21 November 2008, Cambridge, USA
MIT workshop on regional sustainability
A group of MIT faculty members from across the institute met to discuss the multi-disciplinary research projects on regional sustainability being developed at MIT. The objective was twofold:
1. To develop a broader understanding of the regional sustainability projects at MIT
2. To see if there is a synergy among the different projects that can be further explored or harnessed for the development of new initiatives
Contact person: Mr. Steven Connors
Capetown, 16-17 November 2008
An interactive workshop held under the auspices of the Alliance of Global Sustainability and hosted by Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Cities, properly managed, can be transformative arenas in which natural resources are used efficiently and economically to provide a high quality of life for everyone. And by doing so, cities offer our best hope of reducing human impacts upon the environment and achieving global sustainability. It can be argued that there is no one model for urban futures because of the underlying history and cultural diversity of our urban areas. However, the challenge of urban futures is clear – we have exceeded 50% by 2030. The resultant pressure on infrastructure, services, safety and security, political stability and social services is immense.
Selected experts have been invited to present and discuss their views on African Urban Futures, thereby raising regional-level awareness and providing an important contribution to the global research agenda
Facilitator:
Peter Willis, University of Cambridge Programme for Industry, South Africa
Keynote address:
“Putting people first in urban development” by Mamphela Ramphele, Circle Capital Ventures, South Africa.
Presentations:
- “African urban innovation” by Edgar Pieterse, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
- “An overview of some of the challenges facing the city of Johannesburg” by Lael Betlehem, Johannesburg Development Agency, South Africa.
- “Future urban transport challenges in selected African cities” by Roger Behrens, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
- “Sustainable urban design” by Mokena Makeka, Makeka Design Lab, South Africa.
- “Social dimension of urban development” by Alan Mabin, University of Witwatetsrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
- “Finance and governance models for urban development” by David Savage, Independant Consultant, South Africa.
- “The Lake Victoria higher education initiative”, by Stephen Agong, Maseno University, Kenya.
- “Toward sustainable water use in cities” by Rolfe Eberhard, Palmer Development Group, South Africa.
- “Renewable energy for sustainable urban development” by Harro von Blottnitz, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
- “Capacity building for sustainable urban development” by Björn Malbert, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.
- Innovation exercise – “Looking at wants and aspirations, strategies to achieve these and interventions by key sectors”
- Best posters presentation
Executive committee:
- Dr. Sebastien Rauch, Chalmers
- Prof. Olalekan Fatoki, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
- Prof. Jim Petrie, University of Cape Town
- Dr. Yvonne Hansen, University of Cape Town
Contact:
Dr. Sebastien Rauch
Water Environment Technology, Chalmers
sebastien.rauch@chalmers.se
14 November 2008, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Urban Futures Research: Tackling Complex Reality
This seminar illustrated the dimensions of research that tackles the complex reality of urban futures, and aimed to achieve a better understanding of how interdisciplinary research must be designed and carried out, using examples from the ETH domain. It also reported on the results of the AGS workshop Interdisciplinary Dialogue on Urban Futures.
Link to webcasts and presentations
Contact person: Ms. Evelyn Underwood
17 November 2008, Cape Town, South Africa
Integrating Sustainability into African Urban Growth
The AGS is keen to elicit views on sustainable urban futures. This seminar aimed at providing an African-focused view on urban futures.
Link to webcasts
Contact person: Dr. Sebastien Rauch
