ISOCARP President - Martin Dubbeling"If there is one dramatic and basic change in planning and designing our cities induced by the COVID pandemic, it is the need for much more public spaces and parks. We now realise more than ever before that we need to redesign our cities and public spaces for our citizens in order to recreate, exercise and meet while keeping distance. Building better places and fostering stronger communities will need to be on the top of the agenda of cities." |  |
ISOCARP Secretary General - Frank D'hondt "The only way out of the triple crisis (biodiversity-climate-health) is a planned way. The 57th World Planning Congress in Doha will provide a platform to unlock the potential of a different kind and way of place-based planning for a more sustainable future of planet and people" |  |
"The 57th ISOCARP World Planning Congress is taking place in exceptional times – the traditional world social and economic orders we knew for years are changing in our eyes. The pandemic has heavily influenced the way we live and work, has changed our travel patterns and has left our cities and regions facing new challenges. Many of us will have to reshape our professional and personal future, having in mind new perspectives for our urban globe. This will result in introducing the new urban development paradigm, which should be focused on creating more resilient and inclusive communities as well as higher quality and community-oriented places. These issues not only translate into urban development policy, but also into the design and implementation issues." |  |