The 58th edition of the ISOCARP World Congress, sponsored in part by Tractebel, took place October 3 - 6 in Brussels, Belgium. Under the theme “From Wealthy to Healthy Cities,” our urban experts presented case studies and moderated a special session.
From October 3 to 6, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium, the 58th International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) World Congress brought together city and regional planners of all levels (students, academics, practitioners) from around the world to share their experience and strengthen their professional relationships. The 2022 edition focused on the intersection of planning, well-being, and socio-economic justice in conjunction with this year's theme: From Wealthy to Healthy Cities.
Tractebel Bronze Sponsor of ISOCARP 2022
Tractebel’s infrastructures experts were a visible presence throughout the congress, sharing their knowledge during several sessions. Charles-Edouard Delpierre, Chief Officer of Infrastructures Europe and member of the ISOCARP scientific committee, moderated the special session “Energy Transition of Cities.” Jolanta Zarzycka, Business Development and Sales Manager – Infrastructures and ISOCARP Congress Team member, was among the panel speakers in the round-table discussion on accelerating the energy transition in cities.
Jolanta Zarzycka, left, with the Track 1 "Healthy People" team
Special session “Energy Transition of Cities”
The special session highlighted the importance of decarbonizing cities, which are responsible for 75% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The main culprits are heating and cooling, followed by transport. Solutions to lowering emissions in urban settings lie within the energy cycle: production, distribution and consumption. Key factors to drive the energy transition are innovation, partnerships, new business models, education, inclusion, an integrated approach and governance. Justice and affordability must be secured in the energy transition process. Finally, the session reiterated that the best green energy is unused energy – minimizing consumption wherever possible is key.
Springfield, Australia – the journey to becoming a net zero city
During the “Healthy City” session, Jolanta presented a case study titled “Springfield Australia – Integrated Approach in City Decarbonization.” The project illustrates Greater Springfield’s journey to becoming a net zero energy city through actions based on the results of Tractebel’s innovative 360° City Scan tool. She also moderated sessions within Track 1, “Healthy People.”
Creating greener, more livable cities
Team Leader in Spatial Design, Senior Architect and Urbanist Bart Van Gassen contributed with the “Park Dok Zuid” case study, the creation of a green oasis in the centre of Antwerp, Belgium, that improves the environment while preserving historical infrastructures. Our experts are responsible for designing the public spaces, engineering the infrastructures, and the hydraulics for the future public park.
See you next year at ISOCARP 2023 in Toronto, Canada. Together we will further explore solutions for greener, more livable cities, where people, profit and planet collectively thrive.
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