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Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives on Urban Space, International Conference, Florence, June 27th - 28th 2016 (http://crossdisciplinaryurbanspace.com/call-for-paper/) Session 8 - *Regulating and designing urban space for pluralism* Session organizer: Francesco Chiodelli (Gran Sasso Science Institute) [log in to unmask] Cities have always been crucibles of diversity, enabling contact among a variety of ideas of what constitutes a good living and lifestyle. Writing in the early decades of the last century, Louis Wirth declared optimistically that the mere juxtaposition of divergent personalities and modes of life in a city tends to produce a sense of toleration of differences. Today, however, a cosmopolitan outlook, public toleration, and pluralism are no longer—if they ever were—an automatic by-product of the city environment. Quite the opposite has emerged; new forms of closure, enclavism, segregation, and discrimination—based on ethnic, religious and social differences—are spreading in several cities. In many cases, these issues have a spatial matrix and are framed in terms of spatial planning and design issues. Take, for instance, several cases of municipal by-laws or street furniture design aimed at excluding undesired groups or lifestyles from public space. But think also of thorny ethical questions raised by the spread of several kinds of private collective spaces such as shopping malls and private residential communities. This session is aimed at exploring the variety of cases in which urban design and regulation (of public spaces as well as of private ones) impact urban pluralism. In particular, contributions investigating these issues with reference to specific case studies are welcomed. We invite submissions for 20-minute presentations to be delivered in English. Please send a 300-word abstract, contact details and a brief bio by Monday, 15 February 2016 to [log in to unmask] and to [log in to unmask] The conference will be held at the University of Florence, Department of Architecture. -- Francesco Chiodelli Gran Sasso Science Institute viale Francesco Crispi 7, L'Aquila (Italy) mob +39 328 9528130 skype francesco.chiodelli web www.lessisless.it web infn.academia.edu/FrancescoChiodelli