2020 has been an extraordinary year. The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world, leaving a deep imprint in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people. By December 23rd, the total number of new cases in the world has exceeded 78 million, still without a clear sign of overall containment. What’s more, experts have stressed that it is necessary to prepare for long-term coexistence with the virus. In a time when information exchange and transportation mobility are extremely convenient and the inter-dependence between human beings reaches an unprecedented level, the spreading risks of non-traditional security threats such as major infectious diseases has also reached an unparalleled speed and scope, regardless of country, race or degree of development. This largely greatly increases the uncertainty in the world and becomes a great challenge facing mankind together. Meanwhile, the urge to restore economic growth will further push up carbon emissions and exacerbate the challenges of the climate crisis. Encountering this sudden major test, in addition to fighting the virus against the clock, we also need to gather wisdom and strength from all aspects, and promote global cooperation and mutual support, so as to think quickly in the crisis, make firm progress in reflection, and grasp the future in action.
As the world enters the urban era, the higher spatial density of population and agglomeration of industry accelerates the spread of the virus. However, it is also worth noting that advanced ideas and multiple resources are also converging in cities, and more innovative strategies and solutions will be produced in cities. The importance of the city has de facto been pushed to a new high, and the sustainable development of the city is our common and urgent goal. Every major crisis in human history has constantly proved and reminded us that rapidly reducing negative impacts, active adaptation, recovery, prediction and changes are key. It requires us to act decisively at the moment, based on our imagination of the future, so as to turn a crisis into opportunities. The UN Habitat 2020-2023 Strategic Plan further emphasises the need to achieve key changes in the new context, and pave the way towards shared prosperity, better quality of life, low-carbon development and resilient development.
The University Research Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (UES) of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University focuses on the environmental, economic, social and health changes brought about by urbanisation, and explores a more intelligent, sustainable and high-quality development paradigm. Since February 2020, it has invited 12 international scholars, experts from international organisations and urban management practitioners in Asia, Europe and America to establish dialogues, share views and explore paths in the form of questions and answers, which have been released to the world via online platforms in both English and Chinese throughout the year. Among these 11 dialogues (in English) have been compiled , covering comprehensive topics related to epidemic management, regional planning, urban resilience, healthy cities, community governance, smart development, economic recovery, land and housing, urban finance and so on. Incorporating varied fields such as the urban planning, spatial design, governance approaches and technological breakthroughs, the future development of the cities is conceived in a diversified and forward-looking manner. Facing the common destiny and challenges of mankind, and combining both international vision and local depth, this global expert dialogue series is aimed to collide with new thinking and contribute to the development of healthy, liveable and sustainable cities.
Dr Yunqing Xu
Director, University Research Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies
Yuelai Liu, Associate Professor at Tongji University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Director of the Experimental Center for Community Garden and Community Creation, Co-founder & Director of Shanghai Clover Nature School Teenager Nature Experience Service Center. He is dedicated to the teaching, research and practices of landscape planning, community garden, community planning and has been utilising community gardens as experimental bases for participatory planning and community autonomy on landscape construction, and facilitating grassroots community autonomy within diverse governance mechanisms in Shanghai.
Dr. Miao Xu holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. She acts as an enterprise mentor for master’s students at Tianjin University and a committee member of the Resilient City Council (RCC) of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies (CSUS). She is the partner at MM&Partners, and previously was the General Coordinator and Technical Director for Sweco China. She is a registered first-class architect and a senior engineer in China, specialising in sustainable development planning and sustainability research. She has 21 years of professional experience, including 13 years at international companies and 16 years on local projects.
Lv Zhong is the Chief Engineer of the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute, Professor-level Senior Engineer, Vice President of the Garden and Landscape Design Branch of the China Survey and Design Association, Executive President of the Shanghai Sustainable Development Research Association. She has pioneered the theory of “Landsenses Space,” which focuses on the cognitive research of experiential scenarios, emphasising the relationships between people and the place, people and nature, and people and urban values. Her work has been dedicated to the creation of a series of composite experiential public spaces for cities.
Liwen Chen is the founder of “Zero Waste Village”. She has started to work for environmental NGOs since early 2009. From 2009 to August 2015, she worked at the Beijing Global Village and the Nature University, focusing on environmental health and waste issues. From August 2015 to May 2017, she took another master programme of environmental science at the University of Southern California. After returning to China, she began to practice waste sorting in multiple rural areas, including Nanyu Village of Baoding, Hebei Province, Xicai Village and Dashaosi Village of Cangzhou, Hebei Province, Mazhai Village of Jinhua, Zhejiang Province and Xicheng Town of Xian County, Hebei Province.
Prof. Changchun Feng is Boya Professor at Peking University, Professor at the School of Urban and Environmental Studies, the Vice President of the Capital Development Institute, the Director of the Future Cities Laboratory, the Director of the Key Laboratory for Territorial Spatial Planning and Development and Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Head of the Territorial Planning and Development Innovation Team of the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as a member of the Urbanization Expert Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
Dr Yawei Chen is an assistant professor in Urban Development Management at Department of Management in the Built Environment, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. She developed her expertise in understanding the development strategies and governance innovation in cities using urban mega projects to pursue industrial transition towards a knowledge-based economy. Her studies cover urban transition strategies, land policy, financialisation, public-private collaboration, community participation and sustainability of the urban mega project in Chinese cities.
Doctor of University of Northumbria, Former Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Dr. O’Brien has retired from the City parliament in 2019. During his term of office, through the formulation of energy policy, the construction of low-carbon city and the promotion of green technology, Newcastle has become one of the most sustainable cities in Britain and even Europe, and enjoying a high reputation in Europe. His book The Future of Energy Use is now an essential bibliography for UK energy policy makers. In China, he also directed the Youth Olympic Games · Nanjing 58 km long waterfront scenic belt renovation project.
Head of digital health China, Department for international trade, British Consulate General Shanghai. Former senior manager for KPMG Life science sector advisory business development. Member of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) with MBA from Macquarie University. Supporting bilateral trade and investment of medical companies with ambitions to develop solutions in areas such as AI image analysis, clinical diagnostic decision support, online consultations, and remote patient monitoring.
Professor Mark Boyle is the Director of the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy Practice and Place at the University of Liverpool. The Institute brings together academic expertise with policy-makers and practitioners to support the development of sustainable and inclusive cities and city regions in the process of regeneration, including Liverpool City Region.Professor Mark Boyle is a trained human geographer, his research pivots around urban studies and urban policy. In 2017, he was ranked in the top 50 most productive scholars in Geography and Urban Studies in the world across the preceding 20 years. He is also editor in chief of the Journal Taylor and Francis Journal Space and Polity.
Dr. Steffen Lehmann is an internationally recognized educator, scholar, author, urban designer, and strategic leader. He is Director of the UNLV School of Architecture and tenured full Professor of Architecture. He is also Co-Director of the interdisciplinary Urban Futures Lab, and CEO of the Future Cities Leadership Lab (see www.city-leadership.com). He was the inaugural Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Urban Development for the Asia-Pacific Region, and has held senior positions in several universities across Europe, Asia and America. Before establishing his own practice Steffen Lehmann Architekten & Staedtebau GmbH in 1993 in Berlin, he worked with Pritzker-Prize winners James Stirling in London and Arata Isozaki in Tokyo.
Mr Chen Qining is currently the Board Member, President of State & City Planning Consultants Pte Ltd (China). He has more than 30 years of urban and regional planning experience. He had worked in Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee. During 1994 to 2004, he was involved in the planning and development of the 70sqkm SIP. Prior to that, he worked Jiangsu Province Planning Design Institute. His expertise includes strategic consulting, concept plan, master planning, detailed planning and operational planning etc.
Geoff is the Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity and United Nations Non-Governmental Organisation that uses the ethics of sport and artistic excellence to help disaffected and disadvantaged young people and communities globally. He was the World heavyweight karate champion between 1982 and 1986. In 1995 he was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sport. He has worked on assignments for United Nations agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, WHO and the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace as well as the FIFA, Commonwealth Secretariat and Swiss Agency for Development.
Mr.Geoffrey Payne is a housing and urban development consultant. He founded Geoffrey Payne and Associates in 1995 after many years as an academic (e.g. Oxford Brookes University) and has since undertaken research, consultancy and capacity building assignments in all regions of the world for a wide range of international development agencies (e.g. World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNDP), governments and academic institutions. He has published widely and contributed to numerous international conferences. He is currently a member of the RTPI International committee and adviser to the President of the UK Built Environment Advisory Group.
Mr. S. Ananthakrishnan has over 37 years of experience in international development work, including over 15 years of work with the UN in Nairobi Kenya (UNEP and UN Habitat) engaged in urban youth empowerment initiatives, policy and research, advocacy, program management and development and implementation of projects. Currently, engaged as the co-chair of Urban Economy Forum, looking at the ways and means to strengthen the economies of cities and towns to deliver services including in the health sector. Completed a number of assignments and initiatives for international organisations (e.g. World Bank) and national governments (e.g. Nigeria, China, Norway) on Crisis Recovery Assessment, Youth Entrepreneurship Award, Clean and Safe Energy, Urban Basic Services and so on. He is also the editor of the Chinese/English bilingual magazine UNITY (UN Initiative and Technology for the Youth).
Dr Yi Zou is a Lecturer at Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He received his Ph.D. from University College London, and worked as postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He was awarded as the “Jiangsu Province Innovation & Entrepreneurship Talent Program” and “Outstanding Educator of Suzhou”. His research interests include landscape ecology, biodiversity, insect pollination and biological control services. He is teaching Research Design, Global Change Ecology courses.
Janaka Jayawickrama is a professor of Social Anthropology at College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University. He is the Director of Research Centre for Health and Wellbeing, and used to be an advisor to the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit. He has been providing consultation to the United Nations and international organisations on humanitarian affairs and development projects. His research areas mainly focus on health and wellbeing, ancient knowledge systems, humanitarianism, and concepts of care within disasters, conflicts, and uneven development.
Preface
2020 has been an extraordinary year. The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world, leaving a deep imprint in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people. By December 23rd, the total number of new cases in the world has exceeded 78 million, still without a clear sign of overall containment. What’s more, experts have stressed that it is necessary to prepare for long-term coexistence with the virus. In a time when information exchange and transportation mobility are extremely convenient and the inter-dependence between human beings reaches an unprecedented level, the spreading risks of non-traditional security threats such as major infectious diseases has also reached an unparalleled speed and scope, regardless of country, race or degree of development. This largely greatly increases the uncertainty in the world and becomes a great challenge facing mankind together. Meanwhile, the urge to restore economic growth will further push up carbon emissions and exacerbate the challenges of the climate crisis. Encountering this sudden major test, in addition to fighting the virus against the clock, we also need to gather wisdom and strength from all aspects, and promote global cooperation and mutual support, so as to think quickly in the crisis, make firm progress in reflection, and grasp the future in action.
As the world enters the urban era, the higher spatial density of population and agglomeration of industry accelerates the spread of the virus. However, it is also worth noting that advanced ideas and multiple resources are also converging in cities, and more innovative strategies and solutions will be produced in cities. The importance of the city has de facto been pushed to a new high, and the sustainable development of the city is our common and urgent goal. Every major crisis in human history has constantly proved and reminded us that rapidly reducing negative impacts, active adaptation, recovery, prediction and changes are key. It requires us to act decisively at the moment, based on our imagination of the future, so as to turn a crisis into opportunities. The UN Habitat 2020-2023 Strategic Plan further emphasises the need to achieve key changes in the new context, and pave the way towards shared prosperity, better quality of life, low-carbon development and resilient development.
The University Research Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (UES) of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University focuses on the environmental, economic, social and health changes brought about by urbanisation, and explores a more intelligent, sustainable and high-quality development paradigm. Since February 2020, it has invited 12 international scholars, experts from international organisations and urban management practitioners in Asia, Europe and America to establish dialogues, share views and explore paths in the form of questions and answers, which have been released to the world via online platforms in both English and Chinese throughout the year. Among these 11 dialogues (in English) have been compiled , covering comprehensive topics related to epidemic management, regional planning, urban resilience, healthy cities, community governance, smart development, economic recovery, land and housing, urban finance and so on. Incorporating varied fields such as the urban planning, spatial design, governance approaches and technological breakthroughs, the future development of the cities is conceived in a diversified and forward-looking manner. Facing the common destiny and challenges of mankind, and combining both international vision and local depth, this global expert dialogue series is aimed to collide with new thinking and contribute to the development of healthy, liveable and sustainable cities.
Dr Yunqing Xu
Director, University Research Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies
2020.12.23
DR. Yuelai Liu
Yuelai Liu, Associate Professor at Tongji University’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Director of the Experimental Center for Community Garden and Community Creation, Co-founder & Director of Shanghai Clover Nature School Teenager Nature Experience Service Center. He is dedicated to the teaching, research and practices of landscape planning, community garden, community planning and has been utilising community gardens as experimental bases for participatory planning and community autonomy on landscape construction, and facilitating grassroots community autonomy within diverse governance mechanisms in Shanghai.
TOPIC: Community Self-governance
DR. Miao Xu
Dr. Miao Xu holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Studies from the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. She acts as an enterprise mentor for master’s students at Tianjin University and a committee member of the Resilient City Council (RCC) of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies (CSUS). She is the partner at MM&Partners, and previously was the General Coordinator and Technical Director for Sweco China. She is a registered first-class architect and a senior engineer in China, specialising in sustainable development planning and sustainability research. She has 21 years of professional experience, including 13 years at international companies and 16 years on local projects.
TOPIC: Low Carbon Strategies and Practices
MS. Lv Zhong
Lv Zhong is the Chief Engineer of the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute, Professor-level Senior Engineer, Vice President of the Garden and Landscape Design Branch of the China Survey and Design Association, Executive President of the Shanghai Sustainable Development Research Association. She has pioneered the theory of “Landsenses Space,” which focuses on the cognitive research of experiential scenarios, emphasising the relationships between people and the place, people and nature, and people and urban values. Her work has been dedicated to the creation of a series of composite experiential public spaces for cities.
TOPIC: Landsenses Space and Urban Design
MS. Liwen Chen
Liwen Chen is the founder of “Zero Waste Village”. She has started to work for environmental NGOs since early 2009. From 2009 to August 2015, she worked at the Beijing Global Village and the Nature University, focusing on environmental health and waste issues. From August 2015 to May 2017, she took another master programme of environmental science at the University of Southern California. After returning to China, she began to practice waste sorting in multiple rural areas, including Nanyu Village of Baoding, Hebei Province, Xicai Village and Dashaosi Village of Cangzhou, Hebei Province, Mazhai Village of Jinhua, Zhejiang Province and Xicheng Town of Xian County, Hebei Province.
TOPIC: Waste Management
PROF. Changchun Feng
Prof. Changchun Feng is Boya Professor at Peking University, Professor at the School of Urban and Environmental Studies, the Vice President of the Capital Development Institute, the Director of the Future Cities Laboratory, the Director of the Key Laboratory for Territorial Spatial Planning and Development and Conservation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Head of the Territorial Planning and Development Innovation Team of the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as a member of the Urbanization Expert Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
TOPIC: Climate Change and Regional Coordination
DR. Yawei Chen
Dr Yawei Chen is an assistant professor in Urban Development Management at Department of Management in the Built Environment, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. She developed her expertise in understanding the development strategies and governance innovation in cities using urban mega projects to pursue industrial transition towards a knowledge-based economy. Her studies cover urban transition strategies, land policy, financialisation, public-private collaboration, community participation and sustainability of the urban mega project in Chinese cities.
TOPIC: Urban Redevelopment
DR. Geoffrey O’Bien
Doctor of University of Northumbria, Former Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Dr. O’Brien has retired from the City parliament in 2019. During his term of office, through the formulation of energy policy, the construction of low-carbon city and the promotion of green technology, Newcastle has become one of the most sustainable cities in Britain and even Europe, and enjoying a high reputation in Europe. His book The Future of Energy Use is now an essential bibliography for UK energy policy makers. In China, he also directed the Youth Olympic Games · Nanjing 58 km long waterfront scenic belt renovation project.
TOPIC: 21st Century Crisis
MR. Timothy Johns
Head of digital health China, Department for international trade, British Consulate General Shanghai. Former senior manager for KPMG Life science sector advisory business development. Member of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) with MBA from Macquarie University. Supporting bilateral trade and investment of medical companies with ambitions to develop solutions in areas such as AI image analysis, clinical diagnostic decision support, online consultations, and remote patient monitoring.
TOPIC: Digital Health
PROF. Mark Boyle
Professor Mark Boyle is the Director of the Heseltine Institute for Public Policy Practice and Place at the University of Liverpool. The Institute brings together academic expertise with policy-makers and practitioners to support the development of sustainable and inclusive cities and city regions in the process of regeneration, including Liverpool City Region.Professor Mark Boyle is a trained human geographer, his research pivots around urban studies and urban policy. In 2017, he was ranked in the top 50 most productive scholars in Geography and Urban Studies in the world across the preceding 20 years. He is also editor in chief of the Journal Taylor and Francis Journal Space and Polity.
TOPIC: Liverpool Experience
PROF. Steffen Lehmann
Dr. Steffen Lehmann is an internationally recognized educator, scholar, author, urban designer, and strategic leader. He is Director of the UNLV School of Architecture and tenured full Professor of Architecture. He is also Co-Director of the interdisciplinary Urban Futures Lab, and CEO of the Future Cities Leadership Lab (see www.city-leadership.com). He was the inaugural Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable Urban Development for the Asia-Pacific Region, and has held senior positions in several universities across Europe, Asia and America. Before establishing his own practice Steffen Lehmann Architekten & Staedtebau GmbH in 1993 in Berlin, he worked with Pritzker-Prize winners James Stirling in London and Arata Isozaki in Tokyo.
TOPIC: Urban Space
MR. Chen Qining
Mr Chen Qining is currently the Board Member, President of State & City Planning Consultants Pte Ltd (China). He has more than 30 years of urban and regional planning experience. He had worked in Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee. During 1994 to 2004, he was involved in the planning and development of the 70sqkm SIP. Prior to that, he worked Jiangsu Province Planning Design Institute. His expertise includes strategic consulting, concept plan, master planning, detailed planning and operational planning etc.
TOPIC: Healthy City
MR. Geoff Thompson MBE FRSA DL
Geoff is the Founder and Chair of the Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity and United Nations Non-Governmental Organisation that uses the ethics of sport and artistic excellence to help disaffected and disadvantaged young people and communities globally. He was the World heavyweight karate champion between 1982 and 1986. In 1995 he was awarded an MBE by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for his services to sport. He has worked on assignments for United Nations agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, WHO and the UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace as well as the FIFA, Commonwealth Secretariat and Swiss Agency for Development.
TOPIC: Sporting Ecosystem
MR. Geoffrey Payne
Mr.Geoffrey Payne is a housing and urban development consultant. He founded Geoffrey Payne and Associates in 1995 after many years as an academic (e.g. Oxford Brookes University) and has since undertaken research, consultancy and capacity building assignments in all regions of the world for a wide range of international development agencies (e.g. World Bank, UN-Habitat, UNDP), governments and academic institutions. He has published widely and contributed to numerous international conferences. He is currently a member of the RTPI International committee and adviser to the President of the UK Built Environment Advisory Group.
TOPIC: Living City
MR. S. Ananthakrishnan
Mr. S. Ananthakrishnan has over 37 years of experience in international development work, including over 15 years of work with the UN in Nairobi Kenya (UNEP and UN Habitat) engaged in urban youth empowerment initiatives, policy and research, advocacy, program management and development and implementation of projects. Currently, engaged as the co-chair of Urban Economy Forum, looking at the ways and means to strengthen the economies of cities and towns to deliver services including in the health sector. Completed a number of assignments and initiatives for international organisations (e.g. World Bank) and national governments (e.g. Nigeria, China, Norway) on Crisis Recovery Assessment, Youth Entrepreneurship Award, Clean and Safe Energy, Urban Basic Services and so on. He is also the editor of the Chinese/English bilingual magazine UNITY (UN Initiative and Technology for the Youth).
TOPIC: Urban Resilience
DR. Yi Zou
Dr Yi Zou is a Lecturer at Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He received his Ph.D. from University College London, and worked as postdoctoral researcher at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He was awarded as the “Jiangsu Province Innovation & Entrepreneurship Talent Program” and “Outstanding Educator of Suzhou”. His research interests include landscape ecology, biodiversity, insect pollination and biological control services. He is teaching Research Design, Global Change Ecology courses.
TOPIC: Prediction Modelling
PROF. Janaka Jayawickrama
Janaka Jayawickrama is a professor of Social Anthropology at College of Liberal Arts, Shanghai University. He is the Director of Research Centre for Health and Wellbeing, and used to be an advisor to the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit. He has been providing consultation to the United Nations and international organisations on humanitarian affairs and development projects. His research areas mainly focus on health and wellbeing, ancient knowledge systems, humanitarianism, and concepts of care within disasters, conflicts, and uneven development.
TOPIC: Community Wellbeing