52nd International

Making Cities Livable Conference on

ACHIEVING GREEN, HEALTHY CITIES 

& Design Awards Competition on
Achieving Green, Healthy Cities

Bristol, United Kingdom
June 29 - July 3, 2015

Co-organizers: Bristol City Council The Academy of Urbanism University of the West of England

By 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas. The largest migration of people in human history is taking place, from rural areas to cities – cities must provide the solutions that will make us more resilient, healthy and sustainable.

Bristol joins the roll-call of cities across the world working hard to find the solutions and I am very pleased to announce that the 52nd International Making Cities Livable Conference will take place in Bristol on June 29 – July 3, 2015.

Having been awarded European Green Capital 2015, the theme of this year’s conference ‘Achieving Green, Healthy Cities’ is an important one for Bristol. This award was a momentous achievement for Bristol and together as a city we are working to change the way people think about what we value.

Bristol is already a byword for ‘green city’; it has the highest rate of commuting on foot and by bike of any local authority in England and Wales, one third of Bristol is ‘green and blue’ open space, waste produced by citizens has reduced by 27%, recycling and composting has gone from 13% to 50%, and over 50,000 residents each year are involved in green initiatives and groups, and growing.

The ideas and innovations of Achieving Green, Healthy Cities are essential for making our cities ‘fit for life’ and sustainable for the future. Bristol is a living laboratory for green ideas and I’m delighted that we have the chance to host the IMCL Conference. I welcome you to Bristol and invite everyone to take part in a unique opportunity to inspire us all to innovate, grow and improve the quality of life, in the UK and worldwide.

George Ferguson, CBE
Mayor of Bristol

Achieving Green, Healthy Cities

IMCL is honored to have been invited to hold the 52nd IMCL Conference on Achieving Green, Healthy Cities in Bristol, UK, the “2015 Green Capitol of Europe”, and a city that in 2014 was voted “Britain’s Most Livable City”.

In 2014, IMCL awarded Mayor Ferguson and Bristol City Council the IMCL Lewis Mumford Award for their leadership in creating a Healthy Bristol for All – “Working to enhance streets for social life and celebration, for pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit, and reducing the negative impacts of the car  - these measures will improve the health of all residents, especially children”.

We are delighted to work with the Mayor and City Council to bring you an exciting, innovative program in this hospitable and dynamic city. At this conference, we will examine creative strategies, tools and design solutions for Achieving Green, Healthy Cities. We will review how the built and natural environment can be designed and managed to increase social and physical health and well-being, and to foster ecological, social and economic sustainability.

These goals cannot be achieved by professionals in one field alone. They require collaborative efforts and insights from many disciplines. We will hear from world-renowned experts working at the interface between planning, urban design, public health, landscape architecture, transportation planning, architecture, and social sciences, and review outstanding projects from the UK, Europe, North America and around the world.

Through study tours, participants will also learn about Bristol’s achievements, and about Bristol’s current projects to improve health and sustainability by reshaping the natural and built environment.

>> see all info here <<