CALL FOR PAPERS – THÉSIS THEMATIC ISSUE No. 21

Crossed temporalities: history, projects, and social practices in the contemporary city

With acceleration influencing all aspects of contemporary life, the notion of temporality has become a central axis in urban studies, especially when seeking to understand historical processes, social rhythms, and spatial transformations. Since the mid-twentieth century, scholars from different fields of knowledge have recognized distinct temporalities shaped by the acceleration of time. This body of work includes analyses of: historical and social temporalities (Braudel, 2025; Koselleck, 2006; Ricoeur, 2011; Bauman, 2021); economic and technological temporalities (Castells, 2013; Rosa, 2022; Han, 2026); and urban temporalities (Lefebvre, 1992; Virilio, 1996; Ascher, 1997; Lepetit and Pumain, 1999; Bell, 2013). Multiple layers of temporality emphasize that social and spatial phenomena unfold through non-uniform rhythms, precarious times, or non-representational temporalities.

This thematic call seeks to understand the influence of temporalities on the configuration, functioning, and lived experience of cities. The articulation between temporality and urban life—both individual and collective—requires recognizing and addressing significant theoretical and methodological challenges. It is assumed that this objective can only be achieved by adopting (pluri)disciplinary approaches, supported by theoretical-conceptual frameworks capable of encompassing the different dimensions of time that affect urban life. The aim is thus to transcend the limitations of isolated disciplinary perspectives and to explore the dynamic interactions between different notions of time, understanding how time is constructed, experienced, and represented in diverse contexts.

The articles composing this thematic issue will be organized around three interconnected and interdependent axes of analysis, namely:
(a) history, heritage, and heritage-making processes in contemporary cities;
(b) the multiple temporalities of urban projects; and
(c) the temporalities of urban practices and social representations.

This special issue is part of the CAPES/COFECUB academic cooperation project, coordinated by PROURB/FAU-UFRJ and EHESS-France, with the participation of PPGAUD-UFC and LAVUE-France, dedicated to the general theme “Crossed temporalities: history, projects, and social practices in the contemporary city.”

This public call also welcomes articles by external authors. The aim is to broaden the range of contributions and reflections on the theme, fostering a productive academic debate.

Contributions will be accepted in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, submitted through the Thésis journal website until April 1, 2026.

References

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ROSA, Hartmut. Alienação e aceleração. Por uma teoria crítica da temporalidade tardo-moderna. Petrópolis/RJ: Vozes, 2022.

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