Many cities today face the challenge of rapid urbanisation. While the trend towards exponential urban growth may seem inevitable, there is a strong case to balance growth with liveability, vibrancy, sustainability, and quality of life.

This session looks at how cities as centres of economic growth can still develop in a sustainable and liveable way. It examines the role of "place making", not only as a way of preserving the city's cultural capital and heritage, but also as a means of making it distinctive and endearing, offering the city an added competitive advantage

• Professor Jan Gehl Professor, Founding Partner, Gehl Architects
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Cities for People = Sustainable Cites

  If we make cities inviting for people four important issues will be addressed: The cities will become more lively, more safe, more sustainable, and more healthy to live in. These are the benefits which can be secured if we, after many years of neglecting people in the city, once again make cities which invite people to walk and/or bicycle as an important part of their daily day patterns.

  Over the past 50 years the way cities are planned dramatically changed character. Until about 1960 cities throughout the world were primarily developed for people on the basis of centuries of experience. Life in public spaces of the city was a vital part of this wealth of experience, and it was taken for granted that cities had to be built for people.

  In step with burgeoning urban growth, city development was turned over to professional planners. Theories and ideologies began replacing tradition as the basis for development. Modernism with its vision of the city as a machine with its parts separated by function became highly influential. 
  Also, a new group - the traffic planners- came on the scene with their ideas and theories on how to ensure the best conditions – for car traffic.
  
  Neither the city planners nor the traffic planners put the life in the public spaces high on their agenda, and for years there was almost no knowledge about how physical structures influence life in the cities. The drastic consequences of modernistic planning on people’s use of the city were not recognized until much later.
  
  Now after 50 years it is at last generally accepted that city life and regard for people in the cities must have a key role in the planning of cities and built-up areas
  It is interesting to note that such a policy will have a profound effect towards making the cities more sustainable.

  Summing up: Many goals can be accomplished with one policy: Even if making cities more sustainable is a widespread concern, it s important to approach city planning with the knowledge that many more goals can be accomplished through a holistic city planning policy of making Cities for People.

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• Mr Goh Chye Boon CEO, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment & Development Co., Ltd
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is more than a collaboration between China and Singapore. It reflects the commitment of two governments to take purposeful and practical steps to solve one of the world’s most pressing issues – sustainable development. Beyond the common notions of tackling climate change, conserving resources and environmental protection, this visionary project is also aimed at building a harmonious society where people from the entire demographical spectrum can live together.
  
  The experience and expertise of both countries culminated in a uniquely designed integrated urban model that not only weaves urban eco-features into the city but also people from all walks of life into this inclusive social tapestry. This vision is embodied in the ‘three harmonies’ which represents the harmonious coexistence between people-and-people, people-and-economic activities, and people-and-the environment.
  
  Commercial viability is one of the key distinctions of this city. Practicable, scalable and replicable are the three principles the Eco-city strongly abides by, to insure a compelling model for the rest of China and even the rest of the world. Such principles are set against the 22 quantitative and 4 qualitative performance indicators that measure the Eco-city’s success in sustainable development. Achieving them will require expertise from all fields and industries to help bring in the best and most well tested solution into a city poised for the future.
  
  People’s needs and technology are ever-changing. The Eco-city is positioned for innovation and an exciting ground to pursue learning and re-learning to ensure that the interface between them is improved with each step of development. While the world continues to seek consensus on what sustainable urban development is, the Tianjin Eco-city strives to take the first step in bringing reality into the debate.

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• Professor Ricky Burdett Professor of Urban Studies at the LSE, Director LSE Cities
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The speaker’s sharing will focus on the future of cities, covering the perceived challenges faced by cities, possible solutions and how to make cities work over time. His sharing will draw references from current issues, which include ground empowerment vs. top-down policies, immigration, and compact city vs. sprawling city.

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• Ms Louise Cox President, International Union Architects
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  MAKING CITIES SUSTAINABLE AND ENDEARING : STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

  WHAT IS THE ARCHITECT’S VISION FOR MAKING CITIES SUSTAINABLE AND ENDEARING? WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN?

  A city’s heritage illustrates its ancient and recent history. It reflects the memory, skills and wisdom of successive generations of the inhabitants and leaders. It provides those who live in and use the city with important references, landmarks and spaces, contributing to their quality of life. Cultural heritage provides us with the best signposts to achieving these ambitions. It contributes strongly to the personality and character of most cities and is a source of a truly sustainable development. For too long cultural heritage has been seen as an impediment to sustainability rather than an asset.

  The demands of growing cities and the inevitable urban sprawl and concentration lead to the loss of natural features, flora and fauna. This has a major impact on the cultural landscapes and with it, living traditions. The increase of urbanisation, population movement and relocation results in loss of traditional caretakers, repair technologies and cultural practices.

  Since the industrial revolution, we have moved away from working with the environment to challenging it. We design buildings that fight to survive rather than to compliment their location. This is at the heart of unsustainable design and building. Good design cannot be independent of the environment; it must build on and be responsive to climate. Our vision of the future needs to include our many pasts.

  For the developed and developing world, heritage and sustainability issues, equity, social responsibility, cultural identity, resistance to natural disasters, and the use of locally available resources to address local needs and life styles, all need to be considered in integrated sustainable design and in standards.

  THE ARCHITECT’S VISION FOR MAKING CITIES SUSTAINABLE AND ENDEARING NEEDS TO INCLUDE AN APPRECIATION OF THESE PRINCIPLES.

  Architecture can make a Difference

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• Ms Amanda Burden New York City Commissioner, City Planning, USA
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Shaping the City: A Strategic Blueprint for New York's Future
  
  Following half a century of urban decline, 21st Century New York City has reemerged as a premier global city-attracting record numbers of new residents, businesses, and levels of investment. While the resurgence is a boon to the city’s economic health, growth, if not carefully planned, also carries the risk of undermining the essential qualities that make this renowned urban area great. In an era of scarce land, aging infrastructure, economic uncertainty, and global warming, New York faces a serious challenge in growing sustainably while preserving the diversity and vitality that epitomizes the essential character of America’s largest city.  At the heart of City Planning’s vision is a focus on the quality of the pedestrian realm, parks and waterfront.

  The speaker will discuss New York’s ambitious land use agenda as the city seeks to meet these challenges and create conditions for high quality, sustainable design and transit-oriented growth that ensure a greener, greater New York for future generations.

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• Mrs Cheong Koon Hean CEO, Urban Redevelopment Authority and Deputy Secretary (Special Duties) Ministry of National Development, Singapore
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The speaker will be speaking on the urban innovations that Singapore has adopted to overcome critical constraints embodied in our city-state with limited resources, with the aim to transform Singapore into a liveable, vibrant and sustainable city. These urban innovations will be categorized under three main categories: Planning, Public-Private Partnership, and Place Management. New developments at Marina Bay will be cited as one example which encapsulates many of the principles enunciated above, to demonstrate how transformative urban change is made possible in Singapore.

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The Global Liveable Cities Index (GLCI) is a study commissioned by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) in 2008.  It seeks to develop a balanced assessment of urban liveability based on five key areas identified under the Centre for Liveable Cities Liveability Framework – Good Governance, Environmental Friendliness and Sustainability, Urban Infrastructure, Quality of Life, Economic Competitiveness and Vibrancy.

The  study  is  headed  by  Dr Tan Khee Giap (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy),  with  co-authors  Dr  Chen  Kang  (Lee  Kuan  Yew School of Public Policy), and Switzerland’s   Professor   Renate   Schubert   (Eidgenossische  Technische Hochschule Zurich (ETH)) and Professor Hans Wolfgang Brachinger (University of  Fribourg).   Renowned economist Professor Woo Wing Thye, who holds concurrent portfolios in Brookings Institute, University of California and Columbia University, is a discussant to this study.

The first run of the GCLI covers some 65 developing and developed cities around the world.  At this session, the study team will present the study methodology, results and a preliminary analysis of the cities’ performance.

• Mr Andrew Tan, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities & CEO, National Environment Agency, Singapore

• Dr Remo Burkhard, Managing Director, Singapore-ETH Centre for Global Environmental Sustainability (SEC)

• Dr Tan Khee Giap, Associate Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Co-author and Presenter)
• Dr Chen Kang, Associate Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Co-author and Presenter)
• Professor Woo Wing Thye, Professor, Economics Department, University of California Davis; Director, East Asia Program, The Earth Institute at Columbia University (Discussant)

According to the UN, nearly half of Southeast Asia's population now lives in cities. This is projected to increase to 70% in 30 years' time and more attention needs to be given to urbanisation issues.  Furthermore, each Southeast Asian (SEA) city faces diverse and unique circumstances.  Nonetheless, there are common challenges that cities can identify with and collectively address as a region.

To promote better understanding of urbanisation trends and challenges in the region, a series of 2 regional workshops co-organized by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and the ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC) at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore, were held in Dec 2009 and March 2010 to provide a platform for discussion and exchange on urbanisation issues in SEA. From these workshop proceedings, a publication of findings and regional action recommendations was produced and aimed at raising urbanisation issues to a higher level of priority in the regional agenda for discussion.

In this session, an Executive Summary of findings and action recommendations distilled from workshop proceedings will be presented, followed by responses from invited speakers and panelists. The panel will comprise of regional leaders and decision makers who regularly faces the challenges of urbanisation and urban governance in their respective cities. The panel discussion also sees discussion of possibilities and opportunities in regional collaboration and exchanges between cities and local governments in ASEAN.

• Mr Rodolfo Severino Head, ASEAN Studies Centre, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The Centre for Liveable Cities and the ASEAN Studies Centre initiated a series of three regional workshops in December 2009, bringing together experts, academics and policymakers from Southeast Asian countries to discuss urbanisation issues, trends and prospects faced by countries in the region.  Recommendations from the workshops will be published as a report, for circulation at high-level ASEAN forums. The aim is to raise the urbanisation discourse higher on the regional agenda, as the cross-cutting nature of urbanisation issues has regional implications.
  
  As the ten member states of ASEAN move closer towards regional integration by 2015, they face the challenge of harnessing the energy of urbanisation for growth, development and social progress. Recognising the diversity among countries of the region, the report will identify shared concerns for collective action. The contributors to the report will highlight (a) urbanisation issues to be raised to a higher level of priority on the regional agenda, and (b) practical recommendations for policymakers.

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• Dr Yap Kioe Sheng, Editor and Resource Person, CLC-ASC Urbanisation Report
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Today, 245 million people are living in urban areas, not only in mega-cities like Manila and Jakarta, but also in many small cities and towns. The region is experiencing rapid economic growth and much of the growth is concentrated in urban areas. As the region urbanizes, cities and towns in Southeast Asia face a number of challenges. The Centre for Livable Cities and ASEAN Studies Centre convened two workshops of urban researchers and practitioners to identify key urban challenges and make recommendations for actions within the framework of ASEAN to develop effective responses to the challenges. Dr Yap Kioe Sheng will report on the work of the workshops and their tentative recommendations. 

  Urban economic growth needs to be sustained within a highly competitive global economy. Many people are still poor, work in the informal sector under harsh working conditions and live in informal settlements with inadequate services. Urban areas face environmental problems such as air, soil and water pollution, mountains of solid waste and lack of green space. Cities, populations and economic activities are concentrated in low-elevation coastal zones, making them extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Better and more energy-efficient transport within and between cities, and better links between urban and rural areas are critical for sustainable development.

  Decentralization aims at empowering local governments, but decentralization policies are often inconsistent and local governments, particularly in smaller cities and towns, often lack the capacity to make good use of their new powers. Privatization is relieving local governments of some difficult tasks, but also of their control over urban development. Lack of good governance aggravates the problems. As cities and towns enter uncharted territory in search for answers, local governments should be supported by staff training, better information, access to good practices, stronger linkages among cities and learning from each other.

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• Dr Supachai Tantikom, Member, Advisory Committee to Governor of Bangkok
• Mr Nurfakih Wirawan, Head Commissioner, Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, Jakarta,Indonesia
  [ Speaking Focus ]

   Jakarta and the Urbanization Challenge

  According to the Annual Report of UN Habitat 0f 2010, the world population is growing at an annual rate 0f 1.3% (77 million people per year) and more than 90% of that population growth is taking place in the cities of developing countries. We should realize how urbanization has already become a major issue in the global era, including countries like Jakarta, who has a population of 8.8 million. Jakarta is as a classic example when we discuss the fast growth of a population.

  The presence of too many people in city will put excessive pressure on the city’s environment and its limited resources. The people, for instance, need access to clean water, the availability of which becomes more and more limited in big cities, particularly in relation to the growth of populations.
  The people who are concentrated in big cities do not necessarily posses the required skills to compete in the increasingly competitive and very limited job market. Thus there is the problem of poverty. Poverty will usually be followed by the problem of increased disease, decreased quality of life, increased crime incidences, and a bunch of related problem.
  For that purpose, the city governments need, first of all, to engage in identifying their vulnerabilities to the fast growth of population specific to their areas.  It is also important to emphasize here that city governments need to raise the awareness of the citizens that together they responsible for the population problems. Subsequently, they will need to learn how to reduce the fast growth of population and enhance the capacity knowledge and innovation of their government and citizens in population issues.

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• Tuan Haji Onn Bin Abdullah, Director, Commission of City of Kuching North, Malaysia
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Towards A Sustainable City – Kuching North City Hall experience

  Kuching North City Hall (KNCH) was formed on 1st August 1988. Located in the western tip of Borneo island, Kuching is the capital of the state of Sarawak which is one of the 14 states that form Malaysia. KNCH has a population of about 192,000 with an area of about 369.48 km2. The vision of KNCH is to be an attractive, cultured, clean and safe garden city, whilst its mission is to enhance the quality of life of its community through excellent delivery of services. KNCH is also a member of the Alliance for Healthy City (AFHC) in the asia pacific region and has been in the main committee since AFHC’s inception in 2004. KNCH was awarded the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities in October 2008 as recognition for its efforts in implementing an environmental conservation program targeted at sustaining the city’s development without jeopardizing the environment. Among these environmental programs are healthy city initiatives, river cleaning, garden city, integrated solid waste management, traffic management, public awareness and public respond bureau. The presentation by Kuching North City Hall’s director, Tuan Haji Onn bin Abdullah, will highlight some of the these efforts towards making Kuching North City a sustainable city.

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Global and regional economies are recovering from the worst economic crisis though no one can say that recovery is on firm grounds. Extraordinary measures, primarily stimulus packages and policies have contributed to the pull-back from the brink of collapse. Confidence is being restored and lending is cautious. What would the new world order and new landscape be like?

Two things remain certain: Cities will continue to urbanize at a rapid pace, especially in tandem with economic recovery. Second, improvements in infrastructure will enhance access to services and facilities which in turn will generate economic growth and ultimately improve lives within the communities when carefully balanced with environmental considerations.

Against this background, what should be the right ways to invest public funds in infrastructure and how can industry and financiers partner governments towards sustainable growth? What new financing, operating and business models are needed to manage in the new normal? What governance structures must be established to ensure that new infrastructure will lead to rates of return beyond project balance sheets? It should position communities, cities and countries for connectivity and increased foreign trade; provide access to education, sanitation, water, electricity at lower transaction costs; and build liveable and sustainable cities.

• Professor Paul James Director, Global Cities Research Institute, RMIT, Australia and Director of the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  An overview of the infrastructural challenges confronting cities from an international perspective

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• Mr Melvin A. Cruz Ex-Chief Financial Officer, Marikina City, Philippines
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Operational perspective. For most cities, entering the realm of private financing after years of dependence on public budget or ODA can be an overwhelming experience. What are the key preparation steps a city can take to get ready for a credit rating as it prepares to issue a bond, and or organize itself to explore a partnership with the private sector?

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• Mr James Harris Chairman, International Project Finance Association Asia
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Private sector perspective. There is a severe shortage of well prepared, financially viable projects in the market today. Private advisors are well prepared to assist the governments to prepare projects to international standards. However, many of these private firms are not utilized. What are the challenges faced by the private advisors to land business, and what are the difficulties faced by the government agencies to procure the services of qualified, professional advisors?

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• Mr Ping Chew Managing Director, Greater China Head, Standard & Poor's
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Rating agency perspective. The infrastructure finance market in East Asia remains overwhelmingly focused on public financing or bank lending. How can capital markets be tapped to finance the demand for infrastructure? What are the medium and long-term prospects for the emergence of revenue or municipal bond market in East Asia? Can credit ratings be used as a development tool?

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• Dr Coşkun Cangöz Director General of Public Finance, Undersecretariat of Treasury, Turkey
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Central government/regulator's perspective. The central governments have to strike a balance between promoting the development of a municipal/local government finance market, and also managing the contingent risks which is created as a result of local government borrowing. What frameworks are available to central government policy makers to manage this balance? What are they key challenges in regulating a local government financing market?

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• Mr Michael Barrow Director of Private Sector Development, Asian Development Bank
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Donor perspective. What role can the donors play in helping the cities/local governments tap the private financial markets?

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The rapid urbanisation in Asia and emerging economies presents a unique and immense market opportunity for solutions that can overcome land, water and energy constraints and help cities worldwide achieve sustainable growth. Countries and companies around the world are increasing the level of R&D to develop new technological innovations in areas such as the built environment, renewable energy, water treatment, waste remediation; as well as clean and intelligent transportation systems. In this session, industry experts will share their experiences and perspectives of how the private sector can work in partnership with Governments to introduce novel market-oriented sustainable solutions to meet the needs of urban environments.

• Dr Willfried Wienholt, Vice President Urban Development, Siemens ONE, Siemens AG, Germany
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Making Cities Work- Sustainable Urban Infrastructure

  Cities are the key drivers of the global economy. Importantly, sustainable urban development depends on the ability of countries to address the issues pertaining to energy efficiency and CO2 abatement brought about by rapid urbanization. As we recognize the importance of environmental responsibility and quality of lives for urban dwellers, it has to be noted that economic competitiveness should remain a primary focus for decision makers, while making optimal use of limited budgets.

  In his speech, Wilfried would be sharing his insights relating to public-private collaboration practices which work towards sustainable urban development. More specifically, he demonstrates that efficiency gains of about 30 percent are possible with existing technology, examples will include solutions applied to Singapore. Through collaborative research with city authorities, environmental sustainability can be measured using the Green City Index, which also facilities the identification of focal areas for improvements. He further highlights that sustainable urban development depends on the alignment of interests of all stakeholders, using Siemens’ model of consensus-based reasoning among stakeholders for the strategic development of the urban landscape in Singapore.

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• Mr Bruno Berthon, Global Managing Director for Accenture Sustainability Services, Paris
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainability as the common ground for Cities and the Private Sector  

  Global trends of the 21st Century revolves around the adoption of sustainability practices in the development of cities and private sectors. Through sharing of findings from research conducted by the UN Global Compact, Mr Berthon would bring to light the barriers and enablers for business to implement sustainability initiative.

  In the aspect of sustainable urban development, intelligent cities are working closely with governments and private organizations to address the issues of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Insights regarding Green ICT, a basic business practice which powers sustainability and change towards operational excellence by doing more with less, would be shared.

  The Accenture Management Consulting Innovation Center in Singapore has been pivotal in researching, developing and enhancing ideas and offerings for intelligent cities.  Importantly, he stresses the need for a clear vision and mission, coupled with an objective-driven, technologically approach for public-private collaborative innovation in urban environments, by raising the examples of intelligent cities in Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal.

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• Dr Robert W. Schumacher, General Director, Advanced Product & Business Development, Delphi Electronics & Safety Kokomo, Indiana
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainable Transportation - Green Electrified Vehicles & Infrastructure Integration

  To tap on the immense growth opportunities in sustainable transportation, Delphi Corporation is sharply focused on the development of green cars, cars that don’t crash, and connected intelligent cars. Essentially, the green car offers opportunities for environmental conservation throughout its entire product life cycle. Through active safety systems and control systems, risks of collisions could be lowered and their consequences mitigated. Lastly, through leveraging on technological infrastructure, the connected intelligent car integrates multiple wireless links, smartphones, powerful-on-board computer platforms and advanced displays to provide a better driving experience. More specifically, Delphi is working to integrate these advanced vehicle systems with off-board infrastructure such as the EV/PHEV charge stations and smart utility grids, intelligent transportation systems, and broadband wireless internet access.

  To develop and deploy these sustainable transport options, partnerships are established with government organization in Europe, North American, and Asia. Closer to home, Delphi has also established partnerships with Singapore agencies such as the EDB and LTA. These partnerships has resulted in the introduction of electronics packaging for active safety components, mobile multi-media system engineering, and hybrid electric vehicle electronics technology and manufacturing. Specifically, examples of V2X technology testbed with Singapore Land Transport Authority, other telematics collaborations, and Hybrid Electric Vehicle and Hybrid Technology Centre’s R&D activities in Singapore would be raised.

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• Mr Alexon Khor, General Manager, Low CO₂ Solutions, Shell International Petroleum Co.

What makes a city liveable to its residents? One key contributing factor is the quality of the built environment, which hinges very much on how effective the local building control regime is.

As each city grows, its city authorities must address the needs of changing demographics, for example barrier-free accessibility and connectivity for the elderly and/or physically challenged, while ensuring the built environment is safe and well-maintained, within a carbon-constrained environment. In this session, regulators and experts will share their thoughts, strategies and experience in meeting these challenges.

• Ms Jane Henley CEO, World Green Building Council
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The WorldGBC is a union of national Green Building Councils from around the world, making it the largest international organization influencing the green building marketplace. Green Building Councils are member-based organizations that partner with industry and government in the transformation of their building industries towards sustainability through the adoption of green building practices.

  Our role is to be the global voice for over 70 Green Building Councils and to facilitate the global transformation of the building industry towards sustainability.
  We work closely with councils to advance their common interests by promoting local green building actions to address global issues such as climate change.

  The core principles of Green Building are nothing new; in fact they are centuries old. For the past century or more decision-making has become decentralized and companies have become specialized. Economic models have evolved and green building principles have faded into the background. The result is that most cities now have an inefficient existing building stock that is locking in carbon emissions that could be reduced by 50% with existing technology.

  Cities produce up to 80% of nations GHG emissions, and buildings are the most cost effective way of reducing this economic and environmental liability. Most current legislation only effectively deals with new buildings. Effort is needed to look at how we bring forward activity to retro fit of our existing building stock. There are many challenges to overcome, from ownership and split incentives barriers, inconvenience and logistics of work where people live and work, to access to finance. All of these need to be addressed to realize the potential emission reductions from the built environment.

  Globally accepted Common Carbon Metrics for measuring Carbon emissions in buildings are now being piloted by the World Green Building Council, Sustainable Building Alliance and UNEP – SBCI. The aim of this work is to:
  

  1. Provide building performance measurement protocols.
  2. To establish a methodology for calculating baseline carbon emissions from buildings at the city, regional, and country level.
  3. To provide solutions for supply side C02 reductions to be monetized through complementary measures under country emissions trading schemes.

  Collaboration between industry and government is the only way we can address these challenges, and to turn them into opportunities for tomorrow. Examples of global activity will be used to demonstrate action by both government and industry to un-lock this potential, while delivering many social and economic co-benefits.  

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• Professor Dr Steffen Lehmann, UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific; Chair and Professor, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Green Urbanism and Resilient Cities

   ‘Technology and design are drivers for any modern economy, and good urban
  design is crucial as it helps society to adopt new low-carbon technologies.’ (SL)

  Urbanization is a defining feature of the 21st century. Between 2010 and 2030, some 85 per cent of total global urban growth will take place in developing countries – projected to triple their entire urban area (UN-Habitat, 2008; The World Bank, 2009). This unprecedented urban expansion poses a historic challenge and opportunity to cities and the international development community. However, it also provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to design, develop, build and manage new type of low-to-no-carbon city districts that are environmentally and economically sustainable, and socially more inclusive.

  ‘Cities are the engines of urban growth and social change. Design of cities is about inventing the future.
  By 2020 there will be a variety of different kinds of full-scale eco-city demonstration projects realized, which are the test bed for research, innovation and best practice.’ (SL)

  This presentation explores the rapid urbanization of cities in the Asia-Pacific region, and the danger of losing the unique identity of a place. While at the micro-level, the formulation and orientation of built form is mostly an outcome of architectural design, at the macro-level, the planning lay-out of cities needs to take a whole range of forward-looking issues into consideration.

  ‘It is important to note, that a couple of innovative engineering solutions will not deliver a vibrant city. All the technology in the world cannot achieve sustainability and vitality by itself.
  The problem of urban design is far more complex.
  Designing a city requires holistic approaches, and each time the adaptation of strategies to a unique context: the integration and combination of qualitative and quantitative knowledge.’ (SL)

  Local governments and municipalities are actively driving the push for more sustainable cities and rapid change, marshalling resources to address the problem, orchestrating the input of the private sector and community groups, responding boldly and leading by example in urban innovation initiatives, even in the face of obvious funding challenges. Clearly, environmental sustainability is now a top priority for all cities, which are acting in partnership with industry, business and community-based organizations.
  The speaker’s conclusion will present five recommendations (principles) for future-proofing existing cities, for the urban design of low-to-no-carbon solutions, which will help to deliver best practice for sustainable cities.

  ‘Cities can and must become the most environmentally-friendly model of inhabiting our Earth.
  The need to re-conceptualize cities and their infrastructural systems, to be compact and poly-centric cities, is more important than ever.’ (SL)

  Keywords: Green urbanism, compact communities, maintaining identity and character of place, public space network, space between buildings, transit-oriented development.

  ‘With all this technological progress, we should not lose sight of the fact that a key component in any society’s sustainability is more than its carbon footprint.
  The future of our societies is not just merely a technical matter of finding more eco-friendly energy solutions, but a question of holistic social sustainability and healthy community.’ (SL)

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• Mr Finn Petrén, President, European Institute for Design and Disability (EIDD - Design for All Europe)
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Planning and Designing Cities for All

  This presentation contains four chapters:

  1) ”Accessibility” and some related concepts
  2) Example 1: The City of Stockholm’s accessibility project 1998-2010
  3) Example 2: The Swedish Design for All project 2005-2008
  4) Planning and designing cities for all: The universal challenge

  1) On concepts

  Most people live in cities. This is a universal phenomena. All the growing cities around the world must be liveable. This is a universal challenge. The solutions however can not be universal. They must involve designers’ and architects’ creative skills, and they must be designed according to local conditions and requirements.

  Accessibility is one of the main features of a liveable city. Legislation and standards are means to achieve physical accessibility and usability for all. ”Universal Design” is a concept that was developed in the US in the 90’s. In practice ”Universal Design” with its focus on principles, definitions, guidelines and standards is merely another way of expressing accessibility for certain groups of people, people with disabilities and elderly people.

  ”Design for All” is the concept that is making its way through Europe. ”Design for All is design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality.” (The EIDD Stockholm Declaration, 2004.). It differs from Universal Design in some important respects: It is a design concept belonging to the creativity agenda, not the legislative one, its main focus is decision-making and process, not the end product, and it involves designers and architects.

  2) A long term committment to accessibility: The Stockholm example

  Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is an outstanding example of comprehensive accessibility work in a disability policy perspective. The work carried out 1999-2010 will be summarised in words and pictures. 

  3) An alternative approach: ”Design for All.se”

  A Swedish project with different action lines aimed at demonstrating what can be achieved in practice when applying the approach and methodology of Design for All. My presentation will highlight the communications campaign ”Liberate Diversity” and two innovative model projects.  

  4) On planning and designing ”the City for All”

  Planning and designing cities for people require holistic approaches. Today’s focus on eco technologies and design must be combined with an equally strong focus on the human (social) dimension.

  Any sustainable city development must cater for both the ecological, social and economic dimensions. Planning and designing for human diversity at the outset (doing it right from the beginning) is a good deal for any society.

  To reach the inclusive ”City for All ” we have to move from special interest focus to public interest. The Design for All approach, focusing on human diversity instead of ”the average person”, represents a new paradigm for both social development and design.

  ”Design for All” is a good deal for the city and the taxpayers. It is also a creative challenge for both decision-makers and designers/architects.     

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Housing has played an important role in many successful and renowned world cities.

In this session, experts and industry leaders will discuss how countries and cities have progressed from the building of basic shelters to the provision of quality housing. Participants will also discuss how world cities have moved towards shaping sustainable living environs where people can live together harmoniously whilst meeting their housing needs.

Regulators and industry leaders will share their thoughts and experiences on the challenges in engaging communities to shape their living environments and build local identities. The expert panel will explore and discuss the strategies that different world cities have adopted to promote social cohesion of the community, whilst encouraging gracious living and shared experiences. The session will also examine the influence of community bonding in making cities more liveable and endearing.

• Mr Daniel Biau, Director, RTCD, UN-HABITAT
• Dr Suzanne H. Crowhurst Lennard Director, International Making Cities Livable Council
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Urban Places for Socially Sustainable Communities

  The most important aspect of a city’s livability and social sustainability is the quality of social life in public afforded by the design and management of public places. Well-designed, traffic-free places in a mixed-use, compact urban fabric have the potential to generate interaction that fosters social integration, builds community, and enhances civic engagement.

  In public places, diverse social and ethnic groups can see each other, learn to accept differences, appreciate varied cultural traditions, and discover similarities in the enjoyment of music, food, children’s play and festivity.

  Frequent users of public space become familiar with, acknowledge, and interact with one another, and develop social networks. Conversation, exchange of information and reciprocal relationships build social capital, and civic engagement.

  In successful public places, children and young people observe and talk with a wide variety of people and are validated as community members. They learn how to resolve disagreements without coming to blows, how to pay attention to others, express tenderness, and empathy. They learn verbal and social skills, and by talking with unrelated adults they find mentors and teachers. Children and youth who lack these social skills are unable to seek help and often develop social problems including violence to self and others.

  In this session we shall examine how physical and management characteristics of public places generate a social life that creates a sustainable society. Essential considerations include: qualities of the surrounding built urban fabric, mix of uses, height and scale of building facades, enclosure and threshold; design of the space, paving, formal and informal seating, sun and shade, nature, water, public art; traffic management, festivals and street performers, markets and farmers markets.

  If we want to foster sustainable communities, we must create hospitable public places in human scale, mixed-use neighborhoods and in the city center with the essential ingredients to generate social interaction.

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• Ms Ada Fung, Deputy Director of Housing (Development & Construction), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Shaping a Livable Environment

  The Hong Kong Housing Authority’s Experience
  The presentation will concentrate on how public rental housing in Hong Kong, which houses about 30% of our population of 7 million, are planned and designed to create a green, healthy, livable, hygienic, comfortable, convenient and enjoyable environment in high density housing developments. We strive to accomplish this mission with a people-centric approach throughout all stages of development: planning stage, design stage, procurement stage, construction stage and post-completion stage, underpinned by our core values being Caring, Customer-focused, Creative and Committed. We make the best use of our natural resources to reduce our Carbon footprint by designing in harmony with natural environment, and we engage our community throughout all stages of our work,

  Introduction
  Hong Kong is widely known for her high density and efficient use of land, which is a scarce resource and thus must be optimized in its use.  Depending on districts, the planning brief for land earmarked for public housing development typically dictates a plot ratio of around 5 to 6.  When planned according to statistically predicted flat mix to meet housing demand, this density will roughly translate into about 1000 flats per hectare, or 2800 persons per hectare.  We need to build high rise blocks of 30 to 40 storeys in order to accommodate this density.

  In harmony with natural environment
  At planning and design stage, we optimize the use of natural ventilation and natural lighting for our estates.  We make sure the disposition of buildings will best capture the seasonal breeze without blocking the wind to our neighbourhood.  We use computational fluid dynamics as well as wind tunnel test on physical models to do this. Then on a smaller scale, we test out the wind condition at the external garden area, lift lobbies and corridors, living rooms and kitchens, and refine the layout, or add wind shield or wind deflectors.  Similarly we also study sun-shading in the garden areas, and daylight penetration to domestic flats. We have been carrying out these micro-climate studies during the design of at all new estate since 2004, and up to now about 36 estates have been designed with this aid.  This will be illustrated by examples.

  Engaging the Community
  At planning and design stage we also engage the community to best plan for needed facilities, such as covered walkway systems to transport nodes and markets, footbridge and lifts for the elderly and disabled, location of public toilets, preservation of heritage features such as old trees or sitting benches. We green our estates at 20% to 30% area ratio, including greening on vertical surfaces as well. And all our estates are designed for barrier free access, with tactile paths and multi-sensory maps to cater for those visually impaired persons.

  Then at construction stage, we encourage our supply chain of contractors to exercise their corporate social responsibility, not only by minimizing construction nuisances, but also by active contributions such as greening the hoarding and helping neighbouring non-governmnet organizations or schools.  We also jointly organize Action Seedling programme whereby our contractors will distribute plant seedlings to nearby tenants and school children who will take care of the seedlings for some months and return them for planting at the completed estate.

  While the hardware of the housing estate and building blocks are pre-requisites for creating a comfortable living environment, the software of sustainable housing only starts when the estates are completed and our tenants have moved in.  Waste separation, central refuse collection, central refuse compaction and biotech spray to eliminate odours all help to create a healthy environment.  We also organize a programme ‘green delight in estates’ with green groups to promote a greener and better environment for all.

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With a large proportion of the world’s population living in cities and urban areas, the majority of the world's energy consumption occurs in cities, as a direct result of how cities operate. This energy is derived mainly from the burning of fossil fuels which contributes to climate change. Understanding cities and how they function is therefore a key step towards managing climate change, and towards developing economic growth models that moderate energy use, minimize waste and increase efficiency. In this session, experts will share and discuss how cities can balance environmental sustainability with economic development through sound implementation – a key competitive advantage for cities. With the impact of climate change keenly felt in cities, the session will also focus on the extent of such impact, and how cities can mitigate and adapt to these effects.

• Mr Sanjeev Sanyal, President, The Sustainable Planet Institute, Delhi
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Walkability: The Design Paradigm for Tomorrow’s Cities

  Twenty-first century cities need to be radically redesigned in order to make them environmentally sustainable. However, successful cities also need to be economically and socially sustainable. Furthermore, the next generation of urban design must not lock cities into a particular technology but create a framework for constant innovation. Is there a way to meet all these competing goals?

  “Walkability” is the one design paradigm that meets all these criterion. Walking is not just an environmentally friendly form of transport but is an essential backbone for any public transport system. After all, the first and last mile of all public transport systems are best walked or cycled. Furthermore, a city designed for walking is automatically dense and uses less land, it has public spaces and encourages mixed use. Furthermore, walking encourages social interaction, urban “buzz”, and the exchange of ideas – all which have great economic value. Finally, both the rich and the poor can walk. There is no better way to encourage social inclusion.

  Walkability has many other advantages. It is cheap and the infrastructure does not demand large resources to operate. It also does not lock the urban infrastructure into a particular technology. People will always walk – we need to design for it. Sadly, we design cities for cars today.

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• Associate Professor Vladan Babovic Founding Director of Singapore-Delft Water Alliance
  [ Speaking Focus ]
  Water-Energy-Temperature: The Nexus of Sustainability

  In March 2007 The United Nations Population Division issued a report stating that the world population will likely increase by 2.5 billion over next 40 years, passing from the current 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion in 2050. This increase is equivalent to the total size of the world population in 1950!
  Most of this population growth will be articulated through urban growth, which is unprecedented in human history. According to Asian Development Bank (ADB), the urban population of Asia alone is growing by some 40 million a year – a truly staggering number. At the same time, we are experiencing the phenomenon of megacities; massive urban centres each home to 10 million or more people. In 1995, Asia had nine of the world's megacities. By 2025, it will have 11 more.
  This talk concentrates on two most significant aspects for sustainable cities – water and temperature – and discuss opportunities the two offer in the form of energy recovery.

  Water Energy Temperature Nexus

  Energy and water are inter-related: we use energy for water and we use water for energy. For example, we use energy to heat, treat and move water. In addition to using energy for water, we also use water for energy. We use water as a coolant for thermoelectric power plants, and as a critical input for production of biofuels.
  Unfortunately, the energy-water relationship introduces vulnerabilities whereby a constraint on one resource introduces constraints in the other.  While the energy-water relationship is already under strain today, particularly in cities, trends imply that the strain will be exacerbated unless we take appropriate action. There are several pieces in this overall trend:

  • Population growth, which drives up total demand for energy and water. Cities, being the main driver of economic growth are locations of the most pronounced stress in the relationship
  • Economic growth, which can drive-up per capita demand for both energy and water
  • Climate change which intensifies hydrological cycle

  And where is temperature (read energy) in all this?

  Global warming, the increase of the average temperature of the earth near the surface, is now a commonly accepted phenomenon. Especially in cities the temperature has been rising over the past century. Increased density and area covered by concrete buildings and asphalt roads absorb the sun’s heat, and waste heat from air-conditioners, cars and industry cause temperatures to rise more quickly in urban centres than in the surrounding areas.
  The hot city phenomenon has far-reaching environmental sustainability and human livability implications, ranging from the aggravation of health problems such as heat stress, increasing the intensity of urban air pollution, and contributing to extreme weather events - in addition to the ever-increasing use of air-conditioners, with flow-on impacts for energy supply, brownouts and greenhouse gas emissions.
  This heat, however, offers an opportunity in form of thermal energy recovery. In this context, possibilities of offered by Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) systems are particularly promising.  The talk will offer some ideas and explore possibilities for systemic approach addressing elements of water-energy-temperature nexus.

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• Dr Sharon L. Nunes Vice President, Smarter Cities Strategy & Solutions, IBM Corporation
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Smarter Cities

  The current demographic shift of the world's population is creating new challenges for city managers, mayors and other civic leaders.  Urban growth trends are expected to continue for the next several decades, and forward thinking city leaders are looking for new ways to provide essential services to their growing populations.  The vitality of our future cities is very much related to their sustainability from an environmental and economic perspective, as well as the "livability" perspective of its citizens.  Dr. Sharon Nunes will highlight the challenges cities face in their journey to becoming smarter, as well as solutions that IBM has been developing with its partners and clients to drive environmental sustainability and economic development.

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• Dr Enki Tan, Board Member, Conservation International
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Conservation International is a leading NGO committed to helping societies adopt a more sustainable approach to development – one that considers and values nature at every turn. Our scientists, field staff and policy experts are measuring the contribution of healthy ecosystems to human well-being; assessing the implications of development decisions; putting cutting edge, rigorously tested information in the hands of decision-makers and the public; and demonstrating through field models how economic opportunity and the stewardship of natural resources can leverage change at an international scale.

  Conservation International Singapore was launched last November at the Global Outreach Centre for Asia Pacific, with a vision to make Asia the conservation leader of the world.

  In his presentation, Dr Enki Tan will highlight Conservation International’s recommendations on how cities can move to being Green Economies and manage climate change by harnessing energy efficiency gains, fostering urban building-integrated solar photovoltaic (BIPV) installations, and REDD+ and land restoration.

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With rapid urbanization, cities will become more crowded and consequently, the quantity of solid waste will increase. This weighs down existing infrastructure which, especially for developing countries, may already be heavily strained or inadequate to begin with. There is a need to first reinforce and supplement existing systems, and thereafter plan for longer-term waste management, resource conservation and environmental sustainability.

In this session, experts will share and discuss how cities can implement holistic and effective waste management solutions through resource recovery - by going upstream to reduce material use at the manufacturing stage, and through recycling waste into new materials - by cutting down the demand for new materials, reducing the need to build more waste disposal facilities.

• Mr Jeff Cooper Vice-President, International Solid Waste Association (ISWA)
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainable Waste Management – Turning Trash into Resources

  The past few years have shown the great volatility of natural resources markets.  More recently, with a return to economic stability, the costs of raw materials and energy are likely to remain high for the forthcoming period.  This means that there are increasing opportunities for waste prevention and minimisation, in order to eliminate waste in manufacturing and further down the supply chain.  Where waste is generated from industry, commerce and households its recovery to return resources back into new materials and energy sources is ever more urgent.

  Cities are in the best position for enhancing waste management practices and ensuring that they can be more sustainable in the future.  The ISWA white paper on Waste and Climate Change, which was launched just before the CoP15 meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 highlighted the benefits that all City authorities can achieve from their enhancement of waste management policies and practices.

  The presentation will illustrate the main global trends in the current management of waste and the main options for resource recovery.  The need for sound environmental legislation and tight regulation underpins the management of waste resources and ensures that waste is diverted from disposal into resource recovery.

  The pre-conditions for the recovery of resources in order to turn them back into resources will be examined. Examples will be provided of sound waste management in different economic situations to ensure resource recovery for environmental sustainability and employment development is maximised.

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• Professor Jim Swithenbank Chairman, Sheffield University Waste Incineration Centre
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainable Waste Management – Turning Trash into Resource

  Historically, waste materials from cities were simply dumped in huge piles of polluting material.  The liquid run-off usually polluted water courses and the rotting material continued to emit the greenhouse gases, methane and carbon dioxide, for 50 years.  The area of land required also became a problem and most societies now accept that such waste dumps are unacceptable.  However, the most important fact is recognition that dumping of wastes without recovering reusable materials is unsustainable and waste should be: a) minimised at source, b) the recovery of reusable or recyclable materials should be optimised, and c) the recovery of energy-from-waste (EfW) must be maximised. 

  Minimisation of waste at source poses many problems.  For example, most cultures have celebrations, such as weddings, which result in waste from gift packaging.  Yet these events contribute to the quality of life, and it would be unpopular to ban them. 

  However, packaging consists of paper or cardboard which are bio-fuels similar to wood, and their combustion in an energy-from-waste plant simply returns captured carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and displaces fossil fuel that would otherwise be used.  The important point is that waste material that it is not viable to reuse or recycle should be used in an energy-from-waste plant. 

  Waste consists of a wide variety of materials such as cans and paper that are initially separate but become mixed in a crude waste collection system.  The subsequent separation or de-mixing requires considerable cost and energy, and usually results in cross-contaminated products.  Thus we should separate wastes at source wherever it is viable.  Nevertheless, material handling machines can recover some recyclable material such as metal, paper and some plastics.  The residue, which amounts to about 50% of the raw waste, is flock or pellets known as Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), which can be burned or possibly gasified to generate power. 

  Composting raw municipal waste converts much of the material to carbon dioxide without recovering energy and leaves a semi-toxic residue, whilst methane generation by anaerobic digestion is generally more suitable for wet food wastes. 

  This presentation focuses on thermal energy-from-waste technology using incineration, since this is now a mature and bankable technology that is delivering electricity from hundreds of plants world-wide.  Nevertheless, attention is drawn to the fact that the efficiency of this power generation is only about 23% due to boiler corrosion problems.  Fortunately, there is an engineering solution to this situation since the remaining energy is available as hot water that can be used for district heating (or building cooling), thus raising the energy conversion efficiency to about 90%!  Not only does this save fossil fuels but because most of the waste residue is biomass, the net carbon dioxide emission is very low, whilst the heat is generated close to the consumer and transport of waste is minimised. 

  The key to this environmentally friendly ‘trash into resource’ strategy rests with city authorities since they are responsible for planning, authorising and ‘enabling’ funding for the required district heating pipe network. 

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• Dr Ryutaro Yatsu Director-General, Waste Management and Recycling Department, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Starting from environmental sanitation since late 1940s, Japan’s waste management policy has been extended in response to the country’s socio-economic development. Now it focuses on 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) of wastes and resource efficiency in parallel with environmental pollution control based on “Polluter Pays Principle (PPP)” and “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)”.

  Improvements of resource and energy efficiency are the two wheels of sustainability so a synergetic approach should be critical. Sustainable waste management is an issue of internalizing externalities. In addition to market mechanisms, institutional arrangements including legislative framework, law enforcement and capacity building are extremely important. In particular, laws and regulations on burden and cost sharing for waste management and recycling are key to the creation of a new market for environmental services. Once an environmental market is established and supported by the government regulations and commitments, private sector can make their investments with　strong confidence in the sustainability of the market.

  Recycling E-wastes, packaging, end of life vehicles, food wastes and construction wastes are common Research and Development challenges for sustainable waste management in this region. Research and development for treatment of hazardous substances and extraction of precious resources in wastes should be further promoted.

  In Asia, it is estimated that volume of waste discharge will drastically increase by rapid industrialization and urbanization. Each country is expected to identify its own priority area on waste management and recycling. Regional cooperation for this endeavor and its implementation and materialization should be vitalized. Japan reaffirms our commitment on regional cooperation for 3R in collaboration with Singapore and other partners.

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• Dr Helge Wendenburg, DG of Water Management, Waste Management, Soil Conservation, BMU Germany
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainable Waste Management - Turning Trash into Resource

  The German Way

  Product responsibility is at the heart of waste management policy in Germany. Through this the conditions for an effective and environmentally sound waste avoidance and recovery are already created in the production stage. Producers and distributors must design their products in such a way as to reduce waste occurrence and allow environmentally sound recovery and disposal of the residual substances, both in the production of the goods and in their subsequent use.

  In addition to recycling metal, textiles and paper, which is already being carried out, other recyclable materials as well should be collected separately, sorted and used and thus reintroduced into the economic cycle. This idea was the basis for the Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act which entered into force during the mid-90s.

  Today more than 250,000 people in Germany work in waste management - from engineers and refuse workers to civil servants. There are a number of colleges which offer waste management courses and there is even special training for professions in the waste disposal sector. The annual turnover of waste management exceeds 50 billion Euros.

  The total amount of waste decreased over the last years. Waste produced by private households has remained almost on the same level for a long time now. Since the economy grew by 15 percent between 1992 and 2004, it is obvious that economic growth and the volume of waste produced are decoupled.

  There is a clear shift in waste volumes with regard to disposal and recovery. By willingly separating waste the population contributes its share to improving recycling possibilities.

  Today more than 60 percent of municipal waste is recycled (2005) and even around 65 percent of waste from production (2005). In some areas, for example packaging, the percentage increased to about 80 percent and even 87 percent in the building sector. The total volume of waste which is being recovered is impressive: 29 million tonnes of domestic waste, 31 million tonnes of waste from production and trade and 161 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste. This is equivalent to the recovery of about four tonnes of waste per head in Germany. This is about the weight of four small cars.

  These numbers give an impressive idea of how important environmental protection has become for the economy. It significantly contributes to the value added of national economies.
  The contribution of modern waste management to climate protection is remarkable: over the last 15 years the emissions of greenhouse gas pollutants from waste management were reduced by more than 31 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year.

  The federal government's environmental target is to further develop waste and closed cycle management towards materials flow management over the coming years. By strictly separating wastes, through pretreatment, recycling and the recovery of energy, Germany aims to make full use of substances and materials bound in wastes and therefore make landfilling of wastes superfluous. Successful materials management has to include production and consumption. The recycling of raw materials has to be supported while ensuring that harmful substances from waste do not reappear in new products but are safely filtered out.

  Germany's closed cycle management is an overall good example of how environmental policy can contribute to environmental protection, resource efficiency, climate protection - and thus at the same time to greater economic efficiency.

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• Mr Howard Shaw Executive Director, Singapore Environment Council

City development strategies and plans have generally improved Asian cities over the recent two decades. There is an abundance of ideas on improved environment and living conditions for the urban population. That said, cities can still make gains by narrowing and closing the gap between identifying projects in such plans and implementing such strategic infrastructure.

This session provides an opportunity for participants to discuss examples and develop insights into how cities - in cooperation with CDIA - can prioritize and structure their infrastructure investments, and what mechanisms and approaches they can apply during implementation and financing.

• Ms Bebet Gozun Former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines and Chair of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities

• Dr Ursula Schaefer-Preuss Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, Asia Development Bank
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Asia has some of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the world. Another 1.1 billion people will live in the region’s cities in the next 20 years. As people continue to be drawn to cities in search of better opportunities and quality of life, city governments often are not adequately prepared nor equipped to provide the needed public services. Effective urban management is needed to address this unparalleled growth. However, current practices are manifestly unsustainable – economically, environmentally, and socially. Managing cities in this context requires new approaches.

  Recognizing this need for a new approach, the Cities Development Initiative for Asia – CDIA – was founded in 2007 by ADB in co-operation with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. It was subsequently joined by Sweden and Spain, and more recently has received further support from Singapore. Active in most Asian regions, CDIA has developed an impressive track record in supporting mid-sized cities to identify and develop strategic urban investment projects to help close the gap that exists between city development plans and having viable projects ready to be presented to potential financiers.

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• Ms Xu Hui Vice Chief/Project Manager, Foreign Capital Utilization Section, Guiyang Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Administration Center of Jinyang New District, Guiyang, Guizhou, People's Republic of China
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Speakers will share insights on the experience of Guiyang, and elaborate on Guiyang’s experience in ‘Project Prioritization and Programming: A Rapid Approach to Review a City’s Development Priorities Leading to Project Formulation’.

  Guiyang, a city of 2.5 million and the capital of Guizhou Province, was among the first cities partnering with CDIA on infrastructure project structuring. Since then, Guiyang has been an important partner for CDIA to tailor support in China to best fit the needs of the cities. While Chinese cities seem to enjoy comparatively favorable financial conditions, resources for financing priority infrastructure remain scarce. In partnership with CDIA, Guiyang has piloted a tool on Infrastructure prioritization and programming in China to review its infrastructure investment planning for the coming years.

  Following sustainability criteria, the tool offers a structured discussion on where public investments should go and mirrors the resources needed against the financial capacity of the local government. This presentation provides an overview of the tool and its application, discusses strengths and limitations of the tool and how it can support the decision making process in a city on investments in public infrastructure.

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• Mr Yang Mingqiu Senior Economist, Shanghai Academy of Social Science, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Speakers will share insights on the experience of Guiyang, elaborate on Guiyang’s experience in ‘Project Prioritization and Programming: A Rapid Approach to Review a City’s Development Priorities Leading to Project Formulation’.

  Guiyang, a city of 2.5 million and capital of Guizhou Province, was among the first cities partnering with CDIA on infrastructure project structuring. Since then, Guiyang has been an important partner for CDIA to tailor support in China to best fit the needs of the cities. While Chinese cities seem to enjoy comparatively favorable financial conditions, resources for financing priority infrastructure remain scarce. In partnership with CDIA, Guiyang has piloted a tool on Infrastructure prioritization and programming in China to review its infrastructure investment planning for the coming years.

  Following sustainability criteria, the tool offers a structured discussion on where public investments should go and mirrors the resources needed against the financial capacity of the local government. This presentation provides an overview of the tool and its application, discusses strengths and limitations of the tool and how it can support the decision making process in a city on investments in public infrastructure.

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• Mr Rajesh Kumar Singh Secretary for Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala, India
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The speaker will share insights on the experience of Cochin, and elaborate on Cochin’s early experience in strengthening the project implementation process by applying Innovative city-level approaches to identify options for urban mobility and financing.

  Rapid urbanization in Cochin is putting tremendous pressure on the city’s transport infrastructure and services. The city is keen to upgrade and develop new transport infrastructure that meets the needs of all its citizens, putting the mobility of people ahead of motorized options. To that end, Cochin requested assistance from CDIA to provide technical assistance through a Pre-Feasibility Study that is identifying a set of prioritized projects and investments in transport that can be financed either through traditional lending institutions or the private sector. 

  The presentation will focus on how this partnership came to being, how it is progressing and what outcomes can be expected through the process of Pre-Feasibility Study technical assistance.

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• Mr Tsogtsaikhan Chultemsuren, Senior Officer, Urban Development Policy Department, City Government of Ulaanbaatar Mayor's Office, Mongolia
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Speakers will share insights on the experience of Ulaanbaatar, and elaborate on Ulaanbaatar’s experience on ‘City actions on climate change and potential for CDM credits to finance urban infrastructure.

  Pre-cast concrete panel buildings represent a major part of the housing stock of Ulaanbaatar, the world’s coldest national capital, sheltering approx. 20% (200,000) of the city’s population within 40,000 units in 520 buildings. These buildings are not insulated and in a poor state of repair. Upon an approved request from Ulaanbaatar, CDIA commissioned a pre-feasibility study to help the city assess the thermo-technical rehabilitation of these buildings. The study indicated potential heat energy savings of approx. 50 - 60%, with substantial reductions in CO2 emissions and also showed the potential to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by approx. 660,000 tonnes per year, justifying CDM credits as a source of finance potentially covering up to 14% of the capital costs. It also frees heat capacity for further urban development. 

  This presentation provides an example and insight on how cities can take action in addressing aspects of climate change and energy efficiency, as well as discuss the possible role for CDM in financing a portion of capital costs for urban infrastructure.

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• Ms Baasanjav Bayantuul Senior Officer, Finance and Investment Department, Ministry of Road, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development, Mongolia
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Speakers will share insights on the experience of Ulaanbaatar, elaborate on Ulaanbaatar’s experience on ‘City actions on climate change and potential for CDM credits to finance urban infrastructure.

  Synopsis: Pre-cast concrete panel buildings represent a major part of the housing stock of Ulaanbaatar, the world’s coldest national capital, sheltering approx. 20% (200,000) of the city’s population within 40,000 units in 520 buildings. These buildings are not insulated and in a poor state of repair. Upon an approved request from Ulaanbaatar, CDIA commissioned a pre-feasibility study to help the city assess the thermo-technical rehabilitation of these buildings. The study indicated potential heat energy savings of approx. 50 - 60%, with substantial reductions in CO2 emissions and also showed the potential to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by approx. 660,000 tonnes per year, justifying CDM credits as a source of finance potentially covering up to 14% of the capital costs. It also frees heat capacity for further urban development. 

  This presentation provides an example and insight on how cities can take action in addressing aspects of climate change and energy efficiency as well as discuss the possible role for CDM in financing a portion of capital costs for urban infrastructure.

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Food, water and energy fuel the growth of cities. Yet, resource scarcity continues to be a key challenge. Many cities still lack access to clean water, especially the urban poor; the volatility of food and energy prices in the recent past could already signal an emerging gap between supply and demand.

An increasing global population and rapid urbanization are expected to further drive up consumption drive up consumption further, thus intensifying competition for limited resources. The UN projects that by year 2050, the world’s population would reach about 9 billion, with 70% expected to live in cities. To meet world demand, FAO projects that global food production must increase by 70%. By 2030, global energy demand is predicted to increase by 44% compared to 2006 levels, along with a possible 40% gap between global water supply and demand.

Developing a systemic view and a keen understanding of the interdependencies between these supply systems is crucial towards achieving effective resource management and balancing between conflicting demands.

Experts will expound on the nexus between water, energy and food security in the urban context – such as emerging cities in Asia. Discussions will include the ways in which stable and reliable access to food, energy, and clean water can promote social, economic, and environmental stability in urban areas through an Expert Panel Session entitled “Challenges that Cities Face – Nexus of Energy Water & Food Security.” Policy makers, practitioners and researchers alike will gain insight into the nature of such challenges as well as the opportunities that lie within.

• Mr Paul Reiter Executive Director, International Water Association
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Water-Energy Nexus

  Water and energy are essential for the sustainable development of cities. They are inextricably linked and cannot be separated. Energy is needed for water supply and wastewater treatment, and water is a critical component in the production of power.

  Energy is used when water is used, and vice versa. Energy is needed for water supply – to extract, pump, clean and distribute water - as well as for wastewater transportation and treatment. Energy can also be produced in anaerobic treatment systems and extracted via heat pumps in effluent water. Likewise, water is crucial for electrical energy generation, not only in hydro power but also as cooling water in thermal plants. Water is a crucial component in the production of fuels such as ethanol where the conflict between energy and food becomes apparent. Energy constraints affect water extraction and treatment methods, and water policy is beginning to influence our energy choices.

  The design of our cities, suburbs, homes and appliances has enormous implications for water and energy consumption. With population growth, climate change, urbanization and rising health and environmental standards, urban planners have to adopt an integrated approach in managing water and energy in our increasingly water and fossil fuel constrained economies and world.

  Against this backdrop, development of new policies and technologies which reduce the use of water and energy will be required. Water policy influences energy choices, and vice versa, creating a need for the integration of policies. The right pricing, policy and regulatory frameworks are critical to encourage behavioral changes, to motivate innovation, to ensure sustainable use of water and energy resources and to simultaneously adapt to and mitigate climate change.

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• Dr Dennis Wichelns, Principal Economist, International Water Management Institute
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Food, Water, and Livelihoods in the Cities of 2050

  As cities grow in size and complexity from now through 2050, the challenge of ensuring affordable food, water, and livelihoods for all residents will increase. In addition, the social cost of failure will grow larger, as the competition for scarce resources intensifies with increasing population density. The agronomic relationship between food and water is well known. Improvements in agricultural technology have boosted crop yields substantially since the 1960s, thus enabling world population to double with only a modest increase in planted area. We look forward to continuous improvements in technology, but the pace of innovation cannot be known with certainty. In any event, cities must plan for a future in which food demands will be larger, water supplies will be scarcer, and there will be new pressures to sustain healthful livelihoods as population density increases. City water supplies will come largely from local and regional sources, while much of the food will cross international borders. The degrees of linkage between local and regional water supplies, and a city’s food supply will vary widely with geography and politics. Cities must manage their water supplies with great skill to ensure that all residents have affordable access to the water they need to support livelihood activities. Public officials must ensure that markets operate smoothly, so that local and imported food supplies will satisfy increasing demands.

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• Dr Michael Quah, Cheng-Guan Principal Fellow & Chief Scientist, Energy Studies Institute, Singapore
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Food and the Energy-Water Nexus: Some Challenges

  Sustainability in the urban context must involve food along with water and energy.  The energy-water nexus will be discussed along with the challenges posed by the use of land for the production of fuel crops (bio-fuels.)  The paper will attempt to show the particular challenges facing urban environments with regard to these three factors:  energy security (which could come from energy diversity), potable water (whose production and distribution may demand sources of energy, preferably renewable), and food production which demands both energy and water.
  
  This paper will discuss some examples for a “system of systems” approach to the integration of diverse energy sources into possible new systems for building electrical systems, their connections to water management in such environments and examples of urban “greening” and farming.

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• Dr Geng Anli Chairman, BioEnergy Society of Singapore (BESS)
• Ms Tan Poh Hong, CEO, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore

More than 50% of the world’s population lives in cities and the figures are expected to escalate to 70% by 2050. In order to improve their liveability, cities will need to be planned for ecological sustainability to enable residents to enjoy nature and biodiversity, even as urbanisation intensifies. This expert panel session brings together the people who play a role in shaping cities of the future, including policy makers, planners, administrators, designers and researchers. The cross-fertilisation of different disciplines will provide the linkage to successful application of models and approaches.

• Professor Bruce Clarkson, Director, Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Bringing indigenous biodiversity back into New Zealand cities:
  the role of research

  Successful restoration of indigenous ecosystems in urban environments requires underpinning basic and applied research.  The first step involves biodiversity inventory, including the distribution, extent and quality of the resource and which areas are of greatest priority for restoration.  It is not necessary to have comprehensive assessments at the outset; reconnaissance or rapid survey come first and more detailed surveys can progressively enhance inventories.  In heavily transformed landscapes there is a need for not just restoration but reconstruction of ecosystems; building new ecosystems from scratch.  Historical studies using natural and documentary archives are required to establish potential target ecosystems and social science is also needed to ensure that the wants and needs of city dwellers are fully considered.  Ecological science involving understanding of the genetics and autecology of key species to be reintroduced and knowledge of the dynamics and functioning of ecosystems provide the basis for successful management and enhancement of key sites.  While knowledge from wildland ecology is useful, there are many features of the urban environment which require a back to basics approach.  Urban assemblages of weeds and pests, in particular, have different profiles to those of wildland areas and no assumptions should be made about which critical factors are limiting desirable or iconic species.  Interactions of urban ecosystems with adjoining periurban or rural landscapes can be crucial in achieving restoration goals in urban sites, and time scale and spatial scale need careful consideration.  An adaptive management approach is best to ensure learning and improvements occur throughout the stages of a project.  Investment in monitoring will pay dividends for future projects, as well as determine whether the goals of the project are being achieved.  Using examples from a range of New Zealand cities, I will illustrate how such research can provide a platform for successful restoration. 

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• Professor Wang Xiangrong Director, Research Centre for Urban Eco- Planning & Design, Fudan University, and Regional Vice-Chair for East Asia Commission on Education and Communication
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Global Change and Strategies for Sustainable Estuary City
   - A Case of Shanghai，China

  Global change has been no doubt a world wide focus for governments, international organizations and scientists in recent years, especially after Copenhagen Climate Conference in 2009. The third edition of IPCC (2001) assessment report stated that globally, average ground temperature has been increased 0.6±0.2℃ throughout the past century. This makes the 20th century possibly the one with the most obvious temperature increase in recent centuries. Global warming will bring tremendous impact on global ecosystems. As a unique natural ecosystem, estuary has abundant nutrients, high biodiversity and varied ecological environment. The impact of global climate change on this area is most directly and severe, and at the same time, with the most obvious change, which makes the research here especially important and urgent, it is the foundation to understand estuary eco-vulnerability under global climate change. On the basis of analyzing the impact of global climate change and strategy of some estuary cities and regions in the world, the strategies for sustainable estuary city were studied by taking the city of Shanghai as an example in this paper. The spatiotemporal distribution features of climate change and some potential impact, which could be caused by various climate changes scenarios, key factors affecting Yangtze estuary city, Shanghai were recognized. And the eco-vulnerability zoning and strategy for urban sustainability were provided as well. Shanghai is the economic center of China with population over 20 million, and is located at the largest continent (Eurasian) and at the mouth of the largest river (Yangtze) into the largest ocean (Pacific). The special location of Shanghai has endowed it with perfect combination of continental and oceanic characteristics. With its eco-sensitive geographic location, advantaged political and economical impact and profound international influence, Shanghai should pay much more attention to the global change in making the strategies for urban sustainable development. The case study of Shanghai could be used as a reference by the relative estuary cities in the world.

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• Associate Professor Mark J. McDonnell Director of the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology
  [ Speaking Focus ]
  Urban Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Cities

  Maintaining a diversity of indigenous organisms and ecosystem processes in cities and towns is critical to both the ecology of the region and also the health and well being of the human inhabitants.  The creation of urban and peri-urban landscapes typically results in the significant loss of indigenous plant and animal communities and alterations to ecosystem processes. Although many indigenous animals and plants still persist in these human dominated areas, methodologies need to be developed to supplement the loss of remnant habitats with the creation of native plantings in the urban matrix.  Similarly, land managers and the public must be educated about the need to leave plant litter and branches on the ground as well as standing dead trees and not sanitize the landscape so as to maintain ecosystem process and provide habitat for many species of mammals and birds. The continued existence of a diversity of organisms in urban and suburban environments is the result a complex set of ecological, physical and social interactions. In order to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem processes in cities and towns in the future we must create: 1) a solid ecological, social and physical knowledge base on urban environments, 2) ecologically sound conservation and management practices, 3) far reaching environmental education programs and 4) ecologically based planning policies.

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• Professor Richard Corlett Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  How can native biodiversity be enhanced in urban Singapore?

  Singapore is an interesting case study of resilience in tropical biodiversity.  Singapore was almost entirely covered in hyperdiverse equatorial forests in the nineteen century.  However, in the course of its history, many of its natural ecosystems have been transformed.  Singapore has a vision for a future in which ‘urban’ and ‘natural’ are not automatic opposites, but achieving this vision will require both more research and an increasingly active implementation of our knowledge of urban ecosystems.

  In this context, three major approaches should be considered. The first is to reduce the huge contrast between the modern urban environment and the cool, damp shade of the rainforest to which most native species are adapted, through restoration and reconstruction of native ecosystems. The increased structural complexity of urban plantings over the last 20 years has gone some way towards this.  However, efforts need to be focused on the active control of alien species which can otherwise thwart these efforts. The second approach is the active promotion of native species in urban areas. This is already happening in parks and roadside tree plantings, with a steady expansion in the use of native forest species over the last couple of decades. Whether or not the use of native plants will, by itself, attract additional native animals into urban areas is currently unclear, but if native seed sources are used, urban plantings can contribute directly to preserving local genetic variation in these species. The third approach should focus on reducing the barriers to native animal species establishment in urban areas, exemplified by the provision of nest boxes for the re-invading oriental pied hornbills.

  To ensure that Singapore’s native biodiversity survives on a long-term basis, it is essential that science-based solutions form the basis of rational biodiversity policies that drives practical implementation.

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• Mr Ng Lang CEO, National Parks Board, Singapore
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  SINGAPORE – MAKING SPACE FOR BIODIVERSITY

  Singapore embarked on greening the city in the 1960s.   More than forty years later, almost 50% of the city’s surface area is covered in greenery.   4.5% of the land is gazetted as nature reserves to conserve representative native eco-systems on the island.  The green environment is a good haven for biodiversity.  Today, despite being a densely populated city of 5 million people on 700 sq km, Singapore is a city rich in biodiversity.
  
  Going forward, Singapore will need to continue to grow economically and demographically.  The challenge is to find innovative solutions so that biodiversity can continue to thrive as the city grows.   This session presents several solutions adopted by the National Parks Board of Singapore going forward.

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• Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf Executive Secretary, UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Sustainable Cities for the Future

  Cities are increasingly put in charge of land-use planning, protected areas management, infrastructure, and energy and transportation. Thus, they play a large role in determining the extent to which biodiversity is protected and sustainably used. If not managed adequately, the growth of the urban population may accelerate the unprecedented loss of biodiversity of our planet. Cities occupy 2 per cent of the planet’s surface but their residents use 75 per cent of the Earth’s natural resources. Furthermore, cities have an impact on the environment and biodiversity through sheer weight of numbers. More than 50 per cent of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and 70 per cent will by 2030. As such, cities are the ultimate venue for consumer education and public awareness campaigns which can ultimately change consumption habits and means of production. To win this battle we need to win the heart and soul of the people. As part of making living and sustainable cities for the future, we need to bring biodiversity back into urban issues by mainstreaming biodiversity into urban planning, infrastructure, transportation, and public procurement policies. This is the reasoning behind the launch of the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity, a cooperative platform of city governments, United Nations agencies, and civil society, with the goal of increasing collaboration among all levels of government and other players for local action on biodiversity. Mayors have started communication campaigns and increased the number and size of urban parks, governors have started reforestation programs, and local government networks such as ICLEI have started global programmes on biodiversity. The Plan of Action on Cities and Biodiversity and the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity are major tools for the implementation of the post-2010 biodiversity strategy to be adopted at the Nagoya Conference of the Parties. “Think globally, act locally”.

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• Mr Bob Harvey Mayor of Waitakere City, New Zealand
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Transformation of Waitakere into an Eco-City

  Eco-city DVD (Washington version) to play

  My life has been about creating identity. I ran a successful advertising firm for more than 40 years. Politicians would ask me to construct their campaigns. The ads I delivered were about protecting New Zealand’s environment. They asked what we wanted our country to stand for. And they won elections. In 1992, I was called to work for the newly formed council in my home city Waitakere. The mayor wanted a logo. Our design featured the beautiful Waitakere Ranges. It encapsulated the clean, green identity of the West. I thought it was an iconic image. He hated it. He said this is a commuter town. No-one goes to the Ranges. It needs vineyards. It needs business. Even if the world was going green, Waitakere certainly wasn’t. That experience changed the course of my life. Months later I sold my advertising agency. I went down to the shores of Karekare Beach on the West Coast. During an evening swim I looked back at the Ranges. Rainforest blanketed the hills south to the Manukau Harbour. The Tasman Sea crashed against the cliffs north to Piha.  All I knew was I wanted to protect that environment. It needed to take its place in the identity of the West. It was the start of a journey that has transformed Waitakere. Soon after I stood for Mayor on an environmental platform. I was voted in by a landslide. That year I gathered a group of community leaders to find an identity for the city. Fresh in our minds was the United Nations Summit at Rio de Janeiro.  It had adopted a series of sustainability principles called Agenda 21 just weeks earlier. We decided those principles should be our founding statement. Waitakere became New Zealand’s first Eco-city. Eighteen years on, our legacy is secure. The Waitakere Ranges are protected from development by legislation. The mana of our ancestral Iwi Te Kawerau a Maki has been restored. Thousands of volunteers have cleaned our streams and waterways. Town centres have been transformed. Ninety five percent of our buildings are built near public transport. Our Civic Centre is built over a rail station. There is less rubbish and more trees. People have taken the eco-city vision and lived it out. They are proud to be Westies. And I am still the Mayor.  That story comes to an end in October. Our government is amalgamating Waitakere into a “Supercity”. And to be honest, I have been grieving. It’s like I’m losing someone I love. I’m not leaving her, but she’s leaving me. People throughout the city feel the same way.  Bumper stickers around town say “Waitakere is already a Supercity”. We wouldn’t feel that way about a set of suburbs. Waitakere isn’t just buildings. It has culture. It has heart. It has identity. This conference is about what makes cities great. We’re talking about sustainability, design and sensible development. Those are vital. But what matters most is a sense of place. A feeling that this is your home. That you belong here. And it’s not like anywhere else on earth. I hope that your cities already feel that way.  If they don’t, my challenge to you is not to think about rates or roads. It’s to think about identity. To get a vision for what kind of city you want. Then inspire people to share it. That’s what changed Waitakere. That’s what leadership is. And that’s what makes cities great.

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• Ms Gwendolyn Hallsmith Director of Planning and Community Development, City of Montpelier, Vermont
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  Urban Biodiversity and Ecology for Sustainable Cities:
  Community Engagement and the Role of Communities
  in Biodiversity Conservation in Cities

  We live in a rapidly changing world.  The threat of species extinction and the mandate for biodiversity conservation comes at a time when cultural and planetary challenges arise so fast and frequently, most of us have a hard time coping with basic requirements; it is hard to learn the innovative practices and new behavior we need.  The question of how to mobilize large numbers of people to participate in new initiatives is the focus of policy makers on every level, especially municipal government.

  Lessons from history show us that people are most likely to change when they own the process and the outcomes driving the need for new behavior.  People are motivated to achieve excellence through positive momentum and creativity, not by problems and fear.  This means that to successfully mobilize large populations, municipal leaders need to learn from the experience of visionaries throughout history who have inspired people to change their consciousness, behavior, and activities.  Even now, we can observe celebrations, contests, artistic endeavors, and other gatherings to discover how to reach large populations with important messages and encouragement.

  Community engagement means more than holding meetings at City Hall.  It takes humility, listening skills, and open-mindedness at levels that challenge even the most liberal city officials.  Where biodiversity is an issue, it also helps to understand some rudimentary facts about the scientific basis for conservation, and the strategies needed to keep our ecosystem intact.  With an engaged group of residents, all with their own specific skills and knowledge, nothing is impossible.

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• Mr Herbert Dreiseitl Founder, Artist, Landscape Architect, Atelier Dreiseitl
  [ Speaking Focus ]

  The Promise of Water

  Landscapes and waterscapes surround us all over the world offering the vital building block of our existence.  Yet, the Earth has a finite supply of fresh water safe for drinking, inadequate access to water for sanitation and waste disposal, groundwater over-drafting (excessive use) leading to diminished agricultural yields, overuse and pollution of water resources harming biodiversity, and at times regional conflicts over scarce water resources, occasionally resulting in warfare.  In the profession of Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Planning, we have the privilege and a social responsibility to protect our planet for future generations. The presentation will explore “How to balance human needs with the requirements of natural systems that are vital to sustain life on Earth?” as well as “Cities of the Future: Water Sensitive Design Process integrating nature, culture, art, and economics through innovation and discovery.”

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