Special session:
“VIRTUAL CITIES” AND SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN EU FRAMEWORK
CULTURAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVES
Vassilis Bokolas
Scientific director, XENIOS POLIS, Neapolis University
vbokolas@xeniospolis.gr
Tonia Vassilakou
Professor, Head of Dept. of Public Health Policy, University of West Attica
Andrea Colantoni
Associate Professor, University of Tuscia
Nicola Ferrigni
Associate Professor, University of Tuscia
Stavros Kaperonis
Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
Bogdana Nosova
Associate Professor, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Efi Ntrouva
Department of International Relations and European Union, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
Content:
The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is now strongly linked to their social orientation and the relevant policies for: poverty eradication, promoting decent work, social inclusion, equal access to resources and services, strengthening quality education, protecting citizens/users/consumers, supporting specific groups such as young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, migrants, etc.
More specifically, however, the European Union (EU) strategic framework currently focuses on policies that promote social cohesion towards the social sustainability of the so-called digital transformation (SOSDIT). The EU is oriented towards strengthening both institutions and actors, as well as citizens (consumers, users, learners, etc.). To this end, Europe’s Digital Decade 2030 is being implemented, investing in the development of digital infrastructure, the upgrading of digital skills, the digital transformation of businesses and public services, the protection of users and the defense of their rights, with the aim of achieving a competitive and environmentally sustainable economy that includes every citizen.
This vigilance is justified, as many aspects of modern life — work, socializing, shopping, education, entertainment — are mediated digitally. Furthermore, physical spaces are also mediated by technologies to such an extent that attempts to understand the concept of “space” are incomplete without considering digital and virtual levels. Indeed, since modes of action and interaction are transferred (and in many cases restricted) to virtual environments, we can now speak of the progressive formation of “virtual cities”. The term “virtual city” is nowadays framed by the processes of “dialogue” and (co)operation between physical and virtual spaces, resulting in the creation of a virtual dimension, which gradually establishes its own practices of formation, defines the scope of action of the people within it, institutionalises – as a product of time – the rights and obligations of its users, “citizens” and ultimately “gives birth” to (corresponding) structures of governance.
In this context, sociological approaches and communication studies provide key theoretical frameworks for interpreting how digital environments shape relationships of interaction, identity, and power. Their integration allows for a critical examination of the ways in which practices, institutions, and symbolic orders are transferred to—and transformed within—virtual spaces. Interdisciplinary research is therefore essential for understanding the conditions under which social sustainability can be achieved, as it reveals not only the mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion, but also the evolving logic of governance, participation, and meaning-making in “virtual cities.”
Key Words: digital cities/ environments, social sustainability, EU, communication, sociology, users, skills, vulnerable groups.
Special session:
ISLANDS IN TRANSITION: INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, TOURISM AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Maria P. Doumi
Associate Professor, Department of Tourism Economics and Management, University of the Aegean
Ioanna Pagoni
Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Economics and Management, University of the Aegean
Iason-Nikolaos Koufodontis
Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism Economics and Management, University of the Aegean
Angelis Vasilis
Emeritus Professor, Department of Business Administration, University of the Aegean
Content:
Islands around the world are at the frontline of climate change, facing unique environmental, social, and economic challenges. This special session aims to explore how islands are transitioning toward more sustainable, innovative, and climate-resilient futures. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary approaches that combine technological innovation, local knowledge, policy frameworks, and community engagement. The session invites contributions that address renewable energy integration, circular economy models, sustainable tourism, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation strategies tailored to insular environments. The purpose is to foster dialogue among researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and island communities, promoting knowledge exchange and collaborative solutions. By highlighting islands not only as vulnerable zones but also as living laboratories for sustainability and innovation, the session aims to inform broader global transitions. Ultimately, this session will contribute to identifying practical pathways that enhance resilience and self-sufficiency in island territories, while preserving their unique cultural and ecological heritage.
Keywords: Sustainability, Innovation, Climate Resilience, Islands, Sustainable Tourism
Special session:
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN SUSTAINABILITY: DISCUSSING THE NATURAL AND SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS, IN A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE MOOD
Dr. Konstantinos Moraitis
Professor Emeritus N.T.U.A.
Content:
We could not discuss and afford sustainability, place-centered sustainability in particular, outside the socio-cultural factors implied by it.
It is in this context of a combined cultural landscape that the natural and social approaches are intensively associated. Cultural landscape in urban or extra-urban formations presents the necessary coexistence, the necessary combination of both groups of influence: no natural ‘more than human’ landscape factor may exist outside the consequences of social and cultural impact. What kind of impact, what kind of influence, nevertheless? Material or immaterial, real or imaginary, positive or negative?
Is landscape interest associated with the ‘flourishing’ of positive cultural apperception, of the ‘emerald necklaces’ and green ‘park movement’ imagery, or with the terrifying aspect of a decaying natural or urban terrifying landscape? Did ‘Les Fleurs du Mal – The Flowers of Evil’ by Charles Baudelaire, blossom in the same urban landscape of the Parisian 19th century parks’ positive intervention? Conclusively: how can we critically comment on the negative social imaginary, or enforce the positive social correlation with natural peri-urban landscape and, especially, with urban public landscape?
Key Words: Cultural landscape, cultural sustainability, political sustainability, urban public space, real space social contact, virtual space guidance.
Special session:
HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPES AND URBAN RESILIENCE: RETHINKING CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CONTEMPORARY CITIES
Dr. Dimelli Despina
Professor, Technical University of Crete
Content:
This session would explore the interplay between historical urban environments and strategies for building resilience in the face of climate change, social transformation, and economic challenges. It would welcome contributions from scholars, practitioners, and postgraduate researchers working at the intersection of heritage preservation, sustainable urban planning, and community-based resilience.
Key Words: historical urban environments, building resilience, cultural landscapes, cultural sustainability, urban recilience.