The Delphi Conversation II - Rapid Urbanization and the New Urban Agenda
"The Delphi Conversations" series is a combination of urbanism issues that will tackle design and planning for social diversity, i.e. the different ways that public space enables (or hinders) social diversity.
The second Delphi Conversation on December 13, 2017 focused on the thematic issue of ‘Rapid Urbanization and the rolling out of the New Urban Agenda’.
In light of the demographic pressures that cities are facing today, especially those found in the global south, and following the successful adoption of the New Urban Agenda at Habitat III in Quito Ecuador last year, the current topic dominating the urban discourse is the mobilization and implementation of the commonly agreed upon goals outlined in the New Urban Agenda. The unanimous adoption of the New Urban Agenda indicates that there is little disagreement when it comes to the challenges that cities are facing today. However, when it comes to addressing such challenges, in the face of rapid social, economic, political and demographic changes, it is difficult to find common territory; this was made clear during the Preparatory Committee meetings leading up to Habitat III. It is precisely because of this lack of consensus that the Centre for the Future of Places endeavors to assemble some of the leading experts in this area.
The panelists were:
- Cecilia Martinez, Former Director of UN-Habitat, New York Office
- Michael Mehaffy, Senior Researcher, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
- Kunlé Adeyemi, Founder/ Principal of NLÉ Architects
- Viktoria Walldin, Anthropologist, White Arkitekter Kyle Farrell, Centre for the Future of Places, KTH