MANILA, Philippines - The University of the Philippines School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP SURP) and Japan’s Kyushu University Faculty of Design (KYUDAI), supported by the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID), are holding their first International Conference on Green Urbanism with the theme “Planning Greener Cities” from October 18 to 20 at Heritage Hotel Manila, Pasay City. The conference seeks to showcase harmony in diversity, considering the numerous ways to green a city. It is structured into five sessions, namely: Green Cities, Green Architecture, Environmentally Sustainable Transport, Green Infrastructure, and Developing Climate- and Disaster-Resilient Urban Centers. These themes reflect the diverse facets of cities where green practices can be incorporated to gain multiple benefits.
Speakers from the Philippines and Japan as well as from Australia, England, France, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and USA will present selected case studies illustrating principles and trailblazing green urbanism and climate change adaptation practices.
In the Exhibits Section, the conference will showcase knowledge products, technology, and services that adhere to green and sustainable principles.
The UP SURP aims to promote green urbanism as a strategy for urban planning and to develop climate change adaptation capacities among various sectors of the city. The advocacy is further geared towards the establishment of a Center for Green Urbanism in the Philippines in cooperation with KYUDAI and Australia’s University of South Australia (UNISA). The center will conduct studies, capacity building programs and provide technical assistance in integrating green urbanism principles in planning and developing properties, as well as transform urban landscapes into more sustainable, climate-adaptive, and disaster-resilient areas.
For more information, call the Conference Secretariat at the Research and Publications Unit of the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila at telephone number (632)981-8500 local 4801; telefax (632)926- 2120; URL: http://surp.upd.edu.ph; e-mail surpresearch@gmail.com.