Future Cities Design as Research Conference 19-20 April 2012 9am--6.30pm Howe Lecture Theatre (room 080), Queen Anne Court, Greenwich Campus, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, London SE10 9LS. Uniquely this event brings together a diverse range of stakeholders from academia and business who will be invited to engage with some of the biggest challenges that we face today. Day 1 is dedicated to a public forum and conference with speaker presentations and a moderated round-table discussion examining many important urban and architectural issues. Day 2 is one of facilitated conversations and identification of next steps towards establishing a future cities platform based in academia, which works alongside industry to research, experiment and propose alternative approaches to the rejuvenation and sustainability of our cities vital for an integrated, visionary approach in addressing this global Grand Challenge. For the first time in human history we are w! itnessing the advent of megacities -- seemingly endless urban expanses that house more than 10 million densely packed inhabitants seeking jobs in these economic hubs of activity, some of which even warrant their own buildings. But these cities are not the product of ingenious design. Megacities spread like weeds across the landscape straining already stressed modern infrastructures to breaking point and causing potentially life threatening issues such as, crime, homelessness, waste & resource
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