6th Urban Research and Knowledge Symposium 2012_Partnership Prospectus_April 2012

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For more information, visitwww.urbanknowledge.org/urks6and

Contact us [email protected].

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Cities of Tomorrow: Framing the Future

Partnership Prospectus as of April 20 2012.

Organized by

Barcelona Conference Centre, Fira de Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain | October 8-10, 2012

6th Urban Research and Knowledge

Symposium 2012

Partnership Prospectus


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Key Questions to be discussed:

How to make policy choices under resourceconstraints and uncertainty today that will

minimize lock-in and path dependency at

later stages of development?

How to maximize economic efficiency andenvironmental sustainability while

enhancing social and spatial equity?

Over the past few years, the global policy

debate on urbanization has started

transforming from being primarilyconcerned about managing the ills of

urbanization toward one that focuses on

harnessing the gains from urban

transformation. Initial stocktaking suggests

that the jury is still out on the choice,

timing, sequence and location of policy

instruments and investments that can help

in enhancing the benefits from

urbanization. There are many unanswered

questions on how to enhance economic

efficiency and environmental

sustainability while balancing social and

spatial equity.

As many developing countries are rapidly

urbanizing at a time when governments

have limited administrative and fiscal

capacities, underlying land markets and

legal institutions to manage urban

expansion are incipient. In addition,

external environment - both natural andeconomic - are rapidly changing, requiring

policymakers to have access to

information that will help make difficult

choices today, and will generate the least

regret at later stages of development.

Innovations and technology have an

important role in enhancing the choice set

of options, but these need to be weighed

alongside institutional capacities and other

development objectives.

Cities of Tomorrow: Framing the Futurehas been selected as the focal topic for the

6th

Urban Research and KnowledgeSymposium (URKS6) to be held in

Barcelona, Spain, from October 8-10,

2012.

The Symposium is being organized by the

World Bank as part of the activities under

its Urbanization Knowledge Platform in

conjunction with the City of Barcelona.

URKS6 is expected to attract over 1,000

participants.

Welcome to the 6th

Urban Research and Knowledge Symposium

(URKS6)

Urbanization Knowledge Platform

The Urbanization Knowledge Platform (UrbKP) is an initiative launched by the World Banks Urban

Development and Local Government Unit in February 2011, and is part of the World Bank's "Open

Development- Open Knowledge" agenda.

The mission of the Urbanization Knowledge Platform is to put the worlds best knowledge and data in the

hands of policymakers and practitioners, to harness urban growth for better development outcome.


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Knowledge-Dialogue- Solution

approach among

Researchers,

Policymakers, and

Practitioners

Confrontingaspirations with

evidence

Reasons Why Your Organization

Should Participate

Join widely acclaimed researchers,

policymakers and practitioners from all

over the world as they gather atURKS6 to discuss cities of tomorrow,

develop evidence-based policies for

achieving growth and sustainable

urban development, acquire the tools

for action, and learn how to measure

success.

While following the traditional

Symposium format, URKS6 features

several innovations:

Initiate a process to inform policychoices that can help policymakers

manage potential economic

efficiency, environmental

sustainability and social equity

trade-offs associated with rapid

urbanization;

Attract ongoing evidence-basedanalytic work from developing and

developed countries to highlight (ifand) how urbanization challenges

and feasible policy options vary

across levels of development and

institutional capacities;

Showcase practitioner-ledinnovations that have helped in

economic and social

transformation of cities;

Develop an evidence-based longerterm research program to identify

new urbanization challenges andstrategies over the horizon.

Connect with some of the besturban thinkers and innovators

and gain the latest scientific, policyand practical input on the options

and implications for advancing

sustainable cities in developing

countries;

Share urban sustainabilityknowledge and support developing

countries to progress toward

urbanization models that deliver

economic opportunity,

environmental and social

sustainability in cities;

Learn about the opportunitiesfor partnerships, developmentprojects and investments in the

global urban sector and be part of

the creative, solutions-oriented

conversations and joint agenda

about future cities.

Sub-themes of URKS6

The Symposium will comprise three

interconnecting analytic clusterseconomic, social and spatial

transformations and two cross-cutting key themes governance-

finance and sustainability.

The Concept Note of URKS6 (available at

www.urbanknowledge.org/urks6)provides further background on the

Symposiums objectives and modalities.

Be a Symposium Partner and Become Part of the Action at URKS6
http://www.urbanknowledge.org/urks6http://www.urbanknowledge.org/urks6http://www.urbanknowledge.org/urks6


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About the Urban Research and Knowledge Symposium

Launched in 2002, the Urban Research Symposium is a leading, unique

global platform to facilitate evidence-based discussions among researchers,

policymakers and practitioners across public, private and third sectors from

developed and developing countries, covering critical urban themes mostpertinent for advancing sustainable urban development. The Symposium is

part of a broader analytic and policy-oriented research and knowledge

program conducted by the World Bank and its network of partners under the

Urbanization Knowledge Platform.

Past Urban Research Symposium:

Washington D.C. USA 2002

Washington D.C. USA 2003

Brasilia, Brazil 2005

Washington DC, USA 2007

Marseille, France 2009

6th Urban Research and Knowledge Symposium 2012_Partnership Prospectus_April 2012

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