PEOPLE BUILDING BETTER CITIES,
June 25-28, 2007, Wits University Johannesburg
REGISTER NOW
A four day forum with international speakers and local presenters including
visits to townships and sites which explain the country’s history.
Who should attend?
City building professionals, local government, NGOs, academics, students and
communities with interest in People Building Better Cities, and the poverty
reducing objectives of the Millennium Development Goals; Global Studio
participants from 2005 and 2006.
PEOPLE BULDING BETTER CITIES Program Outline
Over three days PBBC will profile best participatory city building
professional and educational practices and research in South Africa, Africa
and the world, as well as the current and emerging social, political, design
and environmental challenges that will help or hinder the implementation of
the Millennium Development Goals. Can the ‘divided city’ be re-united? Are
we at a key moment in history as inequality, climate change and
globalization increasingly shape our reality? A major focus will be South
African culture and people’s stories, including those of children in the
context of migration, urban vulnerability and development. Issues of
exclusion or inclusion on the part of the design professions and educational
institutions, and the contribution of participatory planning and design to
improving both lives and the environment will also be explored.
June 25
Making Places: the South African Experience
Followed by the Opening Ceremony and reception in the Origins Centre
Overcoming spatial discrimination has been a major concern in the creation
of the new South Africa. Via a number of case studies these sessions will
critically examine a range of cultural heritage design and planning
initiatives from a range of perspectives including those involved in design
and community development as well as commentators on these processes. Key
issues will be the effectiveness of these professional /community
collaborations in building ownership and identity, and the degree to which
local people have been the agents of development. How effective have these
place making initiatives been and what lessons can we learn?
June 26
Urban Development and urban renewal
Followed by a visit to the Constitutional Court and reception at the Women’s
Jail, Constitution Hill
Urban development and renewal can be positive forces in improving the lives
of the urban poor. Too often the urban poor experience the opposite,
through forced relocation and evictions. Sessions will focus on the a range
of approaches to urban development, including the potential for communities
of the urban poor to have better access to remittance funds, green
technologies and sustainable livelihoods. Parallel sessions will offer the
possibilities of discussion on a wide range of topics , by South Africans
and international speakers.
June 27
Exploring Johannesburg: From Soweto to Sandton
Field trip
June 28
Townships, participation, youth
Followed by a Closing Plenary session
Global Studio will work in Alexandra and Diepsloot. The final day of PBBC
will focus on these townships and will discuss how they are shaped by the
people themselves as well as policies and strategies of the City of
Johannesburg, South African Cities Networks, urban, architectural and social
theorists, and those engaged in popular action to create change in
communities. Particular attention will be paid to participatory processes
in design and planning, and to the role of women, young people and children.
As the cities’ future, youth must be taken into account and their voices
heard.
A number of leading African professional, academic and community thinkers
and actors in these fields will be invited to share their knowledge and
experience and promote the exchange of ideas and debate. International
speakers include Peter Ngau (Kenya), Bunker Roy (India), Somsook
Boonyabancha (Thailand), Azwar Hasan (Indonesia), Paul Pholeros (Australia),
Lisa Findley (USA), Pietro Garau (Italy).
June 30-July 4
Field trip to Maputo or Durban
PRE-REGISTRATION
Please download these two documents to register and book accommodation.
Registration
information
PRE-Registration payments should be sent as soon as possible as places are
limited for PBBC and the June 30-July 4 field trips.
