapping interactions requires cohesive, interdisciplinary strategies that bridge the urban-regional divide. Reconnecting these spaces promotes flexibility, resilience, and equitable spatial development, ensuring that regional ecosystems and economies function as a unified whole.