“A Smart city is a challenge far beyond technology”: thoughts from the ISOCARP Institute Special Session

28/12/2020

by Sindi Haxhija with No Comment Updates

“A Smart City is a challenge beyond technology”: Thoughts from the ISOCARP Institute Special Session

December 28, 2020

On Wednesday 9 December, we Smart City enthusiasts gathered together virtually to discuss the opportunities and challenges of cities becoming smarter. Hosted by the ISOCARP Institute, this online Special Session was part of the ongoing 56th ISOCARP World Planning Congress “Post-Oil City. Planning for Urban Green Deals”, spanning from 8 November 2020 to 4 February 2021.

The session was spearheaded by our Keynote speaker Luca Mora, Associate Professor of Urban Innovation at the Business School of Edinburgh Napier University, with his keynote ‘Assembling Sustainable Smart City Transitions”. Pointing out the disparity between the abundance of technological applications and the lack of research on how to build platforms for integrating those technologies for making cities smarter, he set the tone for the discussion on the importance of a ‘collaborative environment’. An open and engaging environment that strengthens the capacity of individuals and organizations to implement the technologies and to work together and participate, innovate and improve. Mora mentions the importance of “play” in the process: competitions, hackathons and citizen workshops are a great way to innovate and experiment in a more relaxed setting.

In addition to the many examples of successful real-life collaborative success stories Mora presented, we also heard the experiences from two EU Horizon 2020-funded projects supported by the Institute. The presentations focused on the context-specific strategies chosen for the implementation of Smart City solutions in these two projects.

The first project, +CityxChange, was presented by Project Manager Dirk Ahlers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. +CityxChange is focusing on enabling community-supported energy transition actions. Being a collective project of 7 cities around Europe, Ahlers discussed striking the balance between well-established frameworks but also certain flexibility, which allows taking different cultural and natural conditions into account.

The other EU Horizon 2020 -project, VARCITIES, was presented by Associate Professor Denia Kolokotsa, Technical University of Crete. One of the main goals of the project is the development of a Healthy Cities Helix, a collaborative tool for developing models for increasing the health and well-being of vulnerable citizens with nature-based solutions. These models are especially focused on the symbiosis of urban green and smart technologies.

The presentations were followed by a joint post-it -session, where we discussed the different opportunities and challenges of the implementation, participation and governance involved in initiating new digital and smart solutions. In conclusion, all participants agreed on the importance of flexibility and tailor-made solutions; no matter how fantastic your framework might be, one size does not fit all.

A Smart City is no longer only a question of a technological premise. The technology already exists, but in order to make solutions truly community-based, the gap between technology and the general public needs to be bridged by building platforms of integrated smart city solutions in a sustainable and collaborative manner. After all, a Smart City is a challenge beyond technology.

Speakers and presentations

Keynote Speaker

Luca Mora – Professor of Urban Innovation, Business School of Edinburgh Napier University

Topic: Assembling sustainable smart city transition

Denia Kolokotsa – Professor (Associate) of Technical University of Crete

Topic: VARCITIES

Dirk Ahlers – Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Topic: +CityxChange

Pietro Elisei – President-elect ISOCARP

Programme

ISOCARP Institute introduction | 10 min.
Keynote speaker presentation | 20 min.
Q&A with audience | 10 min.
ISOCARP Institute projects presentation| 15 min.
Online Post-it Workshop | 20 min.
Closing | 5 min.

Moderators

Didier Vancutsem – Director of ISOCARP Institute
Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions.

ISOCARP Congress – Institute Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Services and Public Value”

04/12/2020

by Federico Aili with No Comment Uncategorized Updates

ISOCARP Congress – Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Urban Services and Public Value”

One of the main activities of ISOCARP is the organisation of the annual World Planning Congress which focuses on a planning theme of foremost international interest. Attended by some 500-750 delegates, ISOCARP World Planning Congresses are small enough for a personal interchange of ideas on a given theme, yet big enough to encompass a broad professional and international range. The Congresses are open to ISOCARP Members, but our Society warmly welcomes non-members (individuals, parties or organisations). The Congress provides a platform for establishing professional as well as personal contacts with colleagues from all around the world.

The 56^th ISOCARP World Planning Congress “Post-Oil City. Planning for Urban Green Deals” is held virtually from 8 November 2020 to 4 February 2021. ISOCARP Institute is proud to host the Special Session “Digital Infrastructure for Smart Urban Services and Public Value ” on 9 December 2020, 1.30 pm CET.

The session will reflect on how cities can support the ecological transition by providing more sustainable urban services (i.e. energy, health, mobility, etc.) and improving the quality of life of citizens. This session is relevant especially for those cities which are introducing smart and green pilot projects in their local contexts, and seek for collaboration with local communities and actors to achieve a successful implementation. Direct experiences from the EU projects where ISOCARP Institute is involved will be presented.

Format of the session

The session is conceived to be as much as possible engaging and interactive. The keynote speaker presentation will provide meaningful insights and inspire the rest of the session. The presentation of two projects where ISOCARP Institute is involved are meant to encourage the debate and the comparison with other projects and local initiatives. The third part of the session is entirely dedicated to the exchange of ideas and experiences, supported by engaging online tools.

Programme

13.30 – 13.40 | ISOCARP Institute introduction

13.40 – 14.00 | Keynote Presentation: Assembling sustainable smart city transitions
Luca Mora, Professor of Urban Innovation, Business School of Edinburgh Napier University

14.00 – 14.10 | Q&A Session

14.10 – 14.25 | ISOCARP Institute projects presentation: (+CityxChange, VARCITIES)
Dirk Ahlers, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (for +CityxChange)
Denia Koloktsa, Professor (Associate) of Technical University of Crete (for VARCITIES)
Pietro Elisei, President-elect ISOCARP

14.25 – 14.55 | Online Workshop (discussion, sharing experiences, team brainstorming)

14.55 – 15.00 | Closing

Moderators

Didier Vancutsem – Director of ISOCARP Institute
Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute

Keynote Speaker

Luca is an Associate Professor of Urban Innovation at the Business School of Edinburgh Napier University, where he is also leading the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Subject Group. Luca is also Professor of Urban Innovation at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), where he is collaborating in delivering the €32 million Horizon 2020 project FinEst Twins. Over the course of his professional career, Luca has committed himself to improving the quality of knowledge production and dissemination processes related to urban and regional innovation management in the digital era. His research is interdisciplinary in nature and links urban studies, innovation studies and computer science. Luca’s main research interests include: technology-driven urban and regional innovation dynamics; technology-driven urban sustainability processes; smart city development projects and strategies; Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3); and strategic planning for smart cities and RIS3. Luca is offering a strong support to the emerging scientific and technical developments of urban and regional innovation management. He has a sustained track-record of producing high-quality publication outputs and has contributed to delivery several research and consultancy projects, mainly supported by EU funding schemes (7FP, Horizon 2020). These projects have resulted in the production of new knowledge and innovative products and processes which are helping industry, government, universities and civil society to exploit their collective intelligence and generate the collaborate ecosystems required for developing smart environments that enable urban infrastructure to operate in a more sustainable manner.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

Green Cities are Healthier Cities: discover VARCITIES project

02/12/2020

by Federico Aili with No Comment Updates

Green Cities are Healthier Cities: discover VARCITIES project

The new Horizon 2020 funded project VARCITIES (Visionary Nature-based Actions for Health, Well-being and Resilience in Cities) has officially started on 1st September 2020. ISOCARP Institute is part of a consortium of 25 partners, including 8 Pilot Cities and under the lead of Telecommunication System Institute (Technical University of Crete).

The vision of VARCITIES is to implement nature-based actions in cities and establish sustainable models for increasing the health and well-being of citizens exposed to different climatic condition and challenges. The project will last until February 2025.

The kick-off meeting took place online on 9-11 September 2020 and now the partners are implementing the first actions and deliverables.

Are you interested or actively engaged in shaping a healthier and sustainable future for your city? Then visit the project website to discover more about VARCITIES and follow it on social media!

For any question or information regarding VARCITIES, please contact contact@varcities.eu or aili@isocarp-institute.org

Telling stories about places – Storytelling Workshop, +CityxChange

16/11/2020

by Sindi Haxhija with No Comment Updates

Telling stories about places – Storytelling Workshop, +CityxChange

Last month, within the +CityxChange project framework, ISOCARP Institute hosted the 3rd Storytelling Workshop, in a digital format. The two-hour event was organised by Gisela Garrido Veron and Sindi Haxhija during the annual consortium meeting of +CityxChange (Positive City Exchange). The aim of the workshop was to understand and reflect on storytelling as a tool for citizen engagement and communication. The event lasted around two and a half hours with discussions and presentations from other Smart City projects in the Basque Country – a place where the consortium meeting would have been celebrated in case Covid-19 travel restrictions did not apply.

The session started with a video from Iñaki Peña, journalist and resident in the city of Sestao, Spain (Follower City in +CityxChange). The video (about 11 minutes long) tells the story of changes and developments in Sestao, with a focus on La Casa del Arco (The Arch’s House). Iñaki tells us about the developments and transformations that this building has been through, by using his past experiences, his youth and what he remembers of La Casa del Arco. The later used to be a building with a strong industrial history, that is now being restored with the combined efforts of the Sestao Municipality, the Basque Government and the European Community.

‘La Casa del Arco, -Iñaki reflects – is the beginning of a progressive restoration of the city’. Iñaki foresees that this development will bring new possibilities to the city, such as, the restoration of nature and the river that was until nowadays used for industrial purposes. Having Iñaki’s story as the kick-off of this workshop, participants were asked to reflect on the structure, the line of narrative and the communication elements that were used.

The session continued with the intervention of three lighthouse cities. Firstly, Jordán Guardo from the Municipality of Bilbao reflected on the ATELIER experience giving examples of positive urban developments and citizen engagement practices. The project focuses on a river area close to the industrial city of Bilbao, concretely, Zorrotzaurre. Zorrotzaurre was a very industrialised small island. Building efforts, using top-down and bottom-up approaches, the ATELIER project achieved a combination of arts, culture and economic development in the zone.

Secondly, David Grisaleña from the Municipality of Vitoria Gasteiz. David presented the SmartEnCity: Coronación District. The objective of this lighthouse project was to develop a systemic approach for sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments in Europe. David explained how through citizen engagement, they could develop strategies to replicate energy retrofitting buildings. The example given by David was located in Eulogio Serdán Street. Some of the discussions that came up during the presentation were related to how the housing property system works in Spain and the challenges that appeared during the communication of more technical developments with house owners in the building.

The last speaker, Marta Zabaleta, joined to present the REPLICATE project. Particularly on the Donostia/San Sebastián citizen engagement process. Shortly, Marta presented the objectives of the project, and how they used to top-down and bottom-up approach for citizen engagement. Marta explained their interaction with the citizens since the very beginning of the project. ‘It is crucial – she said – to have a common understanding and collaboration with the residents before and during the execution of the project.’

After the discussions, participants had the chance to come up with their own story based on a building – like Iñaki Peña – a public space or neighbourhood in their area that would reflect urban transformations. The exercise divided the participants into 3 main groups where the participants had to explain their urban development story and jointly discuss the structure and communication points. By the end of the breakout sessions, each group had to choose a representative from their group to present the story to the whole group of participants.

The storytelling workshop finished with a short interaction session, commenting on each other stories and reflecting on the usage of storytelling as a tool to tell stories of places for further citizen engagement.

UTC nature-based solutions and green public spaces for Health and resilience

Recap of Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

29/10/2020

by Federico Aili with No Comment Updates

Recap of Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

October 26, 2020

On Wednesday 14 October, ISOCARP Institute hosted the Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”. The event was organised in collaboration with the ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health (CoPUH) and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), as a first activity within their new collaboration partnership. The UTC session brought together international experts and thought leaders providing an overview over public spaces, nature-based solutions, and their potential for urban health and in the current Covid-19 crisis.

In his keynote speech, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen demonstrated how green spaces are essential to an healthy urban living, bringing tangible evidence of several studies and researches, and presenting interesting case studies.

During the First Panel Discussion, Laura Petrella reflected on the work of Un-Habitat and its agenda, highlighting the importance of nature-based solutions and public spaces, and the need to design adaptable solutions to local contexts. Cecilia Vaca Jones brought the perspective of the children, presenting the critical challenges and needs for their health, in particular during the current pandemic. Thiago Hérick de Sa focused on the necessity to bring the community of planners and health together, presenting the latest Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”.

The Second Panel Discussion focused on concrete experiences of implemented projects of green public spaces in different local contexts. Uta Christine Dietrich brought the experience of ThinkCity in South-East Asia, highlighting the issue of justice and distribution of green spaces in cities. Nathan Iyer reflected on his experience in South Africa and on the role of public spaces and nature as critical infrastructure in the urban environment. Nabi Agzamov presented some of the work made by Strelka in Russia, focusing on the most critical local challenges for urban health and possible interventions through green public spaces.

Takeaway messages

Greening cities provides multiple healthy benefits (such as longer life expectancy, less mental health problems, better cognitive functions, etc..) and mitigate air pollution, heat and noise level.
Public spaces, nature and landscape are essential infrastructure for healthcare, resilience, regeneration and local economy.
Public spaces designed through nature-based solutions and green infrastructures promote environmental and social resilience, and contribute to address systemic poverty and inequalities in cities.
The distribution of sufficient green spaces in cities is a critical issue of justice and equality. Adequate targets and indicators can monitor and support it.
Children deserve a special attention and a health environment since the beginning, with attention to quality and proximity in neighborhood planning.
Multi-sectorial approaches are needed to address health issues, articulating the links between health and urbanisation.
Health is a priority pillar for the post Covid-19 recovery and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Speakers and presentations

Keynote Speaker
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen – ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Topic: Green public spaces as pathway for healthy living

Laura Petrella – Un-Habitat

Topic: Nature-based Solutions to “Post Covid-19” urbanization challenges

Cecilia Vaca Jones – Bernard van Leer Foundation

Topic: Urban 95, Urban Health, Urban resilience

Thiago Hérick de Sá – World Health Organization (WHO)

Topic: Presentation Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”

Uta Christine Dietrich – ThinkCity

Topic: Green Public Spaces: A Tonic for Health, Justice & Resilience

Nathan Iyer – IYER – Planning, Urban Design & Architecture

Topic: IYER – NBS & Open Space

Nabi Agzamov – STRELKA KB

Topic: Landscape as Healthcare infrastructure

Programme

Introduction ad presentation speakers | 10 min.
Keynote speaker presentation | 20 min.
Q&A with audience | 10 min.
Panel discussion with Guest Experts | 40 min.
Q&A with audience | 20 min.
Closing | 10 min.

Moderators

Jo Ivey Boufford – International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
Jens Aerts – Bureau of Urbanism
Elisabeth Belpaire – ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health
Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions.

Urban Thinkers Campus ‘Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience’

07/10/2020

by Federico Aili with No Comment Updates

Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”

October 7, 2020

Join us on Wednesday, 14^th of October at 12 UTC (14.00 CEST) at the Urban Thinkers Campus “Nature-based Solutions and Green Public Spaces for Health and Resilience”. The event is organised by ISOCARP Institute, in collaboration with the ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health (CoPUH) and the International Society for Urban Health (ISUH), as a first activity within their new collaboration partnership.

This UTC session will bring together international experts and thought leaders providing an overview over public spaces, nature-based solutions and their potential for urban health and in the current Covid-19 crisis. In particular, the session will highlight the strong interrelations between health and urban environment, and it will give voice to some organisations wand cities who are actively participating in innovative resilience and health strategies.

The session will last for 120 min and it will be as much as possible interactive and inclusive. After an inspiring keynote speech, there will be a panel discussion with other international experts and questions from the audience. Participants are welcomed to raise their voice and contribute to the discussion.

The event will take place online on Zoom. Registration is free but required.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen – ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Topic: Green public spaces as pathway for healthy living

Laura Petrella – Un-Habitat

Topic: Nature-based Solutions

Cecilia Vaca Jones – Bernard van Leer Foundation

Topic: Urban 95, Urban Health, Urban resilience

Thiago Hérick de Sá – World Health Organization (WHO)

Topic: Presentation Sourcebook “Integrating Health in Urban and Territorial Planning”

Uta Christine Dietrich – ThinkCity

Topic: Green Public Spaces: A Tonic for Health, Justice & Resilience

Nathan Iyer – IYER – Planning, Urban Design & Architecture

Topic: “Big to small – Public Spaces as essential infrastructure”

Nabi Agzamov – STRELKA KB

Topic: Landscape as Healthcare infrastructure

Programme

Introduction ad presentation speakers | 10 min.
Keynote speaker presentation | 20 min.
Q&A with audience | 10 min.
Panel discussion with Guest Experts | 40 min.
Q&A with audience | 20 min.
Closing | 10 min.

Moderators

Jo Ivey Boufford – International Society for Urban Health (ISUH)
Jens Aerts – Bureau of Urbanism
Elisabeth Belpaire – ISOCARP Community of Practice on Urban Health
Federico Aili – ISOCARP Institute

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or proposals for upcoming sessions

Saratov’s city centre, Open International Competition

31/08/2020

by Sindi Haxhija with No Comment Updates

Saratov’s city centre, Open International Competition

July 24, 2020

In Saratov, a Russian city on the Volga River, an International Competition for the Best Integrated Spatial Development Concepts for the Development of the City Centre has been launched. ISOCARP Institute will support the review of the results for the Open International Competition. Teams from all around the world are invited to participate in the competition. Architects and urban planners are faced with the task of developing architectural and urban planning concepts for integrated development—documents that define the primary planning, landscape and transport solutions for a construction or development project.

‘The competition’s goal is to choose a concept that can offer options for the use of this territory while accounting for the necessary environmental rehabilitation of green spaces and allowing for the creation of an exemplary residential district on the territory of the former airport’ – said Denis Leontiev, CEO of Strelka KB.

The competition will take place in three stages. In the first stage, a jury of experts will review all of the applications submitted and choose five competition participants. As part of the second stage, each of them has to develop an architectural and urban planning concept of integrated spatial development based on the technical brief that they will receive. Based on the results of this stage, the jury will choose two finalists. During the third stage, an exhibit of the finalists’ work will be organised along with a popular vote that will ultimately help determine the winner of the competition. The winner will be chosen by the Government of the Saratov Region, based on the jury’s recommendations and the popular vote. The winner will be announced in Spring 2021.

The jury was composed of Russian and international experts. Among them was Didier Vancutsem, director of ISOCARP INSTITUTE; Adriaan Gueze, co-founder of West 8 and founder of the Surrealistic Landscape Architecture (SLA) foundation; Ingo Kanehl, managing director of ASTOC GmbH & Co. KG и ASTOC International GmbH; Nikolai Shumakov, president of the Union of Architects of Russia; Igor Sorokin, scholar of local lore and member of the Association of Art Historians(AAH LLC); and other specialists in the architecture and urban planning fields. The full list of jury members can be found on the competition website.

To read the full press release, click here.

Click here for the introductory video.

‘Planning Disrupted’ 2, webinar results and presentations

30/08/2020

by Sindi Haxhija Updates

‘Planning Disrupted’ 2, webinar results and presentations

August 30, 2020

On Wednesday, the 19th of August 2020, ISOCARP Institute in cooperation with: ISOCARP – International Society of City and Regional Planners , eThekwini Municipality, SACN – South African Cities Network, SALGA – South African Local Governments Association, SAPI – South African Planning Institute, MILE – Municipal Institute of Learning eThekwini Municipality, SACPLAN – South African Council for Planners, held the second ‘Planning Disrupted’ webinar. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to our first webinar, our next offering in the “Planning Disrupted” series was Planning With People. This time we took a deep dive into what planning with people means. The webinar engaged with approaches and Covid19-induced opportunities for a local and international planning context.

The webinar started with a kick-off presentation from ISOCARP and SACN. ISOCARP presented the results of the “Planning Beyond Limits – Building Livable Communities” ISOCARP YPP project in Jakarta and Bogor, Indonesia. While SACN launched the Practitioner Profile Magazine. The Magazine profiles the human behind the planner and is a good reminder that planners are people too, especially when we talk about “planning with people”.

After the welcoming words and the kick-off presentation the webinar moved on to the four Breakout Sessions, which offered an interactive, broad and moderated discussion on the following topics:

1. Voices in Planning: The Bright Side of Planning Disruption – moderated by SACN, eThekwini Municipality

This session looked at the opportunities inherent in Covid19 and beyond to bring creativity, trust-building and meaningful partnerships into planning with people. A celebration of the diversity of views and voices and a willingness to embrace unheard and challenging perspectives through creative methodologies and confidence in process and deep listening.

2. Community-oriented Plans: Methods and Approaches for Successful Implementation – moderated by ISOCARP

Community oriented plans (COP) aim (in general) to adapt the theoretical urban planning knowledge and standard planning practice to be more responsive to local people’s needs. Participatory planning is just one of the methods to implement COP, and in this session we discussed how communities can plan for their future as part of an integrated planning process for an area, and what tools and methods they may have at their disposal.

Click here to view the recording for Breakout Session 2!

3. Establishing Community Partnerships: A Challenge for Planning Practitioners – moderated by SAPI

We know that coordinated partnerships can help improve urban planning by addressing different urban challenges from every angle. Identifying formal (and informal) stakeholders may seem like a logical first step, but engaging them to become active and collaborative partners is much more complicated. The Breakout session focused on discussing the challenges and strategies for fostering successful partnerships between planners and the community.

Click here to view the recording for Breakout Session 3!

4. Building Municipal Identity using Municipal Assets – A KZN Perspective – presented by SALGA – KZN and Maphumulo Local Municipality

How can municipalities use their natural, social, cultural, economic and other assets to build and market their municipal identity ensuring municipal spaces are legible and attract investment and development. The Breakout session showcased perspectives from Kwa-Zulu Natal. The aim of the session was to indicate how municipalities can strengthen their development potential.

Click here to view the recording for Breakout Session 4!

Final Planning Disrupted 2-Webinar-Invitation

Webinar ‘Planning Disrupted’ #2

14/08/2020

by Sindi Haxhija with No Comment Updates

Webinar 'Planning disrupted' - Planning with People

On Wednesday, the 19th of August 2020, ISOCARP Institute in cooperation with: ISOCARP – International Society of City and Regional Planners , eThekwini Municipality, SACN – South African Cities Network, SALGA – South African Local Governments Association, SAPI – South African Planning Institute, MILE – Municipal Institute of Learning eThekwini Municipality, SACPLAN – South African Council for Planners, will hold the second ‘Planning Disrupted’ webinar. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to our first webinar, our next offering in the “Planning Disrupted” series is Planning With People. This time we will take a deep dive into what planning with people means. The webinar engages with approaches and Covid19-induced opportunities for a local and international planning context.

The webinar will start with a kick-off presentation from ISOCARP and SACN. ISOCARP will present the results of the “Planning Beyond Limits – Building Livable Communities” ISOCARP YPP project in Jakarta and Bogor, Indonesia. While SACN will launch the Practitioner Profile Magazine. The Magazine profiles the human behind the planner and is a good reminder that planners are people too, especially when we talk about “planning with people”.

The webinar will then move to the four Breakout Sessions, which will offer an interactive, broad and moderated discussion on the following topics:

1. Voices in Planning: The Bright Side of Planning Disruption – moderated by SACN, eThekwini Municipality

This session looks at the opportunities inherent in Covid19 and beyond to bring creativity, trust-building and meaningful partnerships into planning with people. A celebration of the diversity of views and voices and a willingness to embrace unheard and challenging perspectives through creative methodologies and confidence in process and deep listening.

2. Community-oriented Plans: Methods and Approaches for Successful Implementation – moderated by ISOCARP

Community oriented plans (COP) aim (in general) to adapt the theoretical urban planning knowledge and standard planning practice to be more responsive to local people’s needs. Participatory planning is just one of the methods to implement COP, and in this session we will discuss how communities can plan for their future as part of an integrated planning process for an area, and what tools and methods they may have at their disposal.

3. Establishing Community Partnerships: A Challenge for Planning Practitioners – moderated by SAPI

We know that coordinated partnerships can help improve urban planning by addressing different urban challenges from every angle. Identifying formal (and informal) stakeholders may seem like an logical first step, but engaging them to become active and collaborative partners is much more complicated. The Breakout session will focus on discussing the challenges and strategies for fostering successful partnerships between planners and community.

4. Building Municipal Identity using Municipal Assets – A KZN Perspective – presented by SALGA – KZN and Maphumulo Local Municipality

How can municipalities use their natural, social, cultural, economic and other assets to build and market their municipal identity ensuring municipal spaces are legible and attract investment and development. The Breakout session will showcase perspectives from Kwa-Zulu Natal. The aim of the session is to indicate how municipalities can strengthen their development potential.

‘Planning Disrupted’ webinar results and presentations

16/06/2020

by Sindi Haxhija with No Comment Updates

‘Planning Disrupted’ webinar results and presentations

June 16, 2020

On the 9th of June, ISOCARP together with other collaborating partners from South Africa (eThekwini Municipality, SACN – South African Cities Network, SALGA – South African Local Governments Association, SAPI – South African Planning Institute and MILA), held the webinar ‘Planning Disrupted’. The main aim of the webinar was to defy critical thematic areas pertinent to urban planning during COVID-19 crisis across cities and regions. Practitioners, planning organisations, individuals and academia were invited to join and discuss on what kind of policy, planning and design actions should be undertaken in our cities, in South Africa and city of Durban in particular.

Over 250 participants joined the ‘Planning Disrupted’ webinar from all over the world, with most participants being from South Africa, followed up by India and Indonesia.

After the welcoming words from SACN, the webinar continued with a presentation of the ISOCARP UPAT workshop for the inner-city renewal of Durban. The results of this collaborative UPAT workshop between urban planning professionals of Ethekwini Municipality and ISOCARP experts are bundled in the PLAN Magazine publication. After the welcoming words and the kick-off presentation the webinar moved on to the five Breakout Sessions, which offered an interactive, broad and moderated discussion on the following topics:

1. Planning Practice in the Time Of Flux – moderated by SALGA and SACN.

The Session deliberated on the changes and disruptions that are happening on the municipal level planning related to COVID, and took a concrete look what could be the new norms, the new leaderships and new formats for planning emerging from the crisis. The discussion highlighted the stark polarities and inequalities that the COVID19 crisis has brought forward in South Africa. Having to adapt to use social media as means of public participation, has shed light into inequalities in data accessibility among interested stakeholders. There is a necessity for urban planners and practitioners in the urban field to act as agents of change in order for practitioners in the urban field to best serve to those people who are most vulnerable in such situations.

Suggested articles to learn more about the topic at hand: Built Environment Integration Practices ; Chronicles of a Change Agent

2. Dark Side of Planning Disruption – moderated by SAPI

Dark Side of Planning Disruption revealed the “dangers” facing planning practice, such as increasing inequality and growing bureaucracy as results of primary Covid responses. How to deal with the “low resilience capacity” of the established planning schemes and processes? The discussion touched upon topics related to:

– The market in urban renewal and the finance economy;

– Safety and perceptions of safety;

– The need for leadership in organisational development;

– Need to foreground inclusiveness and transparent allocation of resources;

– Government urban system collapse with rent seeking behaviour;

– Flexibility and transparency in regulation and laws.

3. Reset Opportunity for Density and Land-Use Planning – moderated by eThekwini Municipality

“Density Wars” seem to be at the heart of the post-COVID planning discussions. But if we can’t reset the existing frameworks of planning for more flexibility, simplicity and inclusivity NOW – when then? The Session reflected and re-prioritized the importance in land use planning for the inner city of Durban – through the lens of COVID. Main outcomes from this session highlighted the need to have a set of minimum standards for green spaces to bring relief to density. While the need for more public space is clear, the problem still remains on attracting the right investment pipelines to make this happen. Furthermore, the COVID crisis has put a big question mark on the future of the work place, in a time when working from home has become the new normal. This might require us to transform the functionality of office spaces.

4. Public Spaces as Life Line for Cities – moderated by ISOCARP

How can public spaces adapt in the times of uncertainty, and will we be able to reclaim them after the quarantine restrictions? Location and scale of public spaces matter, as well as their contribution to more resilient, inclusive and just city. What kind of role will public space have for the next inner-city making? These were some of the questions that this break-out session explored. Contextualisation of public spaces is necessary as the public space is complex and the same rules cannot just be replicated from one context to another. In this way, it can reflect the values and cultures of all the people who use or experience them in an inclusive way.

Read the Manifesto produced at the end of the session to learn more about the outcomes of the discussion.

5. Relevant and Supportive National Planning – moderated by ISOCARP and SAPI

The crisis has revealed the bigger need for comprehensive planning on the highest, national level, covering primarily health facilities, housing, shelters, and all kind of supporting functions. The globalisation should not become the norm after the COVID crisis, and new economic pathways need to be found. Can urban data help establish relevant and supportive national (and local) planning and how? The discussion, pointed out three main priorities that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to national planning:

– Mitigate political instability which influences planning processes;

– While the national policies are present, the main challenge remains on their implementation. ‘We need to own the policy at the local level’.

– There is a need to work on horizontal integration in planning (not just topdown/bottom-up) but for more horizontal collaboration.