Track #1 Sub-themes

1. Community Resilience, Livability, and Social Inclusion
2. Climate Resilience and Climate Action 
3. Ecological Resilience, Protection and Flooding, and Coastal Areas
4. Climate Financing
5. Climate-Responsive and Climate-Smart Planning
6. Just Transitions, Green Economic Transitions, Green Equity, Low-carbon Economy, and Circular Economies

Track 1.1: Build Resilient Cities and Communities

The session focuses on the development process of urban renewal. It reassesses adopting the resilient city concept and resilient community building model or method through land zoning policies that promote adaptive capacity, social capital building, and connectivity. There are good examples of how community resilience could be fostered by rural regeneration and healthy urban morphology to improve safety and resilience.

Track 1.2: Strengthen Recreational, Cultural, and Historical Community Values

Urbanisation has threatened and destroyed historic urban areas. The development of historic urban areas from the perspective of cultural consumption and preservation of cultural space can be effectively achieved through innovative planning concepts and advanced technological support. There is an opportunity to explore cultural dissemination through Flash mobs and the preservation of historical and cultural value in water and agro-tourism, thereby improving the quality of public space in historic urban areas.

Track 1.3: Acknowledge Ecosystem Values

The session introduces water-scarce cities and climate adaptation. There is a need for more inclusive frameworks of multiscalar planning, governance and urban finance, promoting equity and gender sensitivity. It is essential to develop cities' resilience and economic security to withstand climate change's unpredictability. Decision-makers should use available opportunities for unlocking the capital and ingenuity of the private sector by tapping into green bonds that provide incentives for investing in sustainable projects, providing green jobs, and developing sustainable finance models.

Track 1.4: Engage Residents in Building Urban Resilience

The session explores policies of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality embedded in moving from 'property, city and people to people, city and property', planning paths for low carbon 'green' shrinkage, and putting forward the goal of peak carbon neutrality in cities. Development of low-carbon cities through the design of climate adaptability in the construction of public spaces. In the ecological, production and living spaces, spatial planning and governance are essential in climate adaptation when communities face the risks of climate change, extreme weather conditions and disasters. The continued impetus to build climate-resilient communities that fosters inclusive and pluralistic society and shared governance is relevant to climate action. Exploring low-energy design strategies for the space of high-speed railway hubs better to achieve coordinated coexistence between buildings and the natural environment, reduces energy consumption, optimize resource utilization and reduce carbon emissions in the city.

Track 1.5: Acknowledge Just Transition and Community Values

The session pays attention to understanding the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects that either allow or hinder social justice and human rights in built environment-related climate actions such as the housing affordability issue in Lisbon, decarbonisation of the built environment in Prague, and public-private housing shift in Melbourne. There is a need for a certain synergy in addressing affordability and social issues of housing provision and environmental issues of climate actions, including decarbonisation policy. The three sectors with the most significant leverage in the early built environment life cycle are planning, finance and design. Advancement towards climate-responsive and equitable places and communities based on human rights is paramount. The session discusses advancing a just transition in the built environment, striving for environmental (climate-responsive) and social (inclusive and equitable communities) outcomes.

Track 1.6: Urban Resilience and Social Inclusion

Activating vulnerable communities through school renovations to restore the relationships between schools and communities is a crucial source of resilience. School (educational institutions) involvement in climate action boosts community social inclusiveness, collaboration, and equity. A resilience evaluation system helps to improve communities' ability to cope with climate change and possible future shocks and create a more livable environment. The session explores the evolutionary process, patterns, and mechanisms of urban resilience and the increased exposure of cities to climate risks and disruption. Child-friendly neighbourhoods can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase community resilience, and improve children's health and well-being, promoting resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change. 

Track 1.7: Acknowledge Urban Resilience and Social Inclusion

Evidence shows that urban resilience should be based on the culture of resource sharing, skills, and visions, using per-to-peer urban mentoring as a tool for effective governance and strengthening resilient urban transformation. This session explores traditional and modern climate responsive and adaptation method, reviewing the effect simulation of building height control on micro wind and thermal environment.

Track 1.8: Improve Accessibility and Inclusivity of Resilience and Carbon Neutrality

The session pays attention to understanding the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects that either allow or hinder social justice and human rights in built environment-related climate actions such as  decarbonisation of the built environment and public-private housing shift. There is a need for a certain synergy in addressing affordability and social issues of housing provision and environmental issues of climate actions, including decarbonisation policy. The three sectors with the most significant leverage in the early built environment life cycle are planning, finance and design. Advancement towards climate-responsive and equitable places and communities based on human rights is paramount. 

Track 1.9: Create Equal Opportunities for Achieving Resilience and Just Transition

The session discusses advancing a just transition in the built environment, striving for environmental (climate-responsive) and social (inclusive and equitable communities) outcomes. Case studies focus on climate-responsive planning for equitable places and communities, designing cities that consider climate mitigation, resilience, green and blue infrastructure, circular economy, promoting equity, green ecology and eco-friendly vehicles.

Track 1.10: Invest in Development of Sustainable Values

The session presents Land Value Capture Tools (e.g., Development Permit Fee) used to raise additional revenue channels towards climate change mitigation projects and infrastructure. Examining the potential land value capture mechanisms as a source of finance for developing green open spaces in transit-oriented development is significant. Sustainable urban finance is critical to address resilient urban infrastructure, such as mass rapid transit and the importance of integrating environmental and social considerations into the financial decision-making process in transportation infrastructure. Circular economy transition aligns with sustainable development and emphasises ecological outcomes and the attraction of knowledge capital to generate innovation and waste-to-wages enterprises of reuse organisations. Planners can support workforce-integrative reuse organisations to achieve inclusive workforce development and equity.

Track 1.11: Balance of Old and New Community Values

The session discusses the revitalization of urban air quality through innovative and proper land use planning strategies and ensuring sensitivity between air pollution and land use conformity to climate-responsive planning; leveraging green infrastructure solutions to achieve economic, social and ecological benefits by prioritizing climate-responsive projects through cost recovery of climate action measures and budget analysis, and securing funds for green infrastructure. The role of the Cities Climate Finance Gap Fund and Cities Finance Facility in bridging gaps and supporting bankable projects is vital. The session examines a methodology for assessing attributes contributing to urban smartness by integrating complex ecosystems, people, institutions, and their heritage in resilient, smart city planning and the potential workability of the fifteen-minute concept as an ideal for a sustainable quality of life.

Track 1.12: Use Local Values to Achieve Livability and Ecological Resilience

The session examines a combination of building height control systems of 'landscape corridor control plus high sensitivity analysis and microclimate adjustment based on the perspective of multidimensional development needs of historic urban areas and creating a livable setting by integrating outdoor/indoor environment, economy, and society through air quality audit. The session explores tapping into the wisdom of traditional villages to enhance livability and minimise deteriorating conditions created by climate change impacts, minimising the environmental and economic effects of urban heat island effect in marginalised urban areas. As evidence shows, Recreational Functional Units (RFU) based on multi-aged needs (elderly and young) can impact the well-being of residents and sustainable urban development. The session discusses proposed approaches for mapping flood-prone communities for intervention, adherence to building regulations and waterfront renewal strategies, assessing the vulnerability of people residing in flood-prone communities, flood disaster management, climate action and water-related nature-based solutions to manage climate adaptation.