Nuno Grancho , Integrated Researcher at DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte, has published the chapter 'Public Shared Places and Private Absent Divides. Identity and Space of Colonial Urbanism under Portuguese, French, and Danish Rules: Diu, Pondicherry and Tranquebar' in The Routledge Companion to Art and Challenges to Empire. The chapter advances a decolonial framework for the study of architecture, urbanism, and empire, drawing on postcolonial, critical race, and feminist theories to examine how built environments materialize and negotiate imperial power. It privileges close engagement with artworks, buildings, and urban spaces, while also foregrounding questions of sustainability and environmental justice in the afterlives of empire. At the methodological level, the chapter proposes a flexible, skills-based approach that rejects static, universal models in favor of iterative, context-specific configurations of tools and methods. Attentive to language, archives, and fieldwork practices, this framework understands research as a process of continuous reconfiguration in response to the particularities of each site and set of questions. Architectural and urban analysis thus becomes an open, reflexive practice that remains sensitive to local histories, social formations, and positionalities. This proposal is tested through a case study of three non-British colonial cities in India: Diu (Portuguese), Pondicherry (French), and Tranquebar (Danish). By decentering British-centered narratives of South Asian urbanism, the chapter foregrounds how different European empires produced distinct configurations of public and private spaces and how these spatial regimes shaped identities, boundaries, and everyday life. In doing so, it highlights the enduring “public shared places” and “private absent divides” that structure contemporary urban experiences and debates on heritage, memory, and decolonization, providing readers with a robust toolkit for critically engaging with colonial urban legacies today. The publication is available here.

DINÂMIA’CET-Iscte researcher Lídia Canha Fernandes , co-authored the chapter ‘ Exclusão Habitacional, Saúde Mental e Novas Substâncias Psicoativas’  (Housing Exclusion, Mental Health and New Psychoactive Substances), with Paulo Vitorino Fontes, Hélder Fernandes, and João Mendes Coelho, for the thematic dossier Comportamentos Aditivos e Margens , coordinated by Vasco Calado.  This publication, issued by ICAD - Instituto para os Comportamentos Aditivos e Dependências, aims to foster a stronger link between science, decision-making, action, and citizenship  – one of the objectives of the PNRCAD 2021–2030.   In the words of João Goulão, President of ICAD, this publication represents an invaluable contribution towards "deepening our knowledge of certain phenomena  – both old and emerging  – that demand our attention today. Giving them visibility, contextualizing them, and investing in their understanding is an essential condition for continuing to build effective, humane, and sustainable responses."  The chapter is grounded in the study  À Margem  and the experience of over two decades of the Novo Dia – Associação para a Inclusão Social  (Novo Dia – Association for Social Inclusion).    Available here (Pages 49–65): https://www.icad.pt/DocumentList/GetFile?id=1170&languageId=1

From November 19 to 28, 2025, Iscte – Knowledge and Innovation hosts the Science and Technology Week , featuring a series of events aimed at researchers and PhD candidates. The programme includes conferences, workshops, and training sessions focused on scientific research, innovation, and evidence-based public policy. All sessions are organized by Iscte-KI and the SocioDigital Lab for Public Policy. Admission is free, upon registration. Program me More info and registration here

The International Journal of Public History has published the article: Towards a Public Architectural History: Collective-Use Facilities and Community Engagement in Portugal and Spain Developed by researchers from DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte – Ricardo Costa Agarez , Ana Mehnert Pascoal and Ivonne Herrera-Pineda , the article examines how publicly funded collective-use facilities, built since the mid-twentieth century in Portugal and Spain, continue to shape local life and resilience in peripheral regions. The article presents insights from the ERC-funded project ReARQ.IB - Built Environment Knowledge for Resilient, Sustainable Communities: Understanding Everyday Modern Architecture and Urban Design in the Iberian Peninsula (1939-1985) , that integrates the ongoing research initiative Arquitectura Aqui , which engages local communities to recover and reinterpret the histories of their shared collective-use facilities. The study presents an innovative methodology for exploring architectural history by combining archival research, an ethnographic approach, and public participation. This methodology considers architecture as a living record of shared knowledge and collective memory. The publication is available at https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/iph-2025-0002/html

CIDADES, Comunidades e Territórios has just released its 50th issue (November 2025), which includes the thematic dossier "Águas que desenham territórios: reinventar os rios nas cidades contemporâneas" (Waters that shape territories: reinventing rivers in contemporary cities), organized by Nagayamma Aragão, Luciana Bragança, Diego Torres, Natasha Cabrera and Sergio Caruso.   Maria Assunção Gato Editor   Ana Rita Cruz Deputy Editor   Mariana Leite Braga Editorial Assistant & Copy Editor Available here . Submissions are continually available online and conducted upon registration on the website. Please check our author guidelines for directions regarding format and presentation standards, and refer to our editorial policies for details on the peer-review process. Published materials are covered by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported licence. Authors will be duly notified of acceptance/revisions required and encouraged to keep in contact with the editorial team should any unforeseen situation occur.

Location:  Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa | Building 1 | Auditório JJ Laginha Date:   November 27 - 28, 2025 The conference  Shaping the Future of Data, Knowledge and Innovation with AI for Global Sustainable Change , promoted with the support of CoVE Future Skills Factory , will be held at Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, between November 27- 28, 2025. The event will feature   Jay Liebowitz  and Vânia Neto as Keynote Speakers, joining efforts with GFIC (Global Forum of Intellectual Capital), ICKM (International Conference on Knowledge Management), and CIKI (International Congress on Knowledge and Innovation) to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world for an insightful, thought-provoking, and timely discussion, under the theme of Knowledge and Data Management in the context of AI and Sustainability. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how we generate, manage, and apply data and knowledge, fueling innovation across industries and societies. As technological advancements accelerate, AI’s role in driving global sustainable change has never been more vital. From optimizing resource use to improving decision-making, AI is shaping a more efficient, data-driven world. Its impact spans diverse sectors, including climate action, smart urban development, equitable healthcare, and responsible data governance. By aligning AI with ethical principles and sustainability goals, we can harness its potential to tackle global challenges while ensuring long-term societal benefits. However, this progress requires responsible AI development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strategic policies. As AI continues to evolve, it is crucial to examine its opportunities, challenges, and implications to ensure that knowledge and innovation drive a sustainable and inclusive future. The conference will be held at Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Building 1, Auditorium JJ Laginha. Conference Agenda

The Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development has published the article: Connecting adaptive reuse with cultural resilience frameworks: assessing monastic and conventual heritage in Southern Portugal.   Developed by researchers from DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte and CIES-iscte, from Iscte – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, the article explores how adaptive reuse of monastic and conventual heritage in low-density rural areas—specifically in the Alentejo region—can contribute to cultural resilience and inclusive territorial development.   Moving beyond tourism-focused models, the study highlights how culturally sensitive reuse strategies can strengthen community identity, promote social cohesion, and support sustainable development at a local level.   The research was conducted by  Rolando Volzone ( DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte), Sofia Costa Macedo (CIES-Iscte), Elisabete Tomaz (DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte), with a focus on public policy, creative industries, and heritage-based regeneration.    The article is available here:  https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JCHMSD-12-2023-0214/full/html

Location:  Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Building 2, Auditorium B302 Date:  12 November 2025 Time:  3:00 PM Admission:  Free As part of the PhD Programme in Architecture of Contemporary Metropolitan Territories, Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon is pleased to host the conference: O Jardim de Epicuro e o Realismo da Nova Arquitetura Portuguesa ( The Garden of Epicurus and the Realism of the New Portuguese Architecture). The session will take place on 12 November 2025, at 3:00 PM, in Auditorium B302, Building 2. The session will feature presentations by Jorge Figueira , Paula Melâneo , Pedro Baía  and Francisco Ascenção . In Portugal, the professional and academic debate surrounding the future direction of architecture has become particularly active, marked by the emergence of new studios that are exploring diverse paths of experimentation. In 2024, the publication ‘Ceci n’est pas un Portrait’  sought to document a segment of these practices through the critical lens of Francisco Ascenção’s photography. The common denominator of photographic representation served as the foundation for collating houses, shelters, and installations, presented without any authorial reference. Details and the interplay of light emphasise a kind of 'dialogical realism' that characterises the published corpus of works, which were constructed under the contingency of specific sites, restrictive budgetary constraints, or the programme requirements themselves. The detailed design of a roof's drainage, the junction of two structural elements, or the exploratory intensity of modest materialities are not limited to solving functional necessities. Instead, these elements question and subvert the pragmatism of the immediate response, thereby suggesting an ethical dimension that transcends the thematic impositions arising from systemic contingencies of globalisation. In this era of collective excess and anxiety, architecture is seeking new foundations rooted in sharing and proximity, delineating places of encounter which, much like the 'Garden of Epicurus', can be viewed as clearings of serenity in the face of historical turbulence.

Location:  Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Building 1, Auditorium 0NE02 - Caiano Pereira Date:  11 November 2025 Time:  6:00 PM Admission:  Free To mark the 50th anniversary of the Biophsyical and Landscape Planning Course, which began on 11 November 1975 at the University of Évora, and as part of Transnational Thematic Laboratories of the PhD in Architecture of Contemporary Metropolitan Territories at Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Landscape Architect Aurora Carapinha will present the Conference A Beleza que o Homem tem o dever de Criar  ( The Beauty Man has the duty to Create). Inspired by the phrase of Sophia de Mello Breyner Andersen, the lecture will explore the conceptual and practical framework, as well as the humanist and integral ecology pillars, that defined the distinctiveness of landscape architecture education at the University of Évora. The conference will take place on 11 November 2025, at 6:00 PM, at Iscte – University Institute of Lisbon, Building 1, Auditorium 0NE02 - Caiano Pereira. About the Speaker   Aurora Carapinha, a distinguished Landscape Architect and Professor Emerita at the University of Évora, has served as visiting professor and speaker across numerous Master's and Doctoral programmes in Portugal, Europe, and Brazil. She also served as the Principal Investigator for the Portuguese national team within the European project, InnoLAND – Launching an Innovation-Based Landscape Architecture Training Framework in Europe. Aurora Carapinha is an active researcher at the Centro de História da Arte e Investigação Artística (CHAIA)  and acts as consultant for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 2023, she provided consultancy for Fertile Futures , the Portuguese curatorial project presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Her expertise lies in cultural landscapes, where her research is mainly focused on their aesthetic, ecological, and cultural value. Her scholarly output includes numerous books, book chapters and academic articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, she has successfully supervised a significant volume of Master's and Doctoral theses in this specialisation. In recognition of her sustained contributions to the field, she was awarded the prestigious Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles Prize in 2021.

Our new policy brief distills insights from the special session organized by EDITS — a global research network on Energy Demand changes Induced by Technological and Social innovations  — at the IST’25 Conference (Lisbon, 24–26 June 2025), together with the four EDITS Awarded papers, translating cutting-edge research into concrete actions for policy and practice. It focuses on four pressure points in sustainability transitions — trade-offs (speed–scale–scope), resistance, technological lock-ins, and equity — and shows how demand-side solutions can keep transitions on course for a safer and more sustainable world. Think social change is slow? Our new brief shows that many social and tech innovations scale at similar speeds—about 30 years in average from 10 to 90%. It reveals how fairness and lived practice  boost acceptance of further efficiency, why digital rebound  demands interoperability/privacy/audits beyond “efficiency,” and how inequity  (e.g., heavy housing costs) stalls momentum. Open it to turn resistance into readiness, guard against lock-ins, and deliver fair, inclusive transitions. Read the full Policy Brief: Demand-Side Solutions for Tensions in Transitions .