Good Design, Good Planning: Aligning practice, communities and education in the implementation of Agenda 2030

In this interactive event, representatives from professional design firms, academia and research, NGOs and the grass roots will showcase practices that support or advance the NUA and the SDGs. Drawing on experience in cities in Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa and Asia, presenters share insights on implementation strategies (tried, established, or in development) that also support a participatory approach. The four short talks will address commitments to social inclusion, urban prosperity and environmental sustainability as they apply.

1. Can the SDG/NUA agenda impact the design of a New City Center, Guayaquil (Professional - local government)
A 250-hectare mixed-use project for Guayaquil City with Perkins Eastman Architects.

2. Neighborhood resistance project, Rio de Janeiro (community-university collaboration)
With evictions likely in the lead-up to the Olympic Games, the community asked the Federal University for help.

3. Are the grassroots included? (NGO –community collaboration)
A Johannesburg community development organization developed a workshop model to enable the grassroots to understand, critique and localize the SDGs and NUA.

4. Does CAN – ACHR support the SDGs and NUA? How? (community-professional projects).
Since 2008, the Community Architects Network and the Asian Coalition for Community Action has collaborated on people-led community development projects in 230 Asian cities and 19 countries. ‘Solving Asia’s urban poor housing problems using Asia’s greatest resource - People’ describes ACHR’s mission.
Equal time will be given to a networking activity so that session participants can share knowledge and experience. Participants will be invited to join the Urban Educators and Professionals Network, an ongoing forum for sharing knowledge and experience about the implementation of the SDGs and NUA.