[Event Announcement] International Symposium on Urban Ecosystem Regeneration “Nature, Culture, and Community: Rethinking Urban Connections from Kanazawa”

★Please note that registration is required to participate in this event.

In-Person Attendance:
Registration link:
https://e-ve.event-form.jp/event/100905/symposium

Registration deadline: May 10th (Saturday) *with a possibility of extension

■Event Details

Date and Time: 22 May 2025 (International Biodiversity Day) 14:00-17:00
Location: Kanazawa Bunka Hall, Conference Room 3F, Kanazawa City, Japan
Format: In-person attendance (Japanese-English simultaneous translation will be available)
Organizer: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability Ishikawa Kanazawa Operating Unit (UNU-IAS OUIK)
Co-hosted by: City of Kanazawa and Ministry of the Environment (MOEJ)
Supported by: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture, The Hokkoku Shimbun

The “Generation Restoration Project,” led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is an international initiative aimed at contributing to the achievement of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement through Urban Nature Restoration. In 2023, Kanazawa City was designated as a model city, recognized for its efforts in conservation and restoration that involve citizen participation and traditional knowledge. This symposium will bring together representatives from model/pilot cities around the world to discuss how culture and citizen engagement can support nature restoration and to collaboratively explore the best practices for creating sustainable cities.

■Key Topics of Discussion:

Reintegrating Nature into Urban Spaces
– Strategies for restoring biodiversity, enhancing green infrastructure, and promoting sustainable urban planning.

Cultural Landscapes and Urban Identity
– How cities can preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage, recognizing urban nature as an integral part of it, while adapting to modern challenges.

Community-Led Urban Regeneration
– The role of citizen engagement in shaping sustainable and inclusive cities.

Global Perspectives on Ecosystem Restoration
– Lessons from diverse cities on integrating cultural and ecological restoration in urban development.

Resilience and Adaptation
– How cities can respond to climate change and environmental challenges through ecological and cultural restoration.

■ Programme (tentative)

	Part 1／Keynote Speeches
14:00-14:05	Opening Remarks: Takashi Murayama (Mayor of Kanazawa City)
14:05-14:20	Keynote 1: “Urban Nature for People and Planet: Restoring Ecosystems, Rebuilding Community”
	by Yulia Rubleva (Associate Programme Management Officer, Urban Nature, UNEP)
14:20-14:35	Keynote 2: “Nature Contributing to Well-Being, Resilience & Connectivity in Cities”
	by Ingrid Coetzee (Director, Biodiversity, Nature & Health, ICLEI Africa)
14:35-14:50	Keynote 3: “The Role of Cities in Achieving a Society in Harmony with Nature”
	by Wataru Suzuki (Director, Biodiversity Strategy Office, Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau)
	Break
	Part 2／Introduction of Cities and Panel Discussion
15:30-16:50	Theme: Community-Led Urban Regeneration: Culture, Nature, and Global Perspectives
	Moderator: Togo Uchida (Executive Director, ICLEI Japan) Panelists from the Cities (tentative) Dzheylan Safet Karaulan Sozuer (Architect & Urban Designer and Strategy Development & Program Coordinator / Istanbul, Türkiye) Anthony Paul Diaz (Superintendent/Director, Seattle Parks and Recreation / Seattle, USA) Francois Moreau (Head of Urban Ecology Agency / Paris, France) Kimberley Anne Statham (Director, Urban Forestry/ Toronto, Canada) Laura Hernandez Rosas (Coordinator of Biodiversity Strategies / Mexico City, Mexico) Judith A. Oluoch (Kisumu County Executive Committee Member-Minister, Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources / Kisumu, Kenya) Juan Pastor-Ivars (UNU-IAS OUIK, Researcher/ Kanazawa, Japan) Tetsuhiro Ikeda (Kanazawa City Culture and Sports Bureau, Cultural Property Protection Division/ Kanazawa, Japan)
16:50-16:55	Closing Remarks: Shinobu Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS)
17:00	End of Symposium

※The list of speakers, program, and other details will be updated periodically.

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