5th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ECOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
"Eco-Integrity: Towards COP31 – The Future of Climate, Heritage and Communities"

Distinguished Scientists, Colleagues, Researchers, Representatives of Public Institutions, and Industry Stakeholders,

The climate crisis confronting humanity, the rapid depletion of natural resources, the progressively increasing environmental impacts of urbanization, and the decline in biodiversity render it imperative to reconsider the future of the disciplines of architecture, planning, and design.

The 5th International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning, constituting a continuation of the intellectual accumulation and professional experience established through the Ecological Architecture and Planning Symposia held in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011, is being organized once again, after a prolonged interval, under the principal theme of "Eco-Integrity." The symposium aims to bring into discussion, on an international platform, holistic approaches that acknowledge nature as a value to be protected, an inseparable component of design, and the fundamental stakeholder of life.

At the present time, states, international organizations, local administrations, and the scientific community throughout the world are developing common solutions in line with combating climate change, the establishment of carbon-neutral cities, the circular economy, energy efficiency, and sustainable development goals. Within this context, the COP31 United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held, will constitute one of the most significant international platforms that will shape the future of global climate policies.

The 5th International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning, to be organized prior to COP31, aims to bring together on a common scientific platform, academics, researchers, public institutions, local administrations, and industry stakeholders working in the fields of architecture, planning, environmental sciences, and sustainable technologies. It is anticipated that the knowledge to be generated within the scope of the symposium, the recommendations to be developed, and the interdisciplinary collaborations to be established will make significant contributions to the climate policies and sustainable development goals of our country.

Proceeding from the understanding that architecture, beyond the production of buildings, bears the responsibility of creating resilient living environments that are compatible with natural systems, characterized by low carbon emissions, and attentive to the life cycle, the symposium will address, from scientific perspectives, ecological building materials, sustainable building technologies, passive climatization systems, renewable energy applications, circular material use, nature-based solutions, and ecological planning approaches.

Furthermore, the new opportunities offered to sustainable architecture and planning by generative artificial intelligence, parametric design, digital twin technologies, data-driven decision support systems, and smart city applications, which have brought about a significant transformation in the disciplines of architecture and planning in recent years, will also constitute among the principal topics of discussion of the symposium. The contributions that artificial intelligence-supported design and planning processes may provide to the development of energy-efficient buildings, climate-resilient cities, and ecological planning models will be evaluated with the participation of national and international experts.

The concept of "Eco-Integrity," adopted at the fifth International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning, first initiated in 2005 by the Antalya Branch of the Chamber of Architects of Türkiye (TMMOB), signifies not only environmental sustainability but also the reconsideration, through a holistic approach, of the relationships among human beings, nature, technology, culture, and cultural heritage.

Accordingly, the main theme of the symposium has been designated as:

"Eco-Integrity: Towards COP31 – The Future of Climate, Heritage and Communities."

Within the scope of the symposium, during the scientific sessions to be held under the themes of Architecture–Ecology, Planning–Sustainability, and Environmental Design–Ecology, the development of ecological architecture from the past to the present and into the future, sustainable planning approaches, principles of environmental design, adaptation to climate change, the conservation of cultural and natural heritage, the future of communities, and innovative technologies will be opened for discussion at the international level.

We believe that the 5th International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning, through the scientific knowledge it will generate and the interdisciplinary collaborations it will establish prior to COP31, will constitute an important international platform contributing to the academic community, the formulation of public policies, the activities of local governments, professional practices, and decision-making processes.

The scientific studies to be presented at the symposium and the joint recommendations to be developed will make valuable contributions to national and international efforts directed toward the establishment of sustainable and resilient cities, the acceleration of ecological transformation, and the provision of a liveable environment for future generations.

It is with great honour and pleasure that we invite you to the 5th International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning, to be held in Antalya between 2–4 November 2026, to share your scientific studies, knowledge, and experience, to establish new interdisciplinary collaborations, and to produce common solutions for a more livable future.

Designing the future together with nature is possible through the understanding of Eco-Integrity.

Respectfully,
Organizing Committee
5th International Symposium on Ecological Architecture and Planning