Conference "Urban Ecologies"

Organised as part of the Lithuania-France Architecture Days, the conference will take place on 30 May at 15:00 at the National Gallery of Art. It will bring together architects, urbanists, spatial practitioners, educators, and researchers from both countries for a shared dialogue-seeking answers to how our cities can transform in response to the challenges posed by climate change.

Focusing on the theme of urban ecologies, the programme invites us to question the persistent divide between the cultural and the natural, and to recognise how hinterlands, landscapes, and ecosystems are deeply entangled with the urban environment.

Structured around two panel discussions, the conference foregrounds emerging practices, pedagogical collaborations, and speculative research.

The first panel, curated by the School of Architecture at KTU (KTU SAF)  in collaboration with French architects (L'AUC and DATA architects), reflects on three recent student workshops that explore nature's right to return, sustainable transformation, and the interplay between forest and city. These initiatives bring to light the creativity and critical thinking of future architects as they address complex local urban challenges through collaboration with French architects and institutions.

The second panel, led by Architektūros fondas in collaboration with Theatrum Mundi, draws on the 2024 Experiments' Platform and explores how spatial practices can respond to urban challenges and innovate by engaging with the territorial scale and adopting bioregional design approaches.

The discussion programme will also be complemented by an exhibition showcasing works created in educational activities implemented by KTU SAF, Architektūros fondas and the French Institute, as well as informal conversations aimed at promoting the continuity of established collaborations and the exchange of experiences between practitioners working in different cultural and spatial contexts.We invite you to a conference "Urban Ecologies: Imagining City Transformations between Lithuania and France" on the future of cities in the context of climate change, bringing together architects, urbanists, and researchers from Lithuania and France.

For detailed program and speakers go here.

Organisers: Architektūros fondas, Kaunas University of Technology, Institut français de Lituanie  
Partner: National Gallery of Art  
Sponsors: Vilnius City Municipality, CSD Engineers  
Event is a part of international project LINA