In the 21st century, the rapid urbanization, high density growth, urban sprawl and slums, as well as increasing informality in urban activities, are still the major challenges for most Asian cities and regions. In response to these issues which aimed to establish how engineering, including civil engineering, environmental engineering, architecture and urban planning, can make significant contributions to the resolution of the increasingly severe problems caused by global warming, environmental pollution and urban vulnerability, and to the realization of sustainable cities and regions in Asia, we came to recognize the importance of promoting new paradigms and methodologies. At the same time we recognized the limitation of individual activities in research and education to solve complicated environmental issues.
International Alliance for Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration (IASUR), launched after over 10-year inter-disciplinary research and educational activities by Center for Sustainable Urban Regeneration (cSUR) established by Departments of Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo, is a non-profit, non-political entity and have the objectives of enhancing an international and interdisciplinary network connecting universities and research institutions, integrating the pragmatic practices and the relevant academic resources, and fostering internationalized practitioners and researchers with the high philosophy and innovative knowledge. The first international conference held under the theme “Sustainable Society as Our Challenge” in October 2014 in Tokyo, Japan, attracted over 150 researchers, professionals and students, and the selected 77 papers out of 103 were presented at the conference. Finally the best 18 papers have been published at the special issue of Journal of Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration.
State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China, focuses on fundamental knowledges and applicable technologies for green building that is energy-saving, land-saving, water-saving, material-saving, and environmental protection corresponding to the local situation through the entire life cycle of buildings. The State Key Laboratory commits to the urgent demands of improving the whole level of green buildings, and to the task of effectively improving the living quality. Be part of Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, the State Key Laboratory has three research directions, including ‘fundamental theories and applicable technologies of green building’, ‘ecological urban & rural planning and green building design methods’, and ‘green building material, structures and constructions’. Under the framework of the laboratory, 99 well-recorded long-term researchers and more than 500 short-term or off campus researchers have been divided into 10 research groups for furtherly sorted research directions.
It is our biggest pleasure that IASUR, together with State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China and SUAE Asia, will host the second international conference in March 29-31, 2019 in Xi’an, China. The main theme of this conference is “Green Building and Smart City”. Throughout the conference, we will steer the directionality for sustainable urban regeneration or urbanization so that it is repositioned within the scope of, and the capacity for, urban and regional sustainability through a process of continuous international collaboration. We have great expectations that the alliance will make a significant contribution in further developing and raising the academic status of research and education for the future of Asian cities and regions.
Atsushi DEGUCHI
Chair, Organizing Committee of the First Conference of International Alliance for Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration (IASUR)
Professor, Department of Socio-Cultural Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Jiaping LIU
Director, State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China
Academician, Professor, Department of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology
ORGANIZER
Division of Civil, Hydraulic and Architectural Engineering (CAE)
International Alliance for Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration (IASUR)
CO-ORGANIZER
State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology
Sustainable Urban Architectural Environment in Asia, CAMPUS ASIA pilot program, Kyushu University
CO-ORGANIZER FOR SPECIAL SESSION
China Academy of Building Research
Bei Jing International Science & Technology Cooperation Base for Green Building
Chairman
Atsushi DEGUCHI
President, International Alliance for Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration
Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Jiaping LIU
Director, State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China
Academician, Professor, Department of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Atsushi DEGUCHI, President, International Alliance for Sustainable Urbanization and Regeneration
Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
Yasunori AKASHI, Professor, Department of Architecture, The University of Tokyo
Hiroto TAKAGUCHI, Professor, Department of Architecture, Waseda University
Shichen ZHAO, Professor, Department of Architecture and Urban Design, Kyushu University
Akito MURAYAMA, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Jiaping LIU, Director, State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology
Yi WANG, Professor, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology
Norihisa SHIMA, Associate Professor, Department of Regional Development Studies, Toyo University
