This symposium will exchange best practices and insights on the role of culture and citizen engagement in urban ecosystem restoration. Bringing together representatives from pilot and role model cities of the Generation Restoration project led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), it will foster dialogue and collaboration between policymakers, researchers and community members to develop a shared vision for cities that embrace both nature and culture.
The event will discuss the following topics:
- Reintegrating nature into urban spaces — strategies for restoring biodiversity, enhancing green infrastructure and promoting sustainable urban planning
- Cultural landscapes and urban identity — how cities can preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage, recognizing urban nature as an integral part of it while adapting to modern challenges
- Community-led urban regeneration — the role of citizen engagement in shaping sustainable and inclusive cities
- Global perspectives on ecosystem restoration — lessons from diverse cities on integrating cultural and ecological restoration in urban development
- Resilience and adaptation — how cities can respond to climate change and environmental challenges through ecological and cultural restoration
Participation & Registration
The event will be held in person at the Kanazawa Bunka Hall (3F Conference Room) in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. To participate, please register by 10 May 2025.
Please note that participants in UNU events may appear in photography, screen captures, videos and/or audio (see disclaimer).
Language
This event will be held in English and Japanese with simultaneous interpretation provided.
Programme
Subject to change
14:00–14:05 Opening Remarks
Takashi Murayama (Mayor, Kanazawa City)
14:05–14:20 Keynote 1 "Urban Nature for People and Planet: Restoring Ecosystems, Rebuilding Community"
Yulia Rubleva (Associate Programme Management Officer, Urban Nature, UNEP)
14:20–14:35 Keynote 2 “Nature Contributing to Well-Being, Resilience and Connectivity in Cities”
Ingrid Coetzee (Director, Biodiversity, Nature & Health, ICLEI)
14:35–14:50 Keynote 3 "The Role of Cities in Achieving a Society in Harmony with Nature”
Wataru Suzuki (Director, Biodiversity Strategy Office, Biodiversity Policy Division, Nature Conservation Bureau)
15:15–16:50 Introduction of Cities and Panel Discussion
"Community-led Urban Regeneration: Culture, Nature and Global Perspectives"
Moderator: Togo Uchida (Executive Director, ICLEI Japan)
Panelists (tentative):
Dzheylan Safet Karaulan Sozuer (Architect, Urban Designer and Strategy Development and Program Coordinator / Istanbul, Türkiye)
Anthony Paul Diaz (Superintendent and Director, Seattle Parks and Recreation / Seattle, USA)
Francois Moreau (Head of Urban Ecology Agency / Paris, France)
Kimberley Anne Statham (Director, Urban Forestry / Toronto, Canada)
Laura Hernandez Rosas (Coordinator of Biodiversity Strategies / Mexico City, Mexico)
Judith A. Oluoch (Kisumu County Executive Committee Member-Minister, Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources / Kisumu, Kenya)
Juan Pastor-Ivars (Researcher, UNU-IAS OUIK / Kanazawa, Japan)
Tetsuhiro Ikeda (Kanazawa City Culture and Sports Bureau, Cultural Property Protection Division/ Kanazawa, Japan)
16:50–16:55 Closing Remarks
Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS)
Organizers
This event will be co-organized by the City of Kanazawa, UNU-IAS Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (OUIK) and Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) Japan, Ishikawa Prefecture and The Hokkoku Shimbun (tentative).
Background
Recognized for its efforts in nature conservation and restoration that involve citizen participation and traditional knowledge, Kanazawa was selected as one of 11 role model cities for the Generation Restoration project — an international initiative contributing to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Adopting nature-based solutions to protect, conserve and restore degraded ecosystems, these cities are aiming to reconnect urban communities with nature while mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
