Tag: un | ArchDaily

What COP27 Meant for Architecture and the Construction Industry

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The 2022 United Nations Conference of the Parties, more commonly referred to as COP27, was held between November 6 and November 18, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The conference included more than 90 heads of state and an estimated 35,000 representatives, or delegates, from 190 countries. Aimed at encouraging and guiding countries to take effective action against climate change, the next edition of these conferences, COP28, is already scheduled from 30 November to 12 December 2023, in the United Arab Emirates. The CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, an oil company chief who also oversees renewable energy efforts in the Emirates, was appointed to preside over the negotiations and talks, which led to a wave of criticism from environmental activists.

World’s Cities Day 2022: Act Local to Go Global

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 06:30:00 +0000

In an effort to expand the debate around the issues and opportunities facing urban environments worldwide, UN-Habitat has designated October 31 as “World Cities Day”, an event celebrated annually since 2014. This year the events are centered around the theme “Act Local to Go Global”, with the aim to share experiences and approaches to local actions, the initiatives that were successful and those that were not, and to seek to understand ways in which local and regional governments can help create greener, more equitable and sustainable cities.

Naomi Hoogervorst on Democratization of Design: "Equal Cities Need Equal Voices"

Fabian Dejtiar — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Many of us agree that design is still not considered for everyone. That is why we must ask ourselves what is truly democratic in the matters of design - in order to define our vision toward a more just society. From the perspective of architecture and urbanism, we can look at this democratization from different angles, including citizens in participatory processes, in order to find answers to our constant search to improve habitability and accessibility.

WUF11: The World Urban Forum 2022 Will Take Place in Katowice, Poland

Fabian Dejtiar — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 04:30:00 +0000

"Transforming our cities for a better urban future", is the main theme of the next World Urban Forum (WUF) which will take place, for the first time in Eastern Europe, in the city of Katowice, Poland, from the 26th to the 30th of June 2022. This global event on sustainable urbanisation is convened every two years by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat), and this time, it is co-organised by the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and the Katowice City Office.

At COP26 Architects Plan on Urging Decision Makers to Establish Tangible Action Against Climate Change

Andreea Cutieru — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) debuted yesterday in Glasgow, bringing together more than 190 world leaders, with the aim of accelerating action to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and UN's Convention on Climate Change. Leading architecture organizations and figures are attending the two-week summit to show the AEC's industry's commitment to reduce carbon emissions and urge decision-makers to implement clear targets to achieve global climate goals.

Cities and Conflict: Exploring Urban Adaptive Reuse

Matthew Maganga — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 07:30:00 +0000

COP26, The United Nations Climate Change Conference, is scheduled to be held in Scotland soon, in the last week of October 2021. Against the backdrop of this conference is a heightened global awareness of climate change, as discussions take place on how a sustainable, more equal future can be achieved. The present and future state of architecture is a key component of this conversation, as criticism is levelled at architecture firms that “greenwash” and questions are raised on if the term “sustainability” is increasingly merely being used as today’s buzzword.

BIG and UN Collaborate on Floating, Modular Eco-City

Niall Patrick Walsh — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 08:30:00 +0000

As part of UN-Habitat’s New Urban Agenda, Bjarke Ingels Group has proposed a vision for the world’s first resilient and sustainable floating community, designed to accommodate 10,000 people. “Oceanix City” is a response to the prediction that by 2050, 90% of the world’s largest cities will be exposed to rising seas, resulting in mass displacement, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. The scheme is anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enacting circular flows of food, energy, water, and waste.

Shigeru Ban to Design Up to 20,000 New Homes for Refugees in Kenya

Patrick Lynch — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Pritzker Prize winning architect Shigeru Ban has signed an agreement with UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency tasked with guiding sustainable development, to design up to 20,000 new homes for refugees in Kenya’s Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement. Currently home to more than 37,000 refugees, the settlement is quickly outgrowing its original capacity of 45,000 – over 17,000 have arrived this year alone, with numbers expected to continue to increase.

Mecanoo Unveils Design for Experimental Garden and Palace Restoration in The Netherlands

Sabrina Santos — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Mecanoo has unveiled its design to transform The Soestdijk Estate into Eden Soestdijk, “an experimental garden for a sustainable society and a paradise destination for all” in The Netherlands. In an effort to become an educational tool for environmental awareness, the project aims to make a significant contribution to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

IKEA Recreates Syrian Home Inside their Store in Efforts to Aid Refugee Crisis

Patrick Lynch — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 16:15:00 +0000

Swedish mega-retailer IKEA is taking action to combat the destitute living conditions faced by Syrian refugees.

BLUE: The Architecture of UN Peacekeeping

Malkit Shoshan — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 05:15:00 +0000

Volume #48: The Research Turn contains the exhibition catalogue for BLUE: The Architecture of UN Peacekeeping, the Dutch entry at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition, la Biennale di Venezia, by Malkit Shoshan. BLUE focuses on the most prominent footprint of the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations: the compound.

Video: IKEA Foundation Design a Shelter for Refugees

Rory Stott — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 00:00:00 +0000

To mark the occasion of World Refugee Day on June 20th, the IKEA Foundation announced an important new collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Refugee Housing Unit to design a new type of shelter which will replace the outdated tents currently in use in refugee camps worldwide.