Lance Jay Brown
Moderator
Climate change represents an unprecedented threat to our future. Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
The impact of climate change is increasingly evident with sea level rise, shifts in traditional weather patterns with violent storms and flooding, droughts and forest fires that have affected both cities and rural communities alike. Droughts have especially impacted areas of the developing world and led to increased pressures of migration to find a better life.
The challenge of climate change comes at a time when the world is beset by the threat of pandemics and the need to accommodate a global population growth of 3 billion by end of the century. New population growth will be attracted to cities and place greater stress on their resources. Cities increasingly occupy central economic and cultural roles in their regions and countries and cannot fail.
Despite the challenges, cities, have been leaders in planning for climate change. This networking event invites a cross section of global thought leaders for a to present cutting edge thoughts on planning for climate change followed by a discussion of the critical role of design in planning for the future. All cities face unique challenges – from sea level rise to drought and unprecedented growth, all must address the shift from fossil fuels to new green energy technologies to meet critical zero emission goals.
In response to Covid and new technologies all must revise their mobility, energy, public realm landscape and buildings; What unique plans are emerging? Will they, have they succeeded? What can we and cities learn from each other? In keeping with the WUF 11 theme "Transforming our cities for a better urban future".
In our constant mission the promote the role of design in pursuit of BETTER CITIES the CSU will bring together four expert spokespeople from around the world to explain and discuss, following the structure of the CSU flagship event of 2022, how energy, mobility, the public realm, and buildings can be used to foster sustainable urbanization and improve the quality of life from a local to global scale.
The New Urban Agenda presents a paradigm shift based on the science of cities; it lays out standards and principles along its five main pillars of implementation: national urban policies, urban legislation and regulations, URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN, local economy and municipal finance, and local implementation. This networking event will focus on pillar 3, the fulcrum of the five, URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN and four of the elements needed for the NUA and with the paradigm shift we need to ELABORATE: 1: the role of ENERGY in Climate Change and the Role of Cities. We must look at energy holistically, from the needs and sources of renewables to the life-cycling of waste, or waste to energy. 2. the role of MOBILITY in Climate Change and the Role of Cities. We must look at old means of movement and new micro mobilities, and how movement is incorporate into our shared public realm rather than just a usurper of it, how new technology (AI) and public mass transit configurations can improve movement within and between cities 3: the role of the PUBLIC REALM in Climate Change and the Role of Cities. We must look at old ways we have designed and managed our shared space and, informed by no less than Covid, how it can be made better for all users, young, old, and other abled. 4. the role of BUILDINGS in Climate Change and the Role of Cities. The production,use reuse, and design of buildings must be reexamined.