ECTP-CEU - News Archive

News Archive

Last 27 November, the international community of spatial planners lost one of its most respected professionals.

Jef Van den Broeck started as a practitioner, founding the Antwerp based Planning office ‘Studiegroep Omgeving’ (1973–1998).
He was chairman of the Antwerp City Commission for Spatial Planning (GECORO) between 2006 and 2014, and was a consultant to numerous Belgian and European cities and regions between 2001 and 2009.
Later in his career he taught Strategic Spatial Planning, which is also his research and professional field. He authored and co-authored multiple books and publications, including ‘Urban Trialogues’ on Localising Agenda 21 (UN-Habitat, 2004).

He was an Honorary Professor at the University of Leuven, Belgium.

Jef had a very warm heart for the international planning community, especially as an active ISOCARP member.

In Belgium and the Benelux, he was a monument as a spatial planner and later professor, because of his wisdom, commitment and enthusiasm. Together with Bernd Schöll (ETA Zürich), he authored the book “Planning Matters”, a title that perfectly reflects Jef’s vision on spatial planning.

The sad news that Jef did not survive a short-lived illness reached us very suddenly and totally unexpectedly.

Thank you for everything, Jef.

We will miss you.

Service December 7, 15.00 hrs, AMUZ, Kammenstraat, Antwerpen.

jef van den broeck

salzano edoardo spm

We share the sad news from Italy.

Edoardo Salzano died at age 89, one of the most important town planners in Italy. Born in Naples, but based in Venice since 1974, over several decades he teached and made research in town planning at IUAV University.
He also worked out many plans across the country and he published a highly opinion-making website in Italy: www.eddyburg.it
He was and is a very important reference for many of the Italian urban, spatial and environmental planners.
During his activity — which continued until his dead — he had a crucial role in the development of generations of professionals, academics and in raising awareness among the population for planning-related themes. Lying in state will take place on 25 September in Venice in Venice Hospital.

camposvenuti giuseppe orig

Another sad news from Italy in less than one week. Giuseppe Campos Venuti died at age 93. “Bolognese from Rome”, as he liked to define himself, his contribution to the town planning debate in Italy was decisive. Generations of students and professionals studied on his books and analysed his work, as a town planner as well as a local administrator. His main work in terms of visibility also outside the planners community was the “change of Bologna” during the 1960s, when he managed it to combine protection of the historic town centre and the neighbouring landscape with the needs of a contemporary town, including high attention to social housing. His book “Amministrare l’urbanistica” (Management of urbanism), written in 1967, was actually trendsetting. The mayor of Bologna stated that Campos Venuti’s work of fifty years ago makes it a different town, a better town this very day.

Planners for Climate Action communique during the UN high level political forum 2019

2019 High-level political forum on sustainable development
Planners call for better integrating urban planning practices in strategies to achieve SDG 13 and effectively combat climate change and its impact.
New York, 9 July 2019
As the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development opens, the community of urban and regional planners under the umbrella of Planners for Climate Action (P4CA)1 wishes to convey its views on the implementation of SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.
read more

p4ca

Lluis Brau - Our friend - our Honorary President

Lluis Brau1

It is with great sadness we received the news that our dear friend Lluis passed away. Lluis was for ECTP a tower of strength. He brought wisdom and integrity to all we engaged in. Qualities so much needed in our society which is being driven by those who have a disregard for truth, experience and expertise.

He represented not only Barcelona and Spain on the European and the global scale, he represented freedom of political thought that allowed us to advance collectively in our professional practice. Last autumn during the general assembly in Leuven, Lluis was acclaimed Honorary president of ECTP-CEU with applause. Unfortunately he could not attend, but his spirit and joy was surely present.

We all particularly remember his speech in Berlin a couple of years ago when debating the culture of spatial planning in Europe, when he told us that we were all remnants of social democracy. He urged us to open up to the contemporary society and to fight for European democracy through urbanism.

Our condolences to the family and all the friends, as the community of European Planners, but most of all as dear friends of this wonderful person.

Lluis will be remembered in our thoughts and prayers. The European spatial planners community will miss him

Lluis Brau2