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Medieval Research Cluster
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The City in Time: Space, Culture and Heritage

Interdisciplinary conference, 2–3 November 2021.

The City in Time
THE CITY IN TIME: The conference brings together historians, archeologists, geographers, urban planners, and policy makers to discuss urbanization across timescales and disciplines
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UiB

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As our global population becomes increasingly urban, it is critical to understand the role of cities in the development of society. The City in Time brings together historians, archeologists, geographers, urban planners, and policy makers to discuss urbanization across timescales and disciplines over two days: 2–3 November.

In considering urbanization as a process, the spatial concerns of geography overlap with the temporal questions of histories as seen in the many cultural layers exhibited in the built and experienced environments of towns and cities.

The first day of the conference will be concerned with fundamental topics in urban development from a range of disciplines that address both past perspectives and future challenges.

The morning of the second day follows up with a focus on urban heritage, its management and popular engagement. The last session of the conference addresses strategies for sustainable urban living in the future. The conference concludes with a round table discussion in which participants will connect and debate themes from the entire meeting.

The language of the conference is English.

PROGRAMME


TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER

08:30–09:30  Registration and coffe

Session 1: The City: Past, Present and Prospects 

How do we view urbanization as a historical and contemporary process from a range of perspectives?

Chair: Aidan Conti, Professor in Medieval Latin, University of Bergen

09:30Welcome by University Rector Margareth Hagen
09:45       

The Urban "Now": Generating concepts across time and space in the midst of an urban world, keynote by Jennifer Robinson, Professor of Geography, University College London

10:30Coffee
11:00Origins of towns – historical perspectives by Geir Atle Ersland, Professor of Medieval History, University of Bergen
11:30Prospects – geographical perspectives by Jakob Grandin, Researcher in Human Geography, University of Bergen
12:00Questions and discussion
12:30Lunch
13:30

Urban Resilience, Vulnerability and Sustainability – Ancient Perspectives by Simon Malmberg, Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Bergen

Urban structures, space, and resilience in medieval Europe – archaeological perspectives  by Dirk Rieger, Head of Archaeology, Department of Archaeology and Preservation of historical Monuments, Hansestadt Lübeck

14:10Coffee
14:30Architectural perspectives – the human and visual experience by Petter Bergerud, Professor of Architecture, University of Bergen
15:00Questions and discussion
15:45Poster session
18:00City walk: A visual experience of conference topics. Our guide will be professor in Medieval History Geir Atle Ersland, University of Bergen
19:00Conference reception at Håkon's Hall – for all participants


WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER

Session 2: Urban heritage

How do we balance the concerns and aims of heritage management with contemporary and future development? 

Chair: Per Morten Ekerhovd, Director of Culture, Sports and Inclusion at Vestland County Council

09:00CANCELLED: Heritage visions for the cities of tomorrow: Why care? Keynote: Hanna Geiran, Director of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage
09:45

Possible strategies for urban heritage preservation? by Ingun Bruskeland Amundsen, Architect MNAL PhD

10:15Coffee
10:45Climate change adaptation in medieval towns, and how to find sustainable solutions by Johannes de Beer, Researcher, Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) 
11:15Inhabited Historic Cities and the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention by Dennis Rodwell, Architect-planner and International Consultant in Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Urban Development
11:45Questions and discussion
12:15Lunch

Session 3: Sustainable city

How can we imagine and develop responsible, resilient, and sustainable futures for evolving urban environments?

Chair: Anna Elisa Tryti, Project Director at Vestland County Council

13:15Populism, instability, and rupture in sustainability transformations by Tarje Wanvik, Research Director NORCE
13:45The politics of today shapes the city of tomorrow by Thor Haakon Bakke, Commissioner for Climate, Environment and City Development, The Municipality of Bergen
14:15Coffee
14:35

Panel discussion

Our concluding panel discussion will address and revisit key topics from the conference. Anna Elisa Tryti, Project Director at Vestland County Council and Tarje Wanvik, Research Director NORCE, will steer the discussion.

  • Geir Atle Ersland, Professor of Medieval History, University of Bergen
  • Simon Malmberg, Professor of Classical Archaeology, University of Bergen
  • Emma Nilsson, Rector and General Manager, Bergen School of Architecture
  • Thor Haakon Bakke, Commissioner for Climate, Environment and City Development, The Municipality of Bergen
15:30Closing words by Åslaug Ommundsen, Professor of Medieval Latin philology and Academic Director of the Medieval Research Cluster