This report describes a portfolio of policies which, in the view of authors, is needed to put personal vehicle transportation on the road to sustainability in the longer term.
Link to download the paper

2 December 2009, Chalmers Teknikpark
Urban futures for an extended life – the sustainability and technology implications of centenarians

The AGS at Chalmers workshop on ageing society and sustainability was to provide a transdisciplinary arena for academics and society to discuss the demographic change, globally, towards an ageing society and the implications for sustainability. The outcome of the workshop was recommendations for research areas for the AGS partnership. (more…)

AGS newsletter 2009:2 is now available online.

Download pdf: AGS Newsletter 2009:2

4-7 October, 2009, Göteborg, Sweden

This meeting discussed different approaches to ESD from a student perspective, and how students and student communities can improve the education in sustainable development.
More information and application on the WSC-SD website.

28 June – 3 July 2009, Lindau, Germany

Carl Justin Kamp (WSC-SD, AGS Chalmers) with Dr. Peter Agre, Nobel Prize Chemistry 2003

The 59th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany was held June 28^th-July 3^rd with the focus area of chemistry. 580 graduate students from 67 countries spent the week with 23 Nobel Laureates from chemistry, physics and physiology/medicine. The schedule was packed with fascinating lectures, smaller discussion groups, cultural and social events, as well as 2 panel discussions on ‘The role and future of chemistry for renewable energy’, and ‘Global warming and sustainability’ with participants including R. Pachauri (IPCC), B. Lomborg, T. Stocker and W. Woomaw. Although the Nobel Prize is awarded to individuals at the top of seemingly narrow scientific fields, the Lindau meeting articulated that multidisciplinary and international approaches are vital in solving large-scale problems, thus motivating the need for groups such as the AGS.

The 59th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany was held June 28^th-July 3^rd with the focus area of chemistry. 23 Nobel Laureates and 580 graduate students from 67 countries spent a week full of lectures and discussions concerning the synergies between science education, fundamental research, sustainable development and our common future.

Link to Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

The WSC-SD is an international network of student communities and individuals closely connected to the AGS. Motivated students passionate about sustainability opportunities are developing opportunities to learn from each other, collaborate and take action. The WSC-SD held its third Student Summit for Sustainability (S³) at the ETH in January 2009, jointly with the AGS Annual Meeting, titled “The Realistic Side of the World – Sustainable Development and the Role of Economic and Political Institutions”. (more…)

18 March 2009, Göteborg
The seminar started by introducing CSS, the World Student Community for Sustainable Development, the AGS, and Chalmers Energy Academy to the students at Chalmers. Then there were talks and debate on Sustainable Energy Futures with invited speakers talking about solar energy, wind power, biogas, alternative transport fuels and carbon capture and storage. CSS invited experts from the Swedish Gas Association on solar energy, Volvo AG and Volvo Aero, Vattenfall-Nuclear Power, and Chalmers and Uppsala universities.

More about CSS activities

2 December 2010
EU Pathways report 2010:2 “The complexity of climate change mechanisms” is available to download as pdf

24-26 January 2011
AGS Annual Meeting: Sustainability and Change
Link to www.ags2011.org

(more…)

23 February 2009

“Opening remarks”, by Akimasa Sumi, The University of Tokyo.

Keynote Speech:

• “The resilience and vulnerability of the extended urban spaces in Asia in the 21st century – policy research challenges for the futures of urban Asia”, by Terry McGee,  Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia.
• “Establishing sustainable community through the urban and rural fusion” by Kazuhiko Takeuchi, IR3S, The University of Tokyo.

Session 1: Urban-Rural Systems

• “Openness of private green and vacant spaces within exclusive subdivisions in the urban fringe of Asian large cities: some cases of Bangkok and Metro Manila”, by Yuji Hara, TIGS, The University of Tokyo.
• “Farmland conversion and sustainable city: a case of Yogyakarta, Indonesia”, by Irham, Agribusiness Graduate Study Program, Gadjah Mada University.
• “Spatial planning and urban rural relations in European Union”, by Kensuke Katayama, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Vulnerable agricultural fringe: the challenge for sustainability of Bangkok”, by Niramon Kulsrisombat, Dept of Urban and Regional Planning, Chulalongkorn University.
• “Food and energy production from agriculture in urban rural systems of Japan”, by Shigenori Morita, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
• “Governing urbanisation for sustainability: an institutional analysis of government behaviour in China”, by Zhilin Liu, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University.

Session 2: City Regional Form

• “Introduction to City Regional Form”, by Makoto Yokohari, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo.
• “Sustainability and adaptation on climate change in German city regions”, Dietwalt Gruehn, School of Spatial Planning, Dortmund University of Technology.
• “Emerging urban governance in Southeast Asian countries: how can we control these rapidly expanding cities?”, by Norihisa Shima, Dept of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Strategy analysis of urban/peri-urban agriculture in Asia: issues, potential and challenges”, by Peeyush Soni, Agricultural Systems and Engineering, Asian Institute of Technology.
• “A strategic planning from regional aspect – experience of the research work on development plan of Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone”, by Zongpo Tan, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University.
• “Tokyo; transportation network and city form”, by Hitoshi Ieda, Dept of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Controlling the composition of population for suburban housing developments in Japan by selecting building types – a case study of Yukarigaoka New-Town in Chiba, Japan”, by Toshio Otsuki, Dept of Architecture, The University of Tokyo.

24 January 2009
“Introduction of the AGS – Supporting Urban Innovation”, by Sebastien Rauch, Water Environment Technology, Chalmers University of Technology.

Session 3: Water Management

• “Infectious risk assessment with exposure to pathogens in the flood water – assessment of vulnerability of urban area to climate change (case study of Manila)”, by Kensuke Fukushi, TIGS, The University of Tokyo.
• “Deconstructing the rural and the urban: lessons from recent desakota research in South Asia, Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and China”, by Dipak Gyawali, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition, Nepal.
• “Long-term indirect impacts of land development on flood risk and water quality – a case study for the watershed of Lake Tega”, by Guangwei Huang, Dept of Socio-Cultural Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo.
• “Waterborne health risks due to rapid urbanisation in Asia”, by Kumiko Oguma, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Impact of land use and land cover on evapotranspiration in urban area based on remote sensing data”, by Guangheng Ni, Dept of Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University.
• “A concept on integrated groundwater management to sustain cities of Indonesia using system interrelationship model”, by Priana Sudjono, Dept of Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology.
• “The impact of Guam’s population growth on island water resources”, by Shahram Khosrowpanah, Water and Environment Research Institute of the Western Pacific, University of Guam.
• “Urban-rural interrelation in water resource management problems and factors affecting the sustainability of drinking water supply in the city of Bandung, Indonesia”, by Parikesit, Dept of Biology, Padjadjaran University.
• “Integration of flood control and environmental preservation in urban river”, by Takeyoshi Chibana, Dept of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Catchment-scale water management of wastewater treatment in an urban sewage system considering CO2 emission assessment”, by Goro Mouri, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo.

Session 4: Culture and Settlements

• “Introduction to the session”, by Tetsuo Kidokoro, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
• “Daoism and environmental sustainability – a completely different way of thinking”, by Qiang Charles Lou, Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, University of Guam.
• “The landscape of Bangkok’s agricultural fringe and city region sustainability: an ecological and cultural co-evolution”, by Danai Taitakoo, Dept of Landscape Architecture, Chulalongkorn University.
• “Cultural-natural expressions and community movement on the saujana heritage conservation”, by Sita Adishakti, Gadjah Mada University.
• “Damage investigation of timber structures by the 2007 Noto Peninsula earthquake”, by Kaori Fujita, Dept of Architecture, The University of Tokyo.

Poster Sessions 23 February 2009 (pdf)

1. “Energetic analysis of various production systems in West Javan agricultural landscape: looking for sustainable system”, Dendi Mohamad, Institute of Ecology, Padjadjaran University.
2. “Conceptual framework for agricultural landscape conservation and flood system for sustainable city region in China”, Dingyang Zhou, Dept of ecosystem studies, The University of Tokyo
3. “Assessing policy implementation and social networks for agricultural landscape conservation in a Japanese urban region”, Kazuaki Tsuchiya, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
4. “A place for “commons” in extended urban spaces? Community forestry networks and working woodlands in peri-urban Tokyo, by Gerald Bolthouse, Natural Environment, The University of Tokyo.
5. “Transformation of pastures landscapes on the Shimousa Plateau 1572-1862″, Mariko Miyamoto, Dept of Natural Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo.
6. “Woody biomass utilisation in urban-rural mixed land-use areas: Strategies to sustainably managed satoyama woodlands”, Toru Terada, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo.
7. “Evaluation of environmental burden in cascade recycling of plastic containers and packaging wastes in Japan”, Asako Okuno, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
8. “Toxicity characterization of road dust and urban river sediments using bioassay with ostracod”, Haruna Watanabe, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
9. “Examination of maintaining method of the gravel bed river channel”, Hiroaki Fujimori, Civil Engineering Course, The University of Tokyo.
10. “Industrial solid waste flows and recycling patterns of China: a case study in Suzhou”, Mo Hongpin, Division of Environmental System Analysis, Tsinghua University.
11. “Analysis of climate change impact for sustainable development on Citarum river basin, Indonesia”, Yutaka Araki, Civil Engineering Course, The University of Tokyo.
12. “The comprehensive concept planning of urban greening: cast study Bangkok Metropolis, Thailand”, Arthit Limpiyakorn, Graduate School of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
13. “The development review system and the application in the inner city area – the case studies on the design review in North America”, Hirofumi Hori, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.
14. “Build back better, safer and greener: lesson from Aceh post-disaster recovery”, Togu Pardede, Dept of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo.

23-24 February 2009, Denpasar – Bali, Indonesia
International Workshop on Sustainable City Region

An international workshop was convened by the AGS at The University of Tokyo, by the Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science (IR3S), and Udayana University in Bali, concluded the AGS series of seminars on the Urban Futures initiative. The meeting brought together for the first time researchers in Asia interested in the interaction between urban and rural areas. (more…)