The 3rd edition of the NUS Cities Symposium gathers a community of local and international urban science experts from various disciplines and sectors to discuss the salient point of how urban science helps cities become more liveable, sustainable, and resilient. Featuring esteemed speakers such as Professor Michael Batty (UCL), Professor Marie Harder (Fudan University), and Mr Jonathan Yap (CEO, CapitaLand Development), uncover the emerging and blooming field of urban science and explore how cities can systematically tackle urban challenges to achieve various outcomes. Participate in the various panel discussions and visit the showcase of research projects and selected students’ projects. This flagship event is held as part of the Singapore Urban Science Week and NUS Sustainability CONNECT.
Theme: How Urban Science helps Cities become more Liveable, Sustainable, and Resilient?
The symposium is envisioned to address the emerging field of urban science and offer a systematic and methodical lens to study and understand cities as complex, adaptive systems. This is timely, particularly in the age of uncertainty and with new tools and technology at our disposal. Cities face pressing existential challenges amidst uncertain times. Increasingly, it is recognised that cities should be understood and studied through an integrated systems approach, combining various disciplines and considering interdependencies between various systems and stakeholders. The field of urban science is emerging and can avail a more comprehensive and theoretical framework to methodically approach cities and tackle urban issues towards a more liveable, sustainable, and resilient future.
At NUS Cities, research and education interplay and synergise to build up capacity and capability as students are nurtured and trained through various programmes from the undergraduate level to postgraduate and professional level. The NUS Cities Symposium is an annual showcase that convenes thought leaders from IHLs and research centres, the industry, NGOs and government agencies as we build up our urban science expertise and develop Singapore into a global leading player.
President, Triple Z Consulting & Panel of Advisor, NUS Cities
Senior Data Scientist, URA & Research Assistant Professor, NUS Cities
Chief Technical Officer, Huawei Enterprise Group APAC
Director (Design & Planning Lab), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Founding Director, The Oval Partnership & Director, INTEGER China Ltd
Director, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne
Provost’s Chair Professor, NUS Department of Geography & Senior Research Fellow, Asia Research Institute
Director (Research), CLC
Head of Sustainability, CapitaLand Development
Associate Director (Partnerships and Innovation), Singapore-ETH Centre
Chief Executive Officer, CapitaLand Development
Professor of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago & Panel of Advisors, NUS Cities
Associate Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation Capability) & Professor of Innovation, RMIT University
Distinguished Professor, Fudan University
Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College London (UCL)
Assistant Chief Executive (Geospatial & Engagement) & Chief Sustainability Officer, Singapore Land Authority (SLA)
Deputy President, Chief Innovation and Enterprise Officer, Centre Director (DesignZ), Programme Director (DAI), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
Programme Director, Future Cities Laboratory Global, Singapore-ETH Centre & Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design, SUTD
Professor, NUS Office of the President
Director, NUS Cities
PLENARY 1: Singapore – Towards a global hub for impactful urban science research, education, and practice
Examining how a paradigm shift in studying cities involves considering them as the “patient” to be studied systematically and holistically. Cutting-edge research, education, and practice that is forward-looking and interdisciplinary with high societal impact should be prioritised, particularly in a rapidly changing world ridden with much uncertainties. Can we build up capacity and nurture talents to establish Singapore as a leading global hub for high impact and high value cities research, education, and practice?
Moderator:
Professor Tai Lee Siang (Deputy President, Chief Innovation and Enterprise Officer, Centre Director (DesignZ), Programme Director (DAI), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD))
Panellists:
Professor Alexander Zehnder
Professor Mak Swee Liang
Mr. Jonathan Yap (Chief Executive Officer, CapitaLand Development)
Coffee Break
PLENARY 2: How urban science helps cities to be more liveable, sustainable, and resilient
Demonstrating a science-based, data-driven approach to understanding and studying cities towards greater liveability, sustainability, and resiliency. What is urban science and how do we build on this body of knowledge to better cities?
Moderator:
Professor Thomas Schroepfer (Programme Director, Future Cities Laboratory Global, Singapore-ETH Centre & Professor of Architecture and Sustainable Design, SUTD)
Panellists:
Professor Luis Bettencourt Professor Stephen Goldsmith (Derek Bok Professor of the Practice of Urban Policy, Harvard University and Director, Bloomberg Center for Cities' Data-Smart City Solutions)
Mr. Ching Tuan Yee (Director (Design & Planning Lab), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA))
Dr. Jasmine Lau (Associate Director (Partnerships and Innovation), Singapore-ETH Centre)
LUNCH with poster exhibition and showcase of research projects and cities programme projects
SESSION 3: Co-creating Inclusive Cities
This session explores how diverse stakeholders are engaged through participatory planning and ground-up initiatives. Best practices and case studies in community-driven urban design, policy co-creation, and public-private partnerships in pursuing high quality of life and liveability are discussed. How do we sustain and replicate these efforts?
Moderator:
Professor Elaine Ho (Provost’s Chair Professor, NUS Department of Geography & Senior Research Fellow, Asia Research Institute)
Panellists:
Mr. Christopher Law (Founding Director, The Oval Partnership & Director, INTEGER China Ltd)
Dr. Harvey Neo (Professorial Research Fellow, LKYCIC)
Professor Marie Harder
SESSION 4: Regenerative Cities
This session examines how cities can create a circular economy with the effective management and re-generation of resources amidst various shocks and disruptions both environmental and man-made. Key themes include sustainable urban infrastructure and management, green technology and systems, nature-based solutions and policies, climate adaptation.
Moderator:
Ms. Elaine Tan (Director (Research), CLC)
Panellists:
Professor Veera Sekaran (Professor, NUS Office of the President)
Mr. Giovanni Cossu (Head of Sustainability, CapitaLand Development)
Professor Dan Hill (Director, Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne)
Coffee Break
SESSION 5: AI for Competitive Cities
This session discusses the makings of a smart city where AI and technology are harnessed to study cities and tackle urban challenges innovatively. What are some state-of-the-art or emerging tools at our disposal to better understand cities and transform cities to be competitive and ahead?
Moderator:
Dr. Alvin Chua (Senior Data Scientist, URA & Research Assistant Professor, NUS Cities)
Panellists:
Mr. Sin Lye Chong (Assistant Chief Executive (Geospatial & Engagement) & Chief Sustainability Officer, Singapore Land Authority (SLA))
Mr. Brandon Wu (Chief Technical Officer, Huawei Enterprise Group APAC)
Professor Michael Batty (Bartlett Professor of Planning, University College London (UCL))
| Category |
Early Bird 20% by 1 August |
Normal Price |
|---|---|---|
| Students | S$120 | S$150 |
| Public/ Academics/ Non-Profit/ Professional Bodies |
S$360 | S$450 |
| Privates | S$480 | S$600 |
University Town, Stephen Riady Centre
2 College Ave West, Singapore 138607
In line with sustainability goals, we highly encourage all participants to take public transport to the Symposium venue. Please refer to the map below for the location of the nearest bus stop to the venue, which is highlighted for your convenience.
NUS Cities, College of Design & Engineering
National University of Singapore
4 Architecture Drive
Blk SDE 1, #03-03
Singapore 117566
For enquiries, please contact:
Mr Wisely Ong
wisely@nus.edu.sg
Ms Zan Chenyu
zan_cy@nus.edu.sg