Philosophical, Legal, and Policy Dimensions” · European Law Blog

Call for Abstracts

Workshop: Exploring the Autonomy of Cities: Philosophical, Legal, and Policy Dimensions

Organized by: Nathanaël Colin-Jaeger (AUP), Nefeli Lefkopoulou (Sciences Po Paris), Marc Goetzmann (Université de Tours). 

Cities have long served as centers of economic activity, cultural innovation, and political experimentation. Yet, their role and status within larger political systems remain a subject of ongoing debate. In recent years, calls for granting greater autonomy to cities have gained momentum, driven by challenges such as urbanization, climate change, and growing inequalities. However, with autonomy comes many complex questions regarding governance, justice, and equality. While the philosophical and theoretical significance of territorial autonomy has been extensively explored, the specific status of cities remained an under-appreciated topic in normative political philosophy until very recently (Weinstock, King, Schragger). This call for abstracts invites philosophers, legal theorists, and political scientists to engage with the multifaceted issue of city autonomy. 

We seek contributions that explore the conditions under which cities should be granted autonomy, the implications of autonomy for equality, and the challenges specific to cities in navigating their relationship with regional, national, and global governance systems. The aim is to foster a robust dialogue on whether autonomy (and in which form? which constitutional status?) is the appropriate framework for empowering cities or if alternative approaches, such as empowerment through subsidiarity, are better suited to achieving justice and effective governance.

Background and Rationale

Cities are increasingly at the forefront of addressing global challenges, from climate change to the public housing crisis. As engines of economic growth and hubs of diversity, cities have unique needs and capacities that often diverge from the rural or regional contexts in which they are embedded. Despite this, cities are frequently – even if not always and only since the 17^thcentury in Europe – subordinated to state or provincial governments, lacking the legal authority and resources to address their challenges fully.

At the same time, the philosophical underpinnings of autonomy and self-determination remain contested. Philosophers such as David Miller, Margaret Moore, Allen Buchanan, and Christopher Wellman have debated the conditions under which self-determination is justified, including questions of identity, governance, and distributive justice. 

For cities, these philosophical debates intersect with pressing legal questions about the possibility and implications of constitutionalizing city status within national frameworks. Should cities have rights akin to provinces or states in a federation? How might such a constitutional transformation reshape urban governance?

The idea of granting cities autonomy raises several critical issues:

1. Autonomy and Empowerment: Should cities have constitutionally guaranteed autonomy, or is it sufficient to empower them within existing hierarchies through mechanisms such as ascending subsidiarity? Should we conceptualize autonomy in terms of territorial sovereignty, akin to states in a federation, or prefer models of empowerment that enhance local decision-making without fully severing hierarchical ties?

2. Autonomy and Inequality: Does territorial autonomy inherently exacerbate inequalities between regions or cities? Can autonomy and equality be reconciled, particularly in distributive terms? How do systems of equalization or solidarity address disparities in resources and opportunities? In particular, how much autonomy should we grant cities, from full fiscal autonomy to other less extensive prerogatives? 

3. Unique Challenges of Urban Autonomy: Cities face specific governance challenges, including high population density, economic disparities, and environmental concerns. How should these factors shape the design and implementation of urban autonomy?

Although any theoretical investigation on cities is welcomed, this call specifically invites abstracts that critically examine these and related questions, drawing from diverse disciplines and methodologies. 

Themes and Topics

We encourage submissions that address the following overarching themes, or develop a comparative inquiry:

1. Philosophical Foundations and Justifications

• What justifications can be offered for granting cities autonomy? Are cities entitled to self-determination in the same way as nation-states?

• Which normative ground is to be used to grant cities autonomy? Can freedom of association be a ground for autonomy, or would autonomy require more demanding conditions? 

• If autonomy is too demanding, what form of empowerment should be favored, e.g., which form of subsidiarity? 

2. Autonomy vs. Empowerment

• Should autonomy take the form of territorial sovereignty (as in a state within a federation) or empowerment through subsidiarity? What are the comparative advantages of each?

• How can these models balance the need for local decision-making with broader concerns for national cohesion and global challenges? 

• Which option aligns better with other values one may favor (solidarity, efficiency, democratic responsiveness?). 

3. Balancing Autonomy and Equality

• Does autonomy risk fostering inequalities between cities and regions, or can it coexist with equitable governance?

• What mechanisms (e.g., fiscal transfers, equalization schemes) can mitigate potential disparities while preserving local decision-making capacity? How should they be justified, and what form should they take depending on the principled justification? 

• How do distributive theories of justice address the tension between urban autonomy and national solidarity?

4. Challenges in Implementing Urban Autonomy

• What are the practical and legal challenges of granting cities autonomy? Should their status be constitutionalized?

• How much autonomy is desirable—from cultural and policy rights to full fiscal control? What trade-offs arise at different levels of autonomy?

• How should governance frameworks address metropolitan fragmentation and overlapping jurisdictions? In particular to specific issues, such as housing policies? 

• What specific issues may arise when cities are granted autonomy? How should a system with autonomous cities should, for instance, deal with immigration?

Submission Details

We invite abstracts of up to 500 words that clearly outline the research question, theoretical framework, methodology, and expected contribution to the field, with a short bibliography. Theoretical, interdisciplinary, and applied approaches will be equally considered.  

Please include the following in your submission:

Indication of the thematic area(s) your abstract addresses (keywords). 

Please notify us in your submission whether you would have the budget to self-fund your trip and accommodations for the workshop, or if you would need additional help. Partial funding can be discussed individually on the basis of needs and availability, but it cannot be guaranteed. 

Key Dates

• Abstract submission deadline: March 1, 2025. 

• Notification of acceptance: March 15, 2025.  

• Conference dates: June 12-13, 2025.  

Publication Opportunities

Selected papers may be invited for publication in an edited volume or a special issue of a journal dedicated to the themes of city autonomy and governance.

Venue
The Workshop will take place at the Center for Critical Democracy Studies at the American University of Paris.  

Contact Information

For questions or further information, please contact [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your contributions and to a stimulating discussion on cities’ critical and evolving role in governance, justice, and equality.

For more info: https://www.aup.edu/news-events/event/2025-06-12/exploring-autonomy-cities-philosophical-legal-and-policy-dimensions