KL to play host to the International World Class Sustainable Cities (WCSC) Conference

On October 19, Kuala Lumpur will once again be the host for the International World Class Sustainable Cities (WCSC) Conference Series 2010. This year's event is a follow-up of the inaugural event held in March 2009 and will feature speakers from three cities. The highlight of the conference is an extensive case study on the township of Curitiba in Paraná state, Brazil.

Co-organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developer's Association, Wilayah Persekutuan Branch (REHDA KL), the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) and the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), WCSC 2010 will explore and showcase strategies and practices that have helped global cities attain recognition for sustainable, world-class planning initiatives.

The award-winning city of Curitaba will be the highlight of this year's conference, and their success story will be presented by the mayor of Curitiba Luciano Ducci and secretary of international relations (and representative of the Curitiba city council) Eduardo Guimaraes.

Curitaba is home to a population of approximately 1.8 million people, spread over an area of 430 square kilometres — comparable to the city of Kuala Lumpur. In year 1968, Curitaba underwent major urban planning projects to manage its growth and has now become an international role model in transportation and the environment, as well as ensuring that economic and industrial developments are carried out responsibly in an organised manner. Today, Curitiba is a regional hub for trade and services and is one of the richest cities in Brazil and a pioneer in urban solutions, whose model has inspired urban planning for cities the world over.

WCSC 2009 was also held in Kuala Lumpur and it saw a huge audience turnout.

Following from the success of the conference in year 2009, it is expected that over 400 participants will be attending this year's event, comprising of members of the three organising bodies, other professional organisations, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), other state and local Authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Residents' Associations and members of the public.

The highlight of last year’s conference was a presentation on the regeneration of the Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul, Korea, and a 'wishlist' for a network of covered walkways linking hotspots for a pedestrian-friendly Kuala Lumpur. This may have inspired similar plans under the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU)'s "Greater KL" plan earlier this year.

This suggests that the share of ideas at the WCSC Conference has opened everyone up on the possibilities in city planning. This year's event will be held on October 19 at the Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Those interested in attending the WCSC 2010 conference can download the registration form at www.rehda.com

By The Star