Source: UrbanismNZ
The timely revival of the UrbanismNZ Conference – set to take place in Auckland this week on Thursday and Friday (27-28 April) – will shine a light on the diverse contributions that urban designers make to shaping New Zealand’s ever-changing urban form, say Urban Design Forum co-chairs Lisa Mein and Ekin Sakin.
“The Urban Design Forum is proud to be a founding industry partner and supporter of this event, alongside conference sponsors Waka Kotahi and Kāinga Ora,” say Lisa and Ekin.
“This event is an opportunity to combine our best urban thinking through multiple lenses and across a variety of urban settings and issues in housing, community development, transport and mana whenua perspectives.
“Given Aotearoa NZ is currently in a period of generational change in the urban development sector this is an especially timely event, and will also focus on the challenges that keep coming at us from climate change impacts such as the flooding in Auckland earlier this year.
Last held in Wellington in 2018, the UrbanismNZ 2023 event will feature more than 80 speakers and panelists, including guest speakers from Australia, The Netherlands, Denmark and the USA.
The event is expected to bring a record number of urban designers together – along with architects, urban planners, academics, researchers, engineers, public sector experts and property developers.
The UrbanismNZ event sets itself apart by being focused on updating and releasing a Statement on Aotearoa Urbanism. This year’s Statement will be updated and refined at a workshop on Saturday 29 April, sponsored by Isthmus, and the Statement will then be more widely released. It will be informed by outcomes from the conference and its four connecting themes: Mana-enhancement, Liveable Communities (sponsored by GHD), Regenerative urbanism (sponsored by Beca) and Integration (sponsored by Urban Design Forum).
