Workshop

on Inclusive, Participatory and Accountable Approaches for Sustainable Urbanization

25 ~ 27 May 2022, Jeju, Republic of Korea – UNITAR CIFAL Jeju organized a virtual workshop on “Inclusive, Participatory and Accountable Approaches for Sustainable Urbanization” between 25 and 27 May 2022. The event invited 72 representatives, from the governmental sector along with private sector, NGOs and academia. They came from 19 countries including: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Demark, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

This three-day program consisted of expert lectures, cast study sharing both from the invited speakers and the workshop participants, and group activities using a facilitating tool, the UNITAR-developed CityShare methodology. The program explored progress of the global urbanization in different perspectives including population density and environmental sustainability, as well as the New Urban Agenda, the global initiative and framework for a better and more sustainable future, while delving into what urban planning should consider, how these considerations can be reflected in the policy direction, and what should be done to address the threats and challenges for the transition towards inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities.

For more effective virtual interaction among fellow participants, this workshop made use of Gather, an avatar-based, virtual gathering space where the participants were able to feel the actual ambience of the in-person workshop. In addition to expert lectures, there were three case study sharing sessions where the participants were given the opportunity to understand sustainable urban development projects put in practice in terms of private sector, climate resilience and urban regeneration experience. In particular, the participants expressed a keen interest in Jeju’s urban regeneration project, which was shared through a video clip. The video introduces and explores Jeju Original Downtown's urban regeneration projects from the perspective of young citizens including an insightful interview with the Director of Jeju Urban Regeneration Center.

In order to make the event as insightful and resourceful as ever, the program invited speakers and case study presenters from different sectors: Dr. Bharat Dahiya(Director of Research Centre for Sustainable Development and Innovation at the School of Global Studies/Thammasat University), Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Memon(Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency and SWITCH-Asia RPAC Project Manager United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific), Joris van Etten(Senior Urban Development Specialist/Asian Development Bank), Rajeev Malagi(Manager, Urban Development/Sustainable Cities, World Resources Institute India), Jiyoung Jo(PR/Communications Executive, ING Media), and Helmi Abidin(Disaster Risk Reduction/Resilience Coordinator, United Cities and Local Government(UCLG) Asia Pacific).