Collaboration Project between IUTC and Nepal Government

Prof. Kwi-Gon Kim(Seoul National University), director of IUTC, supported by UN-HABITAT, along with UN-HABITAT, KOICA, UNDP and Nepal Government, held a short training course in Kathmandu, Nepal, under the theme of “eco-city development in Nepal”, and held a ground-breaking ceremony in PN Campus of Tribhuvan University in Pohkara for the eco-pond establishment.


Many participants from various institutions including Kishore Thapa, joint secretary at Ministry of Physical Planning & Works (MPPW), and Anne-Isabelle Degryse-Blateau, UNDP country director were present at the training event.

As the global interest on eco-city has been increasing, IUTC training course included best practices of Korea and the abroad, discussion and field trips to complement theory lectures, thereby efficiently providing practical method and techniques for the application in Nepal.

Korea Environment & Resources Corporation (ENVICO), who also participated in the event, in particular, provided expert lecture on technology and application of Korean RDF (renewable energy technology) which earned great response from the Nepalese participants.

In addition to the training course, during September 20-21, IUTC had a feasibility study in PN Campus of Tribhuvan University for the establishment of eco-pond, along with an opening ceremony.

With the opening ceremony and feasibility study as momentum, PN-Campus project, collaborated among UNDAP, KOICA, Nepal government, IUTC as well as PN-Campus of Pokhara, has been begun in full-scale.

Aside from the above, project feasibility study for the expansion of RDF facility in Pokara was held during the same period by ENVICO.

Prof. Kwi-Gon Kim, director of IUTC, has pointed out the significance of the collaboration project by saying, “This collaboration project between Nepal and IUTC will enhance the further cooperation with other international institutions and contribute to the sustainable development in Asia-Pacific region.”.

* Copyrights: International Urban Training Center

Urban Transitions: Principles in EcoCity Development

Prof. Ken Yocom (PhD)
University of Washington
kyocom@u.washington.edu

The global population is now on the threshold of transitioning into a primarily urban society. While urban areas cover only 2% of the earth’s land surface, approximately half of the world’s population now lives in these areas. By 2030 the United Nations estimates more than 60% of the world’s population will live in cities (United Nations. 2004. World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision.www.esa.un.org / unpp (accessed in October 2008). This redistribution of the global population will transform towns into cities, cities into mega-cities, and mega-cities into mega-regions. Such unprecedented rates of growth and development will strain the capacity of ecosystems and current political and economic structures to support these increased urban densities.
In response to both the ecological and social challenges resulting from these urban transitions, we must take time to reexamine our urban values, redefine current methods in urban design and planning, and search for innovative approaches to enhancing social equity and ecological health. This requires integrating many knowledge bases and professional practices in order to understand the problems that cities face and create in their full complexity.
The EcoCity concept is one such approach. It is a holistic concept that works to understand and develop urban areas into sustainable places by re-conceptualizing the planning and structures that support urban life. The foundational tenets of this concept actively engage practitioners and academics from a wide range of development focused disciplines to work together to manage urban environments as dynamic spatial, socio-political, and ecological places. This idea has recently generated and gained support in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Translated into implementation strategies the EcoCity concept is comprehensively applied to a wide range of urban concerns from development patterns to energy consumption, from water treatment to transportation planning, to the very socio-structural components that establish the foundations of urban life.
Although limited, the issues listed above reflect the complexity of the problems at hand. We as professional planners, engineers, urban designers and global citizens should strive to work with organizations such as the International Urban Training Center to develop and refine urban places based on inclusive models that integrate ecologies, economics, and social equity.

* Copyrights: International Urban Training Center