2020 APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference

Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference

Organized by the Future Cities Research Hub of the School of Architecture and Planning, APRU SCL brought together experts from around the region to exchange ideas and engage in activities during annual conferences focused on sustainable city-landscape interactions.

The annual APRU SCL conference is an exciting opportunity for academics, practitioners, and public officials from different disciplines to collaborate on research and advocacy projects that foster long-term sustainability and resilient city-landscape relationships. This conference was structured around working groups that bracket a range of social, economic, and environmental issues.

Due to the evolution of the COVID-19 globally and the uncertainties around international travels, the APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference was postponed to December 14-18, 2020, and presented as a virtual event.

A Ph.D. Symposium was organized to foster collaborations among doctoral students across the Pacific Rim.

Tentative Program Framework

• Day 1: PhD Symposium
• Day 2: Ph.D. Symposium and opening plenary
• Day 3: Keynote & panel and working group meetings
• Day 4: Keynote & panel, working group presentation and virtual guided tours
• Day 5: Working group presentation, PhD presentation and closing plenary

Speakers & Topics

Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom on Day 3

Keynote:
Dr Rhys Jones, Public Health Physician and Senior Lecturer in Māori Health at the University of Auckland.

Panellists:
Daniel Glenn, Principal of 7 Directions Architects/Planners in Seattle, Washington, and a Native American architect
Dr Danièle Hromek, Budawang (beach plover) woman of the Yuin (black duck) nation
Dr Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor, Professor and founding member of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa

SDGs and Post-Pandemic Cities and Landscapes on Day 4

Keynote:
Bernhard Barth, Human Settlements Officer at UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Panellists:
Chris Aiken, Chair of Construction Programme Assurance Panel and former CEO of Government-owned Kāinga Ora subsidiary
Sean Audain, City Innovation Lead at Wellington City Council
Hon Julie Anne Genter, Minister for Women, Associate Minister for Transport and Associate Minister for Health
Dr Andreas Wesener, Senior Lecturer in Urban Design at Lincoln University

Working Groups

• Children, Youth, and the Environments
• Food Nutrition Security
• Future Energy Landscapes
• Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom
• Landscapes and Human Health
• Smart Cities
• Sustainable Urban Design
• Transitions in Urban Waterfronts
• Urban-Rural Linkages
• Vulnerable, Resilient and Climate Justice Communities
• Water and Wastewater

Find out more details about working groups here.
Deadline to submit an Expression of Interest to join a working group is September 30 (NZ time).

Report

Read the conference report here.

Ph.D. Student Symposium

A Ph.D. Student Symposium was held virtually in December 2020. It was a new addition to the conference structure this year and provided opportunities for Ph.D. students to present their research that relates to the topics of the working groups, the APRU SCL Hub, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This Symposium gave students the opportunity to present papers, receive feedback, and participate in group-work sessions.

Symposium Keynote Speaker: Prof Bart Johnson

Contacts

• For any queries on the conference, how to join a working group, tours, and registrations, please contact info.apru2020@auckland.ac.nz.
• For information on the Ph.D. Symposium and papers submission, please contact symposium.apru2020@auckland.ac.nz.
• For information on payments, problems with the registration process, and accommodation, please contact Jan Vernon at jan.vernon@auckland.ac.nz.