Call for Papers /// Indigenous and Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Urban Management

Indigenous and Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Urban Management (edited collection)

Indigenous and Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Urban Management is a proposed edited volume that seeks to address the gap between Indigenous knowledge systems and conventional urban management practices in the context of urbanization and environmental challenges. Since the rise of decolonial studies in the 1990s, the discourse on Indigenous-informed urban development has matured, laying critical foundations for understanding how colonial urbanism continues to shape and constrain Indigenous communities. Yet, the contemporary landscape of rapidly expanding cities on traditional territories, coupled with the urgency of climate change, presents new complexities that established models of urban governance struggle to resolve.

Current debates underscore the tension between settler-colonial paradigms of development and Indigenous sovereignty, as urban expansion often proceeds without meaningful recognition of Indigenous rights or participation in decision-making. While contemporary planning frameworks gesture toward reconciliation, critics highlight how such efforts often remain at the level of tokenistic consultation rather than enabling genuine, collaborative governance. The urban condition simultaneously disrupts and redefines Indigenous relationships with land, water, and community. For urban Indigenous populations, the struggle to maintain cultural continuity in environments designed without Indigenous perspectives has become a central challenge. Against this backdrop, sustainability and smart city discourses invite urgent reflection on whose knowledge is privileged, raising the question of how Indigenous ecological wisdom grounded in principles of reciprocity, care, and regeneration might reframe climate action and resilience beyond conventional frameworks.

This volume positions Indigenous knowledge systems as pivotal to urban management discourse. Through a multidisciplinary lens, it explores Indigenous responses to urban challenges ranging from governance traditions informing collaborative planning to Indigenous-led environmental initiatives that are reshaping resilience strategies. Central to this inquiry are emerging paradigms such as regenerative urbanism and relational planning, which seek to harmonize urban development with Indigenous principles of responsibility, reciprocity, and collective well-being. The book aspires to move decisively beyond symbolic gestures of reconciliation, advancing instead concrete frameworks for inclusive, equitable, and sustainable urban futures.

We invite researchers, practitioners, and scholars from Indigenous studies, urban planning, architecture, environmental science, sociology, law, public policy, and related disciplines to contribute to this edited volume. We seek contributions that critically engage with the intersection of Indigenous knowledge systems, urban management practices, and decolonial approaches to city-building. Contributions should provide innovative insights that can inform both theoretical understanding and practical applications in addressing the complex challenges of creating more just, sustainable, and equitable urban environments.

Contributing authors are encouraged to address one or more of the following questions:

• How can urban planning incorporate Indigenous governance models and decision-making processes while respecting traditional protocols and sovereignty?

• What decolonial frameworks can guide the transformation of colonial urban infrastructure and administrative systems?

• How do Indigenous-led environmental initiatives offer innovative solutions to urban climate resilience and ecological restoration?

• What new forms of collaborative governance are emerging between Indigenous communities and municipal authorities in urban contexts?

• How can legal and policy innovations support Indigenous self-determination and cultural continuity within urban environments?

Sample Topics (but not limited to):

Part 1: Colonial Legacies and Their Urban Manifestations

• Colonial Survey Systems and the Erasure of Indigenous Presence

• How Colonial Urban Infrastructure Built Marginalization

• Housing Segregation and Indigenous Poverty in Urban Spaces

• Indigenous Rights in Settler Colonial Governance

• Countering Colonial Narratives in Urban Monuments and Memorials

Part 2: Addressing Contemporary Urban Challenges Through Collaborative Action

• Collaborative Urban Planning for Indigenous Reconciliation

• Culturally Responsive Approaches to Urban Indigenous Well-being

• Indigenous-Led Strategies for Environmental Resilience

• Indigenous Leadership in Urban Governance and Policy

• Systemic Inequities Affecting Urban Indigenous Peoples

Part 3: Envisioning Transformative Futures

• Indigenous Principles for Regenerative Urban Development

• Traditional Economies and Resourceful Urban Systems

• Urban Habitats with an Indigenous Future Lens

• Land, Water and Community Through Indigenous Wisdom

• Legal and Policy for Urban Indigenous Life

Submission Guidelines: Contributions must be original works, which have not been published in another context. We welcome both completed research and ongoing projects with significant findings or methodological insights.

• Language: US English, Citation Style APA

• Title: max. 100 characters

• Keywords: 5–6 key terms

• Abstract: max. 300 words

• Chapter length: Max 6,000 words (excluding references)

• Visual content: Up to 10 high-quality images or figures (300 dpi, with captions and credits)

Structure: Introduction, Context and Methods, Results/Case Studies, Discussion, Conclusion. Authors should provide an overview of research aims, underlying questions, current state of knowledge, and approach. Contributions should conclude by reflecting on knowledge gained and implications.

Schedule

1. Chapter Proposal: November 25, 2025

2. Full Chapter Submission: March 15, 2026

3. Peer Review Period: March 15 – April 30, 2026

4. Manuscript Decision: May 20, 2026

5. Anticipated Publication: July, 2026

For questions and submissions, please contact:  researchindigenous1@gmail.com

Editors

• Vikas Chand Sharma, Assoc. Prof. Chandigarh University, University Institute of Architecture, Mohali, India

• Guido Cimadomo, Assoc. Prof. Universidad de Malaga, Department of Art and Architecture, Málaga, Spain

• Carolina Monteiro de Carvalho, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Victoria (UVic), Department of Geography, Canada

Publication

• We are pleased to announce that this book will be published as part of a Springer book series ‘Cities Research Series’. This ensures wide dissemination and visibility of your work within the academic and professional communities.

• No Publication Fees,

We look forward to your contributions to this important discourse on Indigenous and Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Urban Management.

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