by: Daniel Fox
Event: Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age
Location: United Nations Headquarters, 04.23-04.24.08
Speakers: For a full list of Chairs, Panelists & Respondents click here.
Moderators: Rick Bell, FAIA — Executive Director, AIANY; Professor Urs Gauchat — Dean, New Jersey School of Architecture; Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, FIUD — ACSA Distinguished Professor, City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
Organizers: UN-Habitat; UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development; Regional Planning Association; AIA New York Chapter
Partners: The City of New York; The Institute for International Urban Development; The City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture; New Jersey School of Architecture; IT4ALL; United Cities and Local Governments; ISOCARP; New York New Visions; World Architecture Community
Topics ranging from planning for smart growth to sustainable urbanization in the information age occupied the Forum on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age for two days. It included sessions linking cities from countries including: Brazil, Columbia, Madagascar, Senegal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Tunisia, and USA. At the end, all urged greater concern for Least Developed Countries (LDC), urban dwellers and population growth, and rural/urban linkage. In addition, the problems of limited budgets for basic social needs must be addressed.
Throughout the forum, many championed using the Internet to connect nations, not just to distribute information. An online blog was set up through the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN-GAID) website for attendees to report on issues throughout the conference. It also serves as spur to a potential follow-up event or annual summit.
Below are key quotes by participants:
“The role of the mega-region seems to be the vehicle that will connect the local to the global.”
– Lance Jay Brown, FAIA, FIUD, ACSA Distinguished Professor, The City College of New York School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture
“The mayors and responsible executives from different cities have to [deal] with similar issues, but the contexts and the economic, environmental, social situations in those cities are hugely different. Therefore, the differences translate to politics and political agendas. I think we have to be aware that this is the case.”
– Ambassador Peter Maurer, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Untied Nations
“Whether there are enough resources to do everything we need in the future, I think the issues discussed show that there is a commonality and a vision plan…. We can truly learn from each other.”
– James McCullar, FAIA, 2008 AIANY President
Megan S. Chusid, Assoc. AIA, is the co-chair of the AIANY Emerging NY Architects (ENYA) Committee and director of operations for Richter+Ratner.