Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan), which is making every effort to designate the first free economic zone in northern Gyeonggi Province to realize a global self-sufficient city, will hold the 5th World Urban Forum where world experts will gather to look at the future of the city.
This World Urban Forum will be held on the 3rd floor of KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Goyang from October 21st to 22nd. The theme of the 5th World Cities Forum is ‘Strengthening Cities and Sustaining the Future: Innovation and Solidarity.’
The World Cities Forum is an opportunity to explore a common future for cities around the world amid rapid changes and crises in society, economy, and culture, such as pandemics, climate crises, conflicts between countries, and global economic fluctuations. For sustainable urban development where people and nature coexist, experts and citizens from various fields gather to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and discuss the future vision of the city.
Goyang Special Mayor Lee Dong-hwan said, “The world is now facing an era of great change such as artificial intelligence (AI), climate crisis, and population decline, and we are working with experts and cities around the world to gather wisdom to wisely overcome the whirlpool of change that is approaching every moment. “I expect it will be a time to look at problems and explore solutions,” he said.
Keynote lecture by Alan Malak, author of ‘The Shrinking World’, and sociologist Sam Richards
This forum will be held for two days from October 21st to 22nd. On October 21st, a local tour will be held to introduce Goyang City to overseas speakers and key guests. On the 22nd, side events such as a full-scale forum event, exhibition and experience booth, an academic seminar participated by the Korea Low-Impact Development Association, Dongguk University, Aeronautical University, and Central Military University, and an AI utilization workshop for Goyang citizens will be held.
The forum program on the 22nd will consist of a keynote lecture, a special session, and two topic sessions.
The first keynote lecture will be given by urban planning expert Alan Malak, senior researcher at Community Progress, an American non-profit organization, on ‘Improving Adaptability in a Changing World’. In his book ‘Shrinking World’, he emphasizes that low birth rates and population decline are inevitable realities and that we must consider how to adapt to a society and economy with a declining population. In this keynote lecture, we will introduce the problems and strategies that must be solved in order for Korean cities, which are experiencing a rapid decline in birth rates and an aging population, to adapt to population decline and transform into local economies that maintain strong competitiveness in high-tech industries.
The second keynote lecture will be given by Sam Richards, professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University, on the topic of ‘Urban Conflict and Considerations on the Future of Korean Cities.’ Professor Sam Richards has traveled to over 50 countries around the world and analyzed culture from a scholarly perspective. He explains that the sense of community is deeply rooted in Korea, and that in times of national crisis, the rate of pursuing common interests and following public rules was higher than in other countries. It provides insight into generational, cultural, and racial conflicts from a sociological perspective and talks about ways to alleviate conflict.
The special session will cover the theme of ‘Solidarity and Cooperation for Sustainable Cities.’ Goyang Special Mayor Lee Dong-hwan, International Council for Local and Local Governments (ICLEI) Secretary-General Gino van Begin, Sweden’s new Ambassador-designate to Korea Karl Ulf Andersson, Kangbold Vasanjav, Representative of the Northeast Asia Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Alan Malak, Sam Professor Richards participates as a panelist and shares opinions. It is expected that solidarity and cooperation measures to solve problems that cannot be solved by local governments, such as climate change, local extinction, and technological sovereignty, will be discussed.
Exploring the future of technologies such as artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality, and smart cities
Two topic sessions will be held on the afternoon of the 22nd. The first session was on the theme of ‘Cities and Future Technology (AI)’ and the speakers included Fernando Villariño, Associate Professor of Computer Engineering at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Damian Cobb, Director of RebootUp Pte, Singapore, and Cho Young-tae, Director of the Smart City Research Center at Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH). It goes out. After the presentation, topics such as ‘Safe and Trustworthy AI and Future Cities: New Direction Policy for Urban Innovation and Governance’ will be discussed. The chair will be Jeongmo Lee (former director of the Gwacheon Science Museum), and three presenters, Jongyoung Lee, Kakao Enterprise team leader, and Moon Jae Moon, Underwood Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University, will participate.
The second session deals with the theme of ‘Cities and Environment’. Shin Hyun-seok, Chairman of the Air Conversion and Climate Adaptation Subcommittee of the Presidential Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee, Bruno Goncalves Lara, a researcher at the Curitiba City Planning Institute (IPPUC) in Brazil, and Park Hyeong-gun, Vice President of Capture 6’s Korean branch in the U.S., will make the presentation. After the presentation, ‘Sustainable Urban Ecosystem: Environmental Challenges of Future Cities and Harmonious Development through Urban Innovative Solutions’ will be discussed. The discussion will be chaired by Gino van Begin, Secretary-General of the International Council of Local and Local Governments (ICLEI), and the panel will consist of three presenters: Song Soo-won, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology’s Indoor Air Quality Research Group, Park Jae-young, head of the Samsung E&A Group, and Park Yeon-hee of the International Council of Local and Local Governments Korea. The office director is present.
As a sub-session, a seminar on ‘Sustainable Resource Circulation Solutions in the City’ hosted by the Korea Low-Impact Development Association and a university project presentation involving Dongguk University, Korea Aerospace University, and Joongbu University will also be held.
AI, climate technology, and alternative meat experience events will also be held for event participants. At the future technology experience booth, short-form video creation using generative AI, face recognition original song performance, AI psychological analysis, generative AI character photos, XR photos, and mug making will be conducted. At the Climate Tech Exhibition and Experience Center, you can experience low-carbon lifestyles such as eco-friendly furniture and food materials, new and renewable energy, food waste, and climate action apps.
The event is operated through pre-registration and on-site registration, and you can apply for participation through the Goyang Special City Hall announcement (link to the relevant page for Goyang Special City) or the pre-registration office on the World Cities Forum website (link to the pre-registration page or homepage link).
Economy Queen Reporter Hongmi Kim / Photo Goyang City
.