Experts gathered in Wuhan to explore new pathways of urban governance

On the morning of 1 November, at the opening ceremony of the “2024 Wuhan Design Day”, Ms. Odicea Angelo Barrios, Programme Officer of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, delivered a welcoming speech, stating that Wuhan is a city with a long history and profound cultural heritage, but it is also young, dynamic, and innovative. She highlighted that this event can offer global insights into urban governance.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Pierre Clément, Member of the French Academy of Architecture and the Chairman of the Paris Headquarters Group at Arte Charpentier Architects, stated that sustainable urban design requires addressing five major challenges: maintaining existing texture, respecting natural flow, adapting to climate change, returning to human scale, and reducing extravagance and waste. 

On the morning of 2 November, a sub-session named "Urban Governance from an Industrial and Operational Perspective" was moderated by Ms. Wu Jie, Deputy Director of WPDI. The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Zhang Zhenshan, UN-Habitat Programme Manager for China, and Mr. Wang Yang, Party Secretary and Director of the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Urban-Rural Development.

Mr. David Shaw, Emeritus Professor of the University of Liverpool, Mr. Alex Camprubi, China Principal of Fundación Metrópoli, Mr. Huang Huan, Director of WPDI, and Mr. Guy Perry, Senior Consultant of McKinsey & Company, conducted multi-dimensional analysis and extensive exchanges on urban governance concepts, solutions, and tools in urban transformation development, providing forward-looking thoughts and strategies for urban governance models.

On the afternoon of 2 November, a sub-session named "Preservation Concepts and Practices in Historical Districts" was moderated by Ms. Qiu Yongdong, Chief Engineer of WPDI. Mr. Qin Jun, Deputy Director of the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Urban-Rural Development, delivered the opening remarks. Mr. Patrick Lau, Chairman of Earthasia International Holdings Ltd., Mr. Ali Cheshmehzangi, Head of the School at the University of Queensland, Australia, Mr. Mingding Pan, Partner of Arte Charpentier, Regional Director of the Group at the Paris Headquarters, Mr. Lorenzo Barrionuevo, Founder of ARQTEL in Barcelona, and Mr. Tang Keyang, Chief Researcher at the Future Laboratory of Tsinghua University., engaged in discussions on topics of preservation planning, preservation techniques, activation and utilization, and social participation in historic districts.

The 2024 Wuhan International Seminar on Urban Governance provided a platform for exchange among domestic and international scholars. More than ten well-known experts and scholars, as well as over 100 participants from universities, urban planning and design institutions, and municipal management organizations gathered to share experiences in urban governance of sustainable urban development, and explore new pathways and strategies of urban governance.