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IFLA World Council
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Congress Theme:
‘Liminal Landscapes: Shifting Boundaries of Watersheds and Coastlines’
Landscape boundaries are often non-static, blurred, and shift over time. Landscape architects are uniquely equipped with the design skills and knowledge to emulate natural ecological processes that are crucial in adapting to today’s unprecedented global challenges.
The dynamic thresholds of air, water, and land formulate the core theme of the IFLA World Congress 2026, which will take place in Hong Kong, China in October 2026. Geological and geographical processes shape the surfaces of the Earth that in turn guide the movement of fluids and other living matters that make up our ecosphere. In our current context of accelerated climate change and biodiversity loss, the integrated and sustainable planning, design, and management of watersheds and coastlines as contiguous landscape units demand collaborative strategies that transcend administrative boundaries.
Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong has historically occupied a liminal position that connects land and water. This interfacing not only shapes the physical landscapes and unique urbanism as part of a network of maritime port cities, but also fosters rich cultural interactions that continue to redefine its cultural landscapes.
The Scientific Committee of the 2026 IFLA World Congress sincerely invites landscape architects and professional partners from around the world to join us in exploring the transformative potential and opportunities underpinned by the idea of liminality in landscape architecture.
Call for Abstracts
We encourage all interested participants to submit their abstracts aligned with the Congress theme ‘Liminal Landscapes: Shifting Boundaries of Watersheds and Coastlines’ under any of the following eight sub-themes:
Congress Sub-Themes:
Climate Action at the Edge: Adaptation Strategies for Rising Waters (Focus: Sea-level rise, coastal resilience, disaster risk reduction, carbon sinks and addressing extremes of water scarcity and degradation)
Nature Conservation in Flux: Restoring Biodiversity in Watersheds (Focus: Ecological corridors, re-wilding rivers, biodiversity in transitional zones and productive landscapes and sustainable catchment areas)
Cultural Landscapes of Water: Heritage, Identity, and Port Cities (Focus: Historical port cities, protecting maritime heritage, landscape character as well as protection, management and planning of landscape identity)
Just Transitions: Equity, Access, and Indigenous Voices (Focus: Access to waterfronts, climate migration, informal settlements in flood zones, as well as the value of traditional ecological knowledge in water management)
Blue Urbanism: Healthy Cities and Settlements (Focus: Integrating watersheds into high-density planning, sponge cities, and therapeutic blue spaces)
Smart Coasts: Innovation, Practice, and Policy (Focus: Digital twins, hydro-informatics, technical construction, energy efficiency, floods and droughts, and implementing policy frameworks)
Inclusive Waterscapes: Design for All Ages (Focus: Universal design on the waterfront, child-friendly riverbanks, play and safety, and accessible public spaces)
Pedagogies of Flux: Education and the Future Profession (Focus: Teaching students to design for shifting boundaries and preparing the next generation of leaders)
Others relevant topics that do not fall into the identified themes
Topic 1:
Coming Soon…
Topic 2:
Coming Soon…