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Argument"We witness today a huge flow of foreigners pouring into a city that barely contains them. They are mostly homeless people: they come from all over the world, driven by ambition, need of work, their role of ambassadors; some urged by their vices, others by the desire to study; some drawn by the shows, others by the chance of intertwining relationships or under the weight of misfortune... They rush all together, having left their homes, hoping to find an opportunity in this city which is the capital of the whole world but not theirs"Those words have been written by Seneca about two thousand years ago, commenting the abnormal growth of the city of Rome. Seemingly, they look very appropriate to describe some of the typical phenomena of today&#8217;s world. Nevertheless, almost everything has changed since ancient times: there has been the affirmation of monotheism and the split of the Mediterranean world; the unexpected discovery of new lands and their systematic exploitation; the industrial revolution and the end (?) of colonialism; the Reformation, the Declaration of Human Rights, the Second World War&#8230; The very nature of cities in the last few centuries has profoundly changed too, both in their internal structure and in their relations with the regional, national and international context. Center-periphery relations, the economic fabric and the networks of social integration, culture gaps and the patterns of sociability: these are only some among the many fields in which scale variations over the centuries have produced diverse and somehow heterogeneous urban landscapes. Also, the concepts of citizenship, &#8216;race&#8217;, ethnicity have been written and rewritten several times.Against this background, in the Mediterranean world the encounter/clash of people and civilizations has always been particularly rich, varied, intense, going often so far as to deeply mould the shape of cities: both along the coasts of the Mediterranean and in the hinterland of countries overlooking it, for which the sea was an undisputable horizon of reference. Urban developments and settlement patterns bear witness to those processes (ports, fairs, fondachi, ghetti), as well as linguistic uses and eating habits, social and juridical customs; as do many of the most typical expressions of European art and culture, as a result of an ancient &#8722; albeit not always peaceful &#8211; familiar coexistence with foreigners.This meeting aims to foster a discussion about the continuities and disruptions which have conditioned the multi-ethnic dimension of our cities. We would like to focus on the specificities of places and time in our millennial history that have produced both tangible and intangible cultural heritage (a heritage which today seems strongly under attack). We aim for a historical perspective &#8211; by drawing attention on well-documented case-studies offering comparative insights &#8211; without however forgetting to ask ourselves the meaning of our research in the troubled world we live in; without anachronisms, but also without hiding behind the pretext of specialisms, while in front of our eyes the Mediterranean world is more than ever a theatre of death, exclusion, suffering. In other words, we would like to broaden the traditional horizons of our disciplines under the issues of our times, questioning the role of historical research and the forms of scientific communication nowadays, when old practices seem more challenged than ever by the overwhelming expansion of new technologies.On these grounds, the meeting will be structured so as to allow the maximum of flexibility both in the forms and contents of the discussion. Depending on the number and subject of the selected proposals, the Scientific Committee will organise some thematic/chronological sessions, entrusted to discussants who will introduce and lead the debate. Furthermore, the applicants are also strongly encouraged to submit proposals based on new forms of dissemination, such as posters, video/photographic footage, multimedia installations; these will be included in an exhibition taking place alongside the meeting in Genoa and later traveling to other venues.At the end of the meeting, a roundtable discussion led by a journalist will retrace the major issues raised and promote a general debate in the light of the most relevant concerns of our times.Call for papersCall for papers is now open for proposals on any topic consistent with the lines mentioned above, with no chronological or disciplinary limits. In selecting the applications, however, the Scientific Committee will give priority to case-studies presented in a comparative perspective, capable of stimulating cross-cutting interests. Topics could include, but are not limited to:Towns and migrations in the Mediterranean worldNations, empires, metropolis: the multiethnic dimension of capital citiesTangible and/or intangible walls, barriers, fencing: old and new practices of urban segregationIdentity landmarks in urban spaceThe controversial heritage: the transmission of a composite memory within a multi-ethnic societyBetween two (or more) peoples: brokers, interpreters, translators, vocabulariesNorms, rights, ideologies of citizenshipMinorities in cities: settlement strategies and integration trendsPlaces of welcome, places of exclusionColonies / Colonialisms: old models, new contextsResource or threat? Foreigners in towns in times of troubleThe arts: means of dominion, expression of identityBorder cities and places (ports, coasts, crossings points)Submission guidelinesProposals can take different forms, provided they are methodological concerned: short papers (max 10-15 minutes), posters, video footage and/or photographic shows, multimedia installations. In these latter cases, the Scientific Committee reserves the right to ask the selected authors to adjust their proposals according to the technical constraints of the exhibition&#8217;s venue. Proposals must be submitted via email to convegno2018@ storiaurbana.org by the deadline ofFebruary 18, 2018with a brief abstract (max 1000 chars) and a curriculum vitae of the author (max 1000 chars). Acceptance will be notified by March 15, 2018. All selected materials will be published online on AISU website (in Italian, English or French), with ISBN and after double blind peer review. A choice of the most original and interesting works will be also collected for further publication in a book that will be submitted to a top-rank publishing house.Scientific CommitteeSalvo Adorno, Universit&#224; di CataniaAlfredo Buccaro, Universit&#224; di Napoli Federico IITeresa Colletta, Universit&#224; di Napoli Federico IIGiovanni Cristina, &#201;cole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences SocialesGerardo Doti, Universit&#224; di CamerinoMarco Folin, Universit&#224; di GenovaLuigi Fontana, Universit&#224; di PadovaAndrea Maglio, Universit&#224; di NapoliFabio Mangone, Universit&#224; di Napoli Federico IIFrancesca Martorano, Universit&#224; Mediterranea di Reggio CalabriaLuca Mocarelli, Universit&#224; di Milano BicoccaSergio Onger, Universit&#224; di BresciaHeleni Porfyriou, CNR-ICVBCMarco Pretelli, Universit&#224; di BolognaFulvio Rinaudo, Politecnico di TorinoMassimiliano Savorra, Universit&#224; del MoliseDonatella Strangio, Universit&#224; di Roma La SapienzaElena Svalduz, Universit&#224; di PadovaRosa Tamborrino, Politecnico di TorinoInes Tolic, Universit&#224; di BolognaScientific CoordinationMarco Folin, Universit&#224; di GenovaAlireza Naser Eslami, Universit&#224; di GenovaDeadlines&#160;Opening of the call for papers 1 December 2017&#160;Closing of the call 1_ February 2018&#160;Notification of the acceptance of proposals 15 March 2018&#160;Beginning of the early registration 15 March 2018&#160;Closing of the early registration 1 May 2018&#160;Deadline for sending the papers/materials to be published or exhibited 15 May 2018OrganisationAssociazione Italiana di Storia Urbana (AISU), with the support of:&#160;Universit&#224; di Genova, Dipartimento DAD&#160;Laboratoire International Associ&#233; Mediterrapolis&#160;UMR TELEMME (AMU/CNRS), Maison m&#233;diterran&#233;enne des sciences de l&#8217;Homme, Aix-en-Provence&#160;Centro Internazionale di Ricerca sull&#8217;Architettura del Mondo Islamico e del Mediterraneo