Contemporary Urban Design Thinking

Prof. dr. ir. Rob Roggema is currently Professor of Sustainable Urban Environments. He is a Landscape Architect and an internationally renowned design-expert on sustainable urbanism, climate adaptation, energy landscapes and urban agriculture. He has previously held positions at universities in the Netherlands and Australia, State and Municipal governments and design consultancies. Rob developed the Swarm Planning concept, a dynamic way of planning the city for future adaptation to climate change impacts.Rob is the leader of the Urban Research Network and focuses in his research on resilient and smart urbanism. He is also leading the Sydney Urban_Institute in Sydney, which will research and implement intelligent solutions for current and future urban problems.Rob has designed and led over 30 design charrettes around the world, involving communities, academics, governments and industries in design processes for more resilient communities. He has written three books on climate adaptation and design, four on Urban Agriculture, and one each about design charrettes, Rio’s FoodRoofs and Design for Recovery in Japan.

Introduction.-  1. Growth of Sydney Metropolitan Region Over Time and Current Urban Design Practices.- 2. The City as an Economic Driver.- 3. 20 Years of Spatial Growth and Planning in Sydney.- 4. The Role of Qualitative Public Spaces.- 5. The Need for Developing Sustainability in Urbanism.- 6. The Concept of the Resilient City.- 7. The Design of the Sydney Green Grid.- 8. Landscapes and a Driver for Urban Design.- 9. The Role of Mobility in Current and Future Cities.- 10. The Relationship between Urbanism and Politics.- 11. How Local Economics Play a Role in Community Driven Urban Design.- 12. Sustainable Urban Projects and Urban Architecture.- Conclusions.