The 3rd edition of the Cities of the Future conference will be held on September 15-17, with the aim of spreading knowledge and raising awareness among participants about the latest trends and solutions for cities of the future. The event is organized by the Cities of the Future Foundation and Sweco Consulting.
The form of the conference adapted to the situation
This year, for the safety of participants, due to the constraints of the coronavirus pandemic, the conference will be held online in the form of live broadcasts conducted from a professional studio. Each day of the conference will feature three hour-long thematic sessions. Participants in the event will have the opportunity to ask questions via the streaming platform. What's more, all broadcasts will be translated into Polish Sign Language so that valuable content has a chance to reach the largest possible audience.
Revitalization, building innovation and the value of trees
On the first day of the conference, architects from the APA Wojciechowski Architekci studio, Michał Sadowski and Marcin Grzelewski, will talk about the redevelopment of Warsaw's post-factory complex of the Powiśle Power Plant. The process took into account the application of sustainable construction principles, as confirmed by BREEAM certification. The topic of the speech by Miroslaw Czarnik, president of GPP Business Park, will be innovative building technologies that take into account the well-being of people and the environment, while Dr. Marzena Suchocka of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences will talk about what we need trees for in the city and what ecosystem services urban greenery provides us.
Wooden buildings, healthier streets and a discussion about the city
On Tuesday, September 16, Elzbieta Lukashevska from the Swedish branch of Sweco will talk about the creation of buildings made of wood, such as Mjøstårnet, the tallest wooden building in the world, while Marta Zakowska from City Magazine will take up the topic of the new post-pandemic normal. The second day of the conference will also include a panel discussion titled "City of technology or city of residents? Where are we heading?". The discussion will include Szymon Ciupa (Smart City Specialist), Anna Dwurnik (Head of the Quality of Life Department of the Kielce City Hall), Małgorzata Czaja (Quality of Life and Management Systems Integration Department of the Gdynia City Hall), Magdalena Milert (Smart City Consultant at Almine, operating online as @pieing) and Jan Mecwel (Chairman of the City Is Ours Association).
Water innovation, digital city model
and public participation
The third day of the conference will begin with Kris Wojcik, who will present innovative solutions for buildings and cities that save up to seventy percent of water. In turn, Kari Nöjd from the Finnish branch of Sweco will talk about examples of cities using City Information Models (CIM). Finally, Dr. Piotr Czyż of the City Initiative will take up the topic of public participation and explain why it is the people who make the city.
The speakers will be interviewed by journalists and experts on urban issues. They will include Agnieszka Kalinowska-Sołtys (vice president for environment and climate protection at SARP), Bartosz Dominiak (vice mayor of Warsaw's Ursynów district and an expert who runs the Smart City Blog), Ilona Gosk (Sendzimir Foundation) and Michał Łakomski (Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Poznań for Smart City).
climate-neutral conference
As the organizers assure, steps are being taken to make the Cities of the Future conference climate-neutral. This means that all CO2 emissions associated with its organization will be compensated by means of tree plantings and by taking advantage of so-called carbon credits.
Registration and the sale of virtual tickets continues until September 11. For more information and a detailed program, visit the event website.
