Track 3.1: Invest in Socially Just Development
The session investigates how redevelopment plans centred on public spaces can increase city equity by presenting tools and applications to include different social groups and support evidence-based decisions for investment in public spaces. The session explores the social return on investment as a tool for urban planning, presents how to incorporate local community perspectives in the public space of cultural districts and analyse how to unravel inequality in urban park developments and improve greenway experiences for long-term social responsibility.
Track 3.2: Invest in Health and Wellbeing
Urban health and well-being for all are becoming paramount in city planning and design. The session presents research findings on how an optimal design of built environment elements and consideration of climate conditions, especially in severe cold regions, and particular importance to alleviate the emotional stress of citizens and university students. The design of public spaces under the guidance of emotional health is a new and promising approach. Access to quality healthcare and providing decision-making precursors for planners and policymakers in their future healthcare planning is also debated by looking at different regions of China. The session also includes papers analysing the characteristics of people of all ages and the diverse demands of healing spaces, as well as evidence for equitable governance of social and spatial aspects of shrinking cities from a socio-spatial perspective.
Track 3.3: Invest in Strengthening Urban Resilience
Climate change adaptation and resilience require inclusive and people-centred interventions and actions. This session explores the intersections of social resilience, governance, ecosystem services and ecological networks in the context of climate change adaptation. The session will further highlight how these different factors interact to influence the ability of societies and cities towards adoption and the ability to recover from the impacts of climate and environmental change.
Track 3.4: Improve Investment Strategies
Urban finance supports the transformation of cities and provides the necessary resources for the economic sustainability of urban developments. This session focuses on Asian perspectives on how cities in China and India. The session will begin with an overview of the role of urban finance in Chinese cities' transformation, present how data could be used for financing resilience, and explain metrics of evaluation of resilience, food sufficiency, and assets in regions and urban communities.
Track 3.5: Invest in Safety and Food Security
Urban disaster management is the systematic approach to mitigate the impact of disasters on residents and infrastructures, involving preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience-building strategies to handle natural or human-made catastrophes like earthquakes, floods, fires, and pandemics. The session focuses on food security in urban areas and ensuring all residents have reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food. Effective food security measures entail promoting urban agriculture, improving food storage and distribution systems, enhancing community awareness, and fostering sustainable practices.
Track 3.6: Invest in Climate Adaptation and Decarbonisation
Strategic assessment of urban development assists in identifying the long-term and medium-term needs associated with climate change and its impact. This session will investigate methods, strategies, tools and ways across different geographical scales. The session begins with a strategic assessment of private transport, bike sharing and deep dive into the use of heat vulnerability assessment and morphology assessment to improve the resilience of cities.
Track 3.7: Invest in Urban Regeneration and Decarbonisation
Sustainable urban regeneration and city modelling are vital approaches to creating environmentally friendly and livable cities. The session focuses on revitalising existing urban areas to improve their economic, social, and environmental conditions, historic urban renewal and promoting green infrastructure. City modelling employs data analysis to optimise urban systems and allows urban planners to make informed decisions about resource allocation, transportation networks and energy efficiency. Urban regeneration and city modelling are crucial in creating resilient cities prioritising ecological balance, social inclusivity, and economic prosperity. These approaches are vital in shaping urban environments for generations to come.
Track 3.8: Invest in Mobility and Public Spaces
This session covers the different evaluation practices to decide on strategic investment in transport, public space, and urban regeneration at multiple city, town and metropolis scales. The session gives an overview of the evaluation of transit investments for long-term feasibility, analysis of urban regeneration schemes for towns, and assessing public spaces around government buildings. It investigates how to increase funding for electric mobility in large cities.
Track 3.9: Invest in Respecting Culture, Green, Diversity and Local Values
The session explores the topic of regeneration and revitalization by looking at examples from all around the world. From the success experiences of the European cities of Porto and Timisoara demonstrating the potential of cultural investments as a tool for economic and social development, it moves to Asia, in Jakarta, to discuss how the demand for green-certified buildings is continuously growing as investors, occupiers, and talents are currently more aware of urban sustainability's importance. Then it touches on Bangkok's mixed-use project development, aiming at increasing sustainability for the city and better quality of life without ignoring local communities. It ends in China, discussing how rural revitalization has shifted from government leadership to capital investment and implications in local villages.
Track 3.10: Invest in Healthy and Eco-balanced Development
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing cities worldwide. It continues to cause significant impacts on ecosystems, health and water resources. This session will therefore explore the impacts of climate action, investment and governance in addressing the challenges of climate change. The session features presentations providing insights and critical mitigation and adaptation actions findings. The presentations will cover different case studies and contexts, highlighting the role of governance and investment in mitigating climate change impacts.
Track 3.11: Invest in Inclusive and Just Development
The session focuses on urban development and spatial justice planning as intertwined concepts to create inclusive cities. Urban development focuses on improving urban areas' physical, social, environmental and economic aspects. It involves constructing infrastructure, providing public services, and enhancing the quality of life for all residents. Spatial justice planning emphasizes an equal distribution of resources and opportunities in cities and addresses spatial inequalities. By integrating these approaches, urban development can be guided by principles of justice, accessibility, and social cohesion, ensuring that cities are designed to meet inhabitants' needs, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.