LXXIV CICA International Conference:

HUMANIZING URBAN LIFE

Complutense University Madrid (Spain) School of Education  

2nd of July 2026

It gives us great pleasure to share this information regarding the CICA-Complutense International Conference on “Humanizing Urban Life,” which will take place in Madrid (Spain) on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in the Graduation Hall of the Faculty of Education; the event will also be available to follow online.

This gathering—organized by the Complutense Research Group “Psychosociobiology of Violence: Education and Prevention,” in conjunction with the CICA International Foundation—provides an international framework for scientists, educators, policymakers, and individuals from diverse fields to exchange ideas regarding the most pressing issues and strategies for making life in cities more human, inclusive, and sustainable.

Urban life, in its myriad manifestations, can generate both opportunities and tensions—including inequality, isolation, environmental degradation, and the erosion of community ties. These challenges—which are becoming increasingly visible in our daily lives and are amplified by the media—call into question our fundamental understandings of social coexistence and demand both an individual and a collective response. It is, therefore, unsurprising that this subject constitutes a central concern across the social, educational, political, and scientific spheres.

An analysis of the HUMANIZATION OF URBAN LIFE necessitates an interdisciplinary and pluralistic approach. This gathering is committed to integrating diverse perspectives in order to recognize and address the manifold ways in which the city impacts the quality of life of its inhabitants.
Among others, the following topics will be addressed:

• Conceptualizing urban life and its human dimensions.
• Youth and the city: adaptation and participation.
• Forms of exclusion and inequality in urban environments.
• Risk factors, causes, and social consequences of urban deterioration.
• Society confronting segregation and the erosion of community ties.
• The role of the media in shaping perceptions of the city.
• Education, culture, and civic engagement as strategies for humanization.