Tyndall Discussion Forum at Newcastle University: Can we re-engineer cities to be forces for environmental good?

Organised by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the Centre for Earth Systems Engineering Research at Newcastle University, this debate will explore whether cities are predestined to be planetary parasites or whether they can be re-engineered to be forces for environmental good. All are welcome. The Tyndall Centre has a long history of agenda-setting debates on climate change and sustainability issues.

Location: Curtis Auditorium, Hershel Building, Newcastle University, 14th September 2011

Time: Registration from 17:00 for debate 17:30-19:00, followed by drinks, nibbles & networking.

Reservation essential: Online http://tinyurl.com/citiesdebate or Tel: 0191 222 6618

Panel members:

• Cynthia Rosenzweig (NASA Goddard Institute & New York Climate Change Partnership)
• Adrian Hilton (Regional Climate Change Coordinator for North East Councils)
• Georgia Giannopoulou (Lecturer in Urban Design, School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape, Newcastle University)
• Shobhakar Dhakal (National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan & Executive Director of the Global Carbon Project)
• Andy Mace (Arup, Newcastle Office)

Chair: Richard Dawson (Reader in Earth Systems Engineering, Newcastle University & Cities Theme Co-ordinator, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research)

Each panel member will provide a 5 minute introduction from their own, very different, perspectives before discussion is opened up to the floor.

Urban areas house over half the world’s population and are growing rapidly and currently consume large proportions of the world's resources and are responsible for as much as 80% of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, they are also hotbeds of cultural and economic activities.Is it therefore unsurprising that cities are often considered central to addressing sustainable development? Sustainable Cities pose enormous challenges for planners, engineers as well as the people and organisations that inhabit urban areas.