Focus on the city of the future: conference on sustainable urbanization starting soon!

Focus on the city of the future: conference on sustainable urbanization starting soon!

The conference “Urban Future-Making: Situating Agency within the Built Environment” will take place at HafenCity University on May 5th and 6th, 2025. This event promises to provide insights into the complex world of urban future design by presenting findings from the first cohort of the Urban Future-Making graduate school. Around 100 lectures will be given by scientists on various aspects of urban development, which underlines the relevance of the topic. Participation in this comprehensive conference is only possible with prior registration, which reflects the interest in such topics.

A special highlight of the conference is the public keynote lecture by Prof. Dr. Maarten Hajer, which will be held on May 5th at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Hajer, who is Professor of Urban Futures and Futuring at Utrecht University, talks about “Urbanism in a radical age: Using exhibitions as dramaturgies of change”. His extensive range of experience and his numerous publications, including his works on the politics of environmental discourse, read like a guide to sustainable urban development.

The importance of urban development

The urban population has been growing dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century. Worldwide, over 50% of people already live in cities, in Germany the figure is even 75%. UN forecasts suggest that up to 70% of the world's population will be urban by 2050. This development is leading to demands for improved living conditions, particularly in terms of income, housing, education, health and mobility. Terms such as “Urban Age”, “Arrival Cities” and “Smart Cities” show the global importance of urban development.

The conference will also address the central question: How can development processes be designed that combine economic, social and ecological dimensions of sustainability? A challenge remains the fact that scientific findings are often based on narrow disciplinary fields, which hinders the interdisciplinary training of specialists. Social sustainability is also often neglected in many research projects, which leads to serious deficiencies in urban development.

Prof. Dr. Maarten Hajer and his visions

Prof. Dr. Maarten Hajer brings extensive experience in urban development. Before moving to Utrecht University, he was Professor of Public Policy at the University of Amsterdam and Director of the PBL – Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. In his research he has specialized in the interactions between urban discourses, dramaturgies and the techniques of futuring. Hajer also recently published a book entitled “Captured Futures – Rethinking the Drama of Environmental Politics”, which will be published digitally in April 2025 and in print in May 2025 by Oxford University Press.

The challenges of sustainable urban development are diverse. Climate change, for example, not only leads to challenges such as water shortages and floods, but also to a deterioration in air quality due to industrial emissions. Therefore, political and social sensitivities increase the pressure on responsible actors to design urban development projects taking into account the demands of future generations. The conference therefore offers a platform to discuss solutions to these complex challenges and to present perspectives for action.

The need for interdisciplinary collaboration is becoming increasingly clear. Cooperations between different disciplines and actors are crucial for the success of sustainable urban development. In addition, standards must be developed to protect low-income households from additional financial burdens. Education and knowledge transfer about sustainable urban development are essential in order to provide access to all population groups.

In summary, it can be said that the upcoming conference at HafenCity University is an important opportunity to shed light on future-oriented approaches and ideas in urban development. Knowledge, interdisciplinary approaches and innovative solutions are required to successfully master the challenges of the urban future and ensure a sustainable quality of life for all city residents. In this sense, the conference is the right place to usher in a new era of urban development.