POST-pandemic resilience and sustainability will be major talking points at this year’s 13th International Conference on World Class Sustainable Cities 2022 (WCSC 2022).
Themed ‘‘KL2040: Towards a Liveable Urban Future”, the conference will focus on and explore the proactive steps needed to make cities “resilient, sustainable and liveable”.
Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) president Datin Noraida Saludin said while the Covid-19 pandemic was a disruption to city planning in many ways, the priority was figuring out ways to overcome such challenges.
“We must find ways to rise above and build back to achieve a better quality of life.
“This includes areas of affordability, housing, mobility and vibrant public spaces, among others,” she said at the launch of this year’s conference.
WCSC 2022 is set to be held on Sept 13, at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur Hotel.
It is organised by MIP, Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) and the Kuala Lumpur chapter of Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia (Rehda KL), and supported by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
International and Malaysian speakers at the one-day event are Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, Melbourne mayor Sally Capp, Turenscape founder and principal designer Kongjian Yu, Brisbane City Council chief planner Dyan Currie and DBKL executive director (planning) Datuk Sulaiman Mohamed.
WCSC 2022 organising chairman Chan Jin-Wy said Kuala Lumpur was set to embark on an important planning policy direction through its new Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2040.
“Moving forward, Kuala Lumpur and other major cities will need to plan and prepare a comprehensive blueprint to face challenges resulting from the new normal in terms of climate change, technology disruptions and demographic changes, among other considerations.
“The conference series will be a constructive and inclusive platform for participants to engage in active discourse and understand the best city practices around the world,” he explained.
Of importance would be to understand and localise the ideas and suggestions presented at the conference, said PAM president Assoc Prof Sarly Adre Sarkum.
“This is a platform where participants can explore each idea’s suitability and practicality with our own unique context.”
As part of the WCSC 2022 programme, concurrent events and activities being organised include WCSC 2022 MasterClass workshops facilitated by conference speakers, WCSC 2022 Photography Competition with attractive cash prizes, and the Young People’s Lab 2022 workshop targeted at youths.
For details, visit www.wcsckl.com