Chinese Urban Planning Community Makes First Collective Appearance at WUF Urban Expo

Introduction

The 12th World Urban Forum (WUF12) was grandly held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo from November 4 to 8, 2024. On the morning of November 4, the opening ceremony of the Urban Expo, a crucial component of the forum, took place. The Urban Expo serves as a platform for UN member states and regions to share knowledge, enhance capabilities, build connections, and explore solutions to urban challenges. This year, the Chinese Urban Planning Society (CUPS) made its first appearance at the World Urban Forum in collaboration with several international organizations.

On the morning of November 4, the Urban Expo of the 12th World Urban Forum was inaugurated in Cairo, Egypt, with the unveiling by UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach, among others. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach visited the Urban Expo.

Opening Ceremony of the 12th World Urban Forum Urban Expo©Daily News Egypt website, Osman Ahmed Osman & Co. website

As a vital part of the World Urban Forum, the Urban Expo provides a platform for UN member states and regions to share knowledge, enhance capabilities, build connections, and explore solutions to urban challenges. The Expo is divided into five main sections: National and City Pavilions, UN and International Organization Zones, Academic Zones, Social Zones, and Private Sector Zones. This year's Urban Expo featured participants from 52 countries and 136 international and local organizations and institutions.

At this year's Urban Expo, the Chinese Urban Planning Society (CUPS) collaborated with the Italian Society of Urban Space Architecture, the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), and the American Planning Association (APA) to set up a booth, marking the first time CUPS has participated in the event.

Theme of the Exhibition: "Planning Values in Cities with Adequate Homes and Public Spaces for All." The exhibition introduced planning work from various countries, highlighting the positive roles of planning in sustainable housing, improving slum conditions, enhancing spatial efficiency, smart city transitions, climate change adaptation, and improving public spaces.

Representatives of the Chinese Urban Planning Society and ISOCARP pose for a photo at the booth (Photographed by the CUPS delegation)

The exhibition introduced the basics of Chinese planning through videos, systematically presenting the history, organizational structure, and major activities of the Chinese Urban Planning Society. It also promoted the society's journal, China City Planning Review, and the Human Settlements magazine, published by the Beijing Information Office of UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Exhibition showcasing the Chinese Urban Planning Society (Photographed by the CUPS delegation)

To better showcase China's achievements and strengths in the field of planning, the society specifically collaborated with renowned domestic planning institutions, including the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design, Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute, Jiangsu Provincial Urban Planning & Design Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial Urban & Rural Planning & Design Research Institute, Beijing Urban Planning & Design Research Institute, Guangzhou Urban Planning Survey & Design Research Institute, Shanghai Tongji Urban Planning & Design Research Institute, Shenzhen Planning & Design Institute, Shenzhen Lay-out Planning & Design Consulting Co., Ltd., Chengdu Urban Planning & Design Research Institute, Wuhan Urban Planning & Design Research Institute, and Shenyang Urban Planning & Design Research Institute. These institutions were showcased to provide a platform for Chinese planning institutions to go global.

The exhibition also covered the development and construction of planning schools at universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Tongji University, Southeast University, Nanjing University, South China University of Technology, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Tianjin University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Chinese Planning Enterprises and Institutions (Photographed by the CUPS delegation)

To meet the demand of attendees to learn about China's urban planning and construction, the society's booth specifically introduced outstanding planning and design achievements from various units, as well as case studies from cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hefei, Shenyang, Baoji, and Jingdezhen.

Achievements in the construction of "pocket parks" in Shenyang

Planning Values in Cities with Adequate Homes and Public Spaces for All

First Joint Exhibition by the Chinese Urban Planning Society and Multiple International Organizations

Attendees Visit the Booth

Attendees visiting the society's booth (Photographed by the CUPS delegation)

Photographed by the CUPS delegation

Other exhibits from China include WUPEN, the Park City Index Research Institute, the Shanghai World Cities Day Office, the Chinese Society for Sustainable Development, and the School of Architecture at Southeast University.

The first collective appearance of the Chinese urban planning community at the World Urban Forum's Urban Expo has expanded the international influence of China's planning industry and created opportunities for "Chinese Planning" to go global.

What Would You Like to See in Your City?

Wish Wall in the Corridor

Attendees write their visions for the city

Photographed by the CUPS delegation

Urban Expo

Sharing Knowledge, Enhancing Capabilities, Building Connections, Exploring Solutions to Urban Challenges

Urban Expo Venue © Daily News Egypt website, Osman Ahmed Osman & Co. website

Highlights of WUF12

Highlights of the event ©UN-Habitat, IISD

Edited by Jiangyu Chen with reference to https://enb.iisd.org/world-urban-forum-wuf12-4Nov2024