“The Ecology of Place: Learning From Nature, Culture and History”
October 29-November 1, 2024 * Cortona, Italy
​
Join us in the inspiring locale of Cortona, Italy, for a very special gathering of the IMCL, a unique peer-to-peer international conference of built environment researchers, professionals, municipal leaders, NGO heads, and other thought leaders, founded in 1985. Speakers at our most recent conference, in April 2024, included over 50 city leaders from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The conference garnered an attendee evaluation of 4.81 out of 5, with comments including “A wonderful conference,” “This is the best conference I've ever attended,” “Arguably one of the more interesting - and memorable - conferences I've ever attended,” An excellent conference,” and “A fabulous conference!”
​
Partners in the Cortona conference will include The King's Foundation (UK), UN-Habitat, the Congress for the New Urbanism, INTBAU, The Seaside Institute, HealthBridge, the Urban Guild, and others to be announced.
​
THEME: As humanity confronts multiple historic challenges, our settlements and their characteristics are set to play a central role – especially so in a time of historic rapid urbanization. Our cities, towns and suburbs are where we interact, move about, consume resources, develop and deploy our technologies, and create most of the impacts we are having on Planet Earth. In that sense, our settlements are major contributors to our challenges – but they also offer an important platform for joining up key issues of emissions and contamination, resource use and depletion, and ecological destruction, as well as opportunities for equitable human development, health, and well-being.
​
At the IMCL, we don't just discuss these issues: we examine effective tools and strategies, presented in case studies by those who are using them, and backed up by research findings. Many of our speakers and attendees are "in the trenches" driving positive change for city livability, and they come to our conferences to share, learn, recharge, and get inspired for the challenging but fulfilling work ahead.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​Video tour of the venue by IMCL Executive Director Michael Mehaffy
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Our venue for the conference is the beautiful city of Cortona, Italy, centrally located between Milan and Rome, and approximately 60 kilometers southeast of Florence. There is excellent rail service from Florence, Rome, Milan, Pisa or Bologna, with a short bus or Uber ride up to the hill town from the station.
Cortona offers a splendid case study of contemporary innovations in agriculture, land use, urban regeneration, markets, public spaces and their management, and sustainable economic development at a range of urban scales, as well as powerful lessons about the continuing relevance of nature, culture and history in our work. There will be ample opportunities for study trips to explore complex (and useful) patterns of urban growth, public space, and place management.
Late October is an excellent time to travel in Italy, with lower-cost travel, fewer crowds, and generally excellent weather. Our Executive Director, Michael Mehaffy, recently traveled to Cortona to prepare for the conference, and to investigate logistics. His video report about the venue is above, and his report on the travel logistics is to the right.
​
There are excellent opportunities for side trips to Florence, Tuscan hill towns, Bologna, the Cinqueterra, Rome, Venice, and many other parts of Italy. Rome also makes an excellent gateway, offering the chance to explore that great city and its many treasures. We will have more information soon about potential study trips before and/or after the conference.
​
​
NEWS! Sign up here for a fascinating tour of beautiful Pienza, IT, led by our partner Seaside Institute on Saturday, November 2!
The venue is the City of Cortona’s Conference and Event Centre, located in the historic convent of Sant'Agostino in the city center. Cortona has a rich history going back to Etruscan times, with splendid and instructive examples of urban space and place. The city and the region offer many lessons about contemporary challenges of health, economic well-being, agriculture, food, climate adaptation, viable small-town and rural life amid rapid urbanization, and new models of economic diversity and resilience. Cortona offers a wide assortment of historic hotels, inns and home rentals. The city is famous as the setting of Frances Mayes' autobiographical 1996 book Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy. Cortona is the Sister City of our 2021 venue, Carmel, Indiana.
DEADLINES:
Call for Abstracts CLOSED July 31 (Regular) and August 31 (Students), 2024
Student notifications will occur by September 15, 2024
Speaker registration for regular presenters was required by September 15, 2024
(Contact us if you need an extension)
Papers must be submitted for the e-reader by October 1, 2024
​
REGISTRATION FEES:
Accepted speaker registration is $595.00 USD (approx. €556 EUR)
Accepted student speaker (poster and short oral presentation) is $295.00 USD (approx. €276 EUR)
Discount registration (non-speaker) is $695.00 USD, through September 30 (approx. €650 EUR)
Full participant (non-speaker) registration is $795.00 USD after October 1 (approx. €743 EUR)
Student (non-speaker) registration is $245.00 USD - ID required (approx. €229 EUR)
​
ASK ABOUT OUR GROUP RATES FOR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS!
​
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE
All events at the beautiful Sant'Agostino Conference Center unless otherwise noted
Tuesday, October 29
4PM Welcome Reception
Walking Tours
7:30 PM End (Dinner on your own)
Wednesday, October 30
8AM Registration
9AM-5:30PM Conference
5:30-6:00 PM Reception
6:00 PM Film and Discussion
7:30 End
8:00 PM Ticketed Dinner (or on your own)
Thursday, October 31
8AM Registration
9AM-5:30PM Conference
5:30-6:00 PM Reception
6:00 PM Film and Discussion
7:30 End
8:00 PM Ticketed Dinner (or on your own)
​
Friday, November 1
8AM Registration
9AM-5:30PM Conference
5:30-7:00 PM Awards Ceremony and Reception
​​
Saturday, November 2
9AM - 7PM SPECIAL EVENT:
Seaside Institute tour of Pienza, Italy!
(Sign up here!)
​
​
PARTIAL ROSTER OF SPEAKERS
Leading researchers, officials, practitioners, NGO heads, and others
(More to be announced soon!)
Our beautiful conference locale of Cortona, Italy:
PLEASE JOIN US FOR AN IMPORTANT GATHERING ON FRONTIER URBAN CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN CORTONA!
​
“I left the conference encouraged - there are many challenges ahead of us, but I am so invigorated by the tenacity of those stepping up to face them.”
“This is the best conference I've ever attended. There was much to take in; so many people with exceptional experience.”
“It was brilliantly organized!”
​
(Attendee comments from our most recent conference.)
​
​
A big THANK YOU to our 2024 sponsors, partners, and participating organizations!
