Agenda International Conference Sustainable cities

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SUSTAINABLE CITIES

NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES

International conference

28 – 29 May 2018, Hilton Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria

By 2030, 3 out of 5 people will live in cities, making urbanization one of the 21st century’s most transformative trends. This unprecedented era of increasing urbanization has massive effects on populations, economies, environmental and humanitarian aspects of cities all over the world, be it developed or developing countries. Among others, it also poses massive sustainability challenge in terms of housing. In 2016, over 167 nations came together in Quito, Ecuador at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), with an objective of reinvigorating the global commitment to sustainable urbanization by producing and implementing a New Urban Agenda.

Cities can be the source of both - challenges and solutions too. If well-planned and well-managed, urbanization can serve as a powerful tool for sustainable global development. Drawing on these assumptions, Habitat for Humanity is organizing an International Conference `Sustainable cities - New challenges and opportunities for the municipalities` to address aspects of the contemporary cities’ sustainable development in the context of the growing urbanization and the environmental problems of the modern urban areas. The forum will provide a venue for discussion of better planning and management of the cities and present examples of good practices and innovations. The cross-cutting theme is the role of the local authorities in the sustainable development of cities and communities. Given the complexity of the issue and global approach, the event will also draw interconnections between solutions for cities both European and developing countries.

The conference is under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria and is part of Build Solid Ground project funded by the European Union. Event is also supported by the Bulgarian Embassy of Kingdom of the Netherland, National Association of Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria and Municipal Network for Energy Efficiency EcoEnergy.

Link for registration: https://goo.gl/forms/0zMsnWGeHHhb2byo2

AGENDA

Monday, 28th May 2018
09.00 – 10.00	Registration and welcome coffee
10.00 – 10.30	Opening Malina Kroumova - Deputy Minister of Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works Mincho Benov, National Director of Habitat for Humanity Bulgaria Silvia Georgieva, Executive Director of National Association of Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria Greeting address on behalf of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria
10.30 - 12.00	Panel I. Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. Learning exchange between countries of Global North and Global South will address the global framework outlined by the Sustainable Development Goals, Paris climate agreement and the role of cities, Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda.
	Mathabo Makuta, National director, Habitat for Humanity Lesotho Dr. Steffen Wetzstein, Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer, Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Germany Silvia Georgieva, Executive Director of National Association of Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria Natalia Šovkopljas, Senior Expert, Union of Cities of Slovakia Sofia Caiolo, LADDER Project Manager, ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy Facilitated by Gyorgy Sumeghy, Advocacy Manager, Habitat for Humanity International Europe, Middle East and Africa
12.00 – 13.00	Panel II. Habitat III. Implementation of New Urban Agenda in Europe Learning exchange with the special focus on NUA implementation in Europe.
	Nicolaas Beets - Dutch Special Urban Envoy, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Implementation of European Urban Agenda – current state of play of EUA and Pact of Amsterdam Paddy Gray, Emeritus Professor of Housing Policy, Ulster University, UK, on European Housing policy Dick Reinders, Senior Adviser Housing policies for Woonbron Housing Corporation, Netherlands, on Dutch housing policy and practices Facilitated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arch. Georgi Georgiev, Head of Architecture Department, New Bulgarian University
13.00 – 14.00	Lunch Break
14.00 – 15.30	Panel III. International Urban Cooperation Exchange of good practices and experiences in urban policy and governance between the experts from EU and developing countries.
	Magda Ruszkowska-Cieślak, National Director Habitat for Humanity Poland, on Social rental agency Nicolaie Moldovan, City Manager of Alba Iulia - the first Smart city in Romania, the project Smart City 2018 Hon. Vincent de Paul Kayanja, Mayor Entebbe Municipality, Uganda Andres Jaadla, Chairman of the Estonian Union of Co-operative Housing Associations, Board Member of HOUSING EUROPE - Energy efficiency of residential buildings - the experience of Estonia Facilitated by Dr. Eleonora Gaydarova, Union of Homeownеrs Associations, Bulgaria
15.30 – 16.00	Coffee break
16.00 – 17.30	Panel IV. Addressing climate change through improving (residential) energy efficiency The examples of good practices for the energy efficiency improvement of the housing stock and the mitigation of the energy poverty will be presented.
	Georgi Stefanov, Coordinator of Climate Coalition Bulgaria, on Paris Agreement on Climate Change and EU policy for EE Malina Krumova, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Bulgaria, on The National Program for Energy Efficiency of Multifamily Residential Buildings Zoran Kostov, National Director, Habitat Macedonia, on Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households (REELIH) project Dragomir Tsanev, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Municipal Network for Energy Efficiency, on Energy Efficiency on local level – opportunities and challenges and Covenant of Mayors Facilitated by arch. Zdravko Genchev, Chairman of EnEffect, Bulgaria
17.30 – 18.00 18.00 – 20.00	Summary and closure of the first day program Networking cocktail for the participants

Tuesday, 29th May 2018
09.00 - 09.30 09.30 – 10.45	Registration and welcome coffee Panel I. Cities of the Future Innovative approaches to territorial planning and housing solutions will be discussed side by side with the opportunities for funding the urban challenges.

	Angel Burov, Association of Bulgarian Urban and Regional Planners, on Sustainable Urban development and Planning innovations Arch. Zdravko Genchev, Chairman of EnEffect, Bulgaria, on Housing with near zero energy consumption Arch. Georgi Georgiev, Head of Architecture Department, arch. Alexander Boyadjiev, PhD student, New Bulgarian University, on Cities of the future Liam McCarton and Sean O`Hogain, Dublin Institute of Technology on Nature Based Solutions Facilitated by Galia Alexova, Association of Bulgarian Urban and Regional Planners
10.45 - 11.30	Panel II. Funding opportunities to address Urban challenges Tim Caulfield, Director, Urban Innovative Actions Andreas Beikos, Head of Office European Investment Bank Group Office for Bulgaria Iliya Kardashliev, Principal Banker, Municipal & Environmental Infrastructure, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Facilitated by Veronika Golianova, Consortium Project Officer, Build Solid Ground, Habitat for Humanity EMEA
11.30 – 13.00	Panel III. Towards Sustainable Cities in Bulgaria Bulgarian governmental officials will share the challenges met in the development of the country’s housing system and the improvement of its housing stock.
	Fiodor Salmov, Director Housing policy, Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, on National Housing Strategy Desislava Ivanova, Dupnitsa Municipality, on Construction, maintenance and exploitation of 150 social houses Arch. Stoyana Chavdarova, Chief Architect of Kyustendil Municipality, on Planning of Segregated Areas Teodora Polimerova, Director “Climate, Energy and Air”, Sofia Municipality, on Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change of Sofia Municipality Key note by Proscovier Vikman, National Coordinator - Municipal Development Forum, Uganda (cross regional learning) Facilitated by Assya Dobrudzhalieva, Project Manager, Habitat for Humanity , Bulgaria
13.00 – 14.00		Lunch
14.00 – 17.00	Site visit Sofia Municipality The attendants will have the opportunity to visit Smart solution for thermal heating in cultural heritage building the Old Bath, transformed into Sofia History Museum, a successful and innovative solution of the Municipality of Sofia on how to manage city in sustainable way.