World Cities Day Forum in Xiamen Oct16

World Cities Day For...

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, UN-Habitat and the Fujian Provincial Government hosted World Cities Day Forum in Xiamen, China, on Monday the 31st of October 2016. Martin Dubbeling, Vice-President of the International Society of City and...

Next Economy, Next C...

The Transition of the Planning Tradition in the Netherlands The renowned spatial planning tradition in the Netherlands is in the middle of a radical transition. In 2015, proclaimed as the Year of Spatial Planning, the planning community celebrated 50 years of structured national planning,...

Fading line between the success or failure of a city Jun16

Fading line between ...

Interview for Rabobank Highlights, ‘Handpicked essentials for today’s leaders’ by Herman Kleintjes. Earning legitimacy as a city requires hard work – keeping a finger on the pulse, staying young and vital, facilitating and promoting. Luck is a factor, but luck alone is no...

Huang Shi National Mine Park Jul15

Huang Shi National M...

Mines and large industrial sites are of big importance to local communities and cities. They supply a shared identity and make them feel proud. The closing of a mine or industry has usually big impact on the vitality of the city and the region. Not only because of the loss of employment, but...

Spatial visioning Palestine: a planning and capacity building exercise Jun15

Spatial visioning Palestine: a planning and capaci...

Commissioned by UN-Habitat and UNDP, an Urban Planning Advisory Team from ISOCARP, with ten international experts and ISOCARP Vice President Martin Dubbeling as head of mission, developed and presented a spatial vision for Gaza and the heartland of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. UN-Habitat and UNDP joined forces to curate and facilitate a spatial visioning exercise between the 6th and the 14th of June 2015. The International Society for City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), which is an international planning NGO, was commissioned to compose and lead an Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT). A team of eleven international and...

Sino-Dutch Planning Week and Seminars in China May15

Sino-Dutch Planning Week and Seminars in China

Invited by Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University and Ningbo Institute of Planning and Design and the School of Urban Design, Wuhan University a Team of Dutch Experts (TDE) from ISOCARP and the Connecting Cities Network visited Nanjing, Ningbo and Wuhan from 25 May to 3 June 2015, participating “Sino-Dutch Planning Week” in Nanjing and seminars in Ningbo and Wuhan. The “Sino-Dutch Planning Week” in Nanjing University is an important part of “village planning” education programme of the fourth-year bachelor students from urban planning discipline. By involving the Team of Dutch Experts, the planning week was supposed...

Inspirational Values for Future Cities Feb15

Inspirational Values...

Mobility, infrastructure, security and digital technology are the current key factors in the management of urban areas. But is quality of life in urban areas simply the sum of these key factors or does a liveable and smart city require something more? Making cities liveable and smart is a...

Sustainable and inclusive planning in Singapore Jan15

Sustainable and incl...

Larry Ng Lye Hock, director of Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority and World Cities Summit, gave a guest lecture at Pakhuis de Zwijger, the centre of creative industries and spatial planning. Martin Dubbeling (Connecting Cities and ISOCARP) introduced Larry Ny to an audience of 60...

Vladivostok Urban Development Strategy Jan15

Vladivostok Urban De...

The Russian Scientific Research and Project Institute of Urbanism (in short the Russian Urban Institute) in Saint Petersburg has invited me to participate to participate as one of the international experts in an online workshop about the presented scenarios in the urban development strategy...

Highlights 2013-2014

Employment and Professional Activities in 2013-2014 Connecting Cities, in Assen, the Netherlands. Office for research, consultancy, design and communication in sustainable urban and regional planning. Position: Founder and principal, urban planner and designer, consultant in sustainable development. Registered as Urban Designer in the Register of Architects, registration number 2.890201.001 (since 1989). Chair of the Committee on Sustainable Urbanism of the Netherlands professional organisations of urban planning and design and landscape architecture (BNSP and NVTL), until December 2013. Vice President of BNSP, the Netherlands professional...

Presentations in China Dec14

Presentations in Chi...

The Academic Committee of Foreign Studies in Urban Planning of Urban Planning Society of China and the Department of Urban Planning and Design of the Nanjing University have honoured me to invite me to participate in the two day conference ‘County Territory Development and Planning in the New...

50 years of ISOCARP, Planning without borders Sep14

50 years of ISOCARP, Planning without borders

Martin Dubbeling is interviewed for an article in Scape Magazine that addresses the history and virtues of ISOCARP, the International Society of City and Regional Planners. This article ’50 years of ISOCARP, Planning without borders’, describes the past, present and near future of ISOCARP. When ISOCARP was founded in 1965, population of western cities increased rapidly. It became clear that town and regional planners had tasks beyond housing and that good planning was important to stimulate economic development, to manage social change and to tackle environmental challenges. The inaugural congress was held in the Netherlands. In 2015 the...

UPAT workshops for UN-Habitat Aug14

UPAT workshops for UN-Habitat

For ISOCARP I am responsible for the acquisition and preparation of Urban Planning Advisory Team (UPAT) workshops worldwide. The objective of a UPAT is to mobilize the extensive planning experience and expertise of ISOCARP members in order to help and assist cities and regions with for projects, programmes and policies on spatial planning and urban design. In the week of 15-23 August 2014 I was invited by the UN-Habitat office in Ramallah to prepare a UPAT workshop for an independent Test Planning Exercise for the region between the cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jericho. This region, that includes East-Jerusalem, is an underdeveloped...

Ten Years of UPATs, Symposium at ETH Zürich Jul14

Ten Years of UPATs, Symposium at ETH Zürich

From 2004 till today, there have been some 22 Urban Planning Advisory Teams taking the expertise from both senior and young planners from ISOCARP to numerous places and regions all over the world, to address and probe, together with local and regional experts, challenging planning questions defined by inviting cities and other institutions. Against the background of the 50 years anniversary of ISOCARP in 2015, the ETH Zürich organized a symposium to create an opportunity to discuss the results as well as the longer-term impacts and outcomes from this ISOCARP initiative, to reflect upon those and draw lessons for the future advancement of...

TOD node for Xia-Shan May14

TOD node for Xia-Sha...

The Xia-Shan covered market is an ideal location for a mixed-use and transit-oriented development that expands the green space network from the northwest hillside park. These approaches are described in the Transit Oriented Development and Urban & Green Space Development sections of the...

The fragile water system of Hua-Yao Mar14

The fragile water sy...

Hua-Yao village has a distinct different setting than Si-He Village. There are more and larger open spaces close to the oldest parts of the village and that these open spaces connect with the system of creeks and waterways. These open space presumably remained vacant, as these areas are too...

Upgrading Si-He village Feb14

Upgrading Si-He vill...

Si-He Village dates back to the Song Dynasty and is known as the home of the celebrated poet Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073), famous for his ode to the Lotus flower. This village is an ideal site to promote waterway revitalization by making space for the retention and temporal storage of water. The...

Eight Principles for the Jiangbei New District Jan14

Eight Principles for...

The development of the Jiangbei New District will bring enormous opportunities and challenges for the Yangtze River delta area and the Nanjing Metropolitan. The City of Nanjing underlines the need for innovative strategies for transit‐oriented, ecological, sustainable and low‐carbon urban...

Strategy for the Shan Nan Region Dec13

Strategy for the Sha...

Invited by the City of Shantou, the Shantou Urban and Rural Planning Bureau and the Institute of Urban Planning and Design of the Nanjing University, a Team of Dutch Experts has visited South Shantou 20-26 January 2013 for an intensive and creative workshop for the organic regeneration of the...

Urban Planning and D...

How can the public and private sector efficiently and economically obtain innovative, high-quality, multi-disciplinary plans and designs for large-scale projects? An approach that offers multiple benefits is the design competition. “Design competitions deliver exciting buildings and projects....

Jiangbei New District Workshops Nov13

Jiangbei New District Workshops

A team of experts of the ISOCARP, the International Society of City and Regional Planners, participated in the first and second International Advisory Conferences for the Jiangbei New District on 11-17 August and 27 October-02 November 2013. During the two conferences the experts observed the field conditions in the vast planning area and were briefed about the 2049 Strategy Planning and 2030 Overall Planning for the Jiangbei New District. The ISOCARP experts carefully reviewed the plans, shared their experiences of related international practices, and initiated sketch sessions in which opportunities and threats of the planning area were...

Jury Report Shantou ...

More than 300 officials and planning professionals attended the Award Ceremony where the Mayor of Shantou, Renhao Zheng, introduced the members of the international urban design competition and reaffirmed the vision of positioning Shantou as a world-class city. Each of the design teams gave...

Jury Shantou International Urban Design Competitio...

The City of Shantou invited three renowned urban planning and design teams from Europe (KuiperCompagnons & Paul Andreu Architecte Paris), Asia (Ove Arup & Partners) and the USA (NBBJ Architectural Consulting) to participate in the international urban design competition for the Shantou New East Coastal Area. The Shantou New East Coastal Area is regarded as an important function area for future Shantou. The development of this area is designated as an engine for this new round of urbanization of the city and should turn this area into a place to demonstrate the identity of Shantou. Planning and construction of this area will also...

The Big Jump Forwards: An Example of China’s Pursu...

Shantou is a seaport with 5,4 million inhabitants in the province of Guangdong, People’s Republic of China, and a Special Economic Zone since 1980. The five Special Economic Zones – Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen and Shantou cities and Hainan Province – represent the most progressive policy for reform and trade. In spite of this special status, Shantou, originally by far the biggest and most prosperous of the Special Economic Zone cities, has been struggling to match the rapid growth of the other four Special Economic Zones. The Institute of Urban Planning and Design of Nanjing University and the Shantou Urban and Rural Planning...

Central townplanning for Shantou Aug13

Central townplanning for Shantou

This report is the result of the work of nine planning professionals who took part in the UPAT workshop in Shantou, China, in the period 10-16, March 2013. One of the challenges facing Shantou in the future is to regenerate the historic downtown. The city of Shantou has a 150-year heritage. Now, the Shantou city region contains about 2000 square kilometres and the Shantou central city has about 100 square kilometre with 1,2 million inhabitants. The central city grew from a 0,5 square kilometre old town along an inner sea bay. Whilst the principles of organic regeneration and expansion apply to the city region where new spaces will be...

Shantou New East Coa...

The Shantou New East Coastal Area is regarded as an important function area for future Shantou. The development of this area is designated as an engine for this new round of urbanization of the city and should turn this area into a place to demonstrate the identity of Shantou. Planning and...

Shantou revisited – Organic Regeneration of the Historic Downtown Mar13

Shantou revisited – Organic Regeneration of ...

The workshop was hosted by the Shantou Planning Bureau and the Institute of Urban Planning and Design of the Nanjing University. These institutions were awarded with the 2012 ISOCARP Award for Excellence for the integrated strategy and the focus on sustainability and organic transformation as proposed in The Shantou Strategic Development Plan. Shantou is a seaport with 5,5 million inhabitants in the province of Guangdong and a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) since 1980. The five SEZ’s – Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen and Shantou cities and Hainan Province—represent the most progressive policy for reform and trade. Even with all these...

Perm, The City as a Campus Feb13

Perm, The City as a ...

The Perm Region, 1,400 km east of Moscow, has 5 larger cities and 2.7 million inhabitants. The City of Perm is the central capital with 980,000 inhabitants. The Perm Region is famous for the liberalist economy and attitude. The City of Perm has an important industrial heritage, especially...

Dutch experts in Shan Nan Jan13

Dutch experts in Shan Nan

To the south of Shantou, in Guangdong Province, lies a vast area that can be characterised as a “Desakota” area. A Desakota area is in origin an agricultural area in Asia were the villages (“desa” in Indonesian) and agricultural lands are rapidly changing towards intensive and densely built cities (“kota” in Indonesian) with a mixture of small and larger industries, housing for local inhabitants and immigrant workers. The Shan Nan Desakota Area has a surface area of about 600 km2 and contains an estimated 1,3 million inhabitants. In the process of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation historic and useful structures, such as the delicate...

Highlights 2011-2012

Employment and Professional Activities 2011-2012 SAB, in Arnhem, Amsterdam and Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Office for urban and regional planning, urban design, landscape architecture and the environment. Position: Senior consultant, urban planner and designer, consultant in sustainable development. Registered as Urban Designer in the Register of Architects, registration number 2.890201.001 (since 1989). Chair of the Committee on Sustainable Urbanism of the Netherlands professional organisations of urban planning and design (NVTL and BNSP). Vice President of BNSP, the Netherlands professional organisation of urban planning and design....

Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area Development Planning Oct12

Wuhan East Lake Scen...

The East Lake lays within the built up area of Wuchang that is one of the three component parts of the City of Wuhan. It has the distinction of being the largest inner city lake in China [33 sq km]. The project that we were presented with involves transforming the lake and its immediate...

Towards Perm as a Science City Jul12

Towards Perm as a Sc...

Between 08 and 13 July 2012 nine planning professionals took part in an ISOCARP UPAT workshop in Perm, Russia. One of the challenges facing Perm in the future is changing its identity from that of an industrial city into a knowledge hub and a science city on the border of Europe and Asia. The...

Workshop Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area Mar12

Workshop Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area

A team of experts of the ISOCARP, the International Society of City and Regional Planners, participated in an International Advisory Workshop for the Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area on 11-16 March 2012. During that workshop the experts observed the field conditions in the vast planning area and were briefed about the objectives of the Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area. The ISOCARP experts carefully reviewed the plans, shared their experiences of related international practices, and initiated sketch sessions in which opportunities and threats of the planning area were discussed. The Wuhan Planning and Design Institute (WPDI) is a public sector...

The Netherlands in T...

The Netherlands is world renowned for the way in which urban planning, infrastructure, ecology and the environment form an integral part of the practice of spatial planning and urban design. The country has a vigorous and open economy, an entrepreneurial society with its metropolis situated...

Inspirational Values...

Mobility, infrastructure, security and environment are key factors in the management of urban areas. But is quality of life in urban areas simply the sum of these key factors or does a liveable city require something more? Making cities liveable is a challenge that concerns all of us. It is...

Highlights 2009-2010

Employment and Professional Activities in 2009-2010 SAB, in Arnhem, Amsterdam and Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Office for urban and regional planning, urban design, landscape architecture and the environment. Position: Senior consultant, urban planner and designer, consultant in sustainable development. Registered as Urban Designer in the Register of Architects, registration number 2.890201.001 (since 1989). Chair of the Committee on Sustainable Urbanism of the Netherlands professional organisations of urban planning and design (NVTL and BNSP). Vice President of BNSP, the Netherlands professional organisation of urban planning and design....

Young Planning Professionals Workshop Nairobi Sep10

Young Planning Profe...

In 2010, ISOCARP celebrated the 20th Young Planning Professionals Workshop Anniversary during the 46st ISOCARP Congress in Nairobi, Kenya. At this occasion I had the honour and privilege to be the Young Planning Professionals workshop coordinator. Over a concentrated period of three to seven...

Liveable Cities in a Rapidly Urbanising World Jul10

Liveable Cities in a...

The fate of the planet seems to hang on how well mass urbanisation is planned and managed over the next few decades. An ISOCARP Urban Planning and Advisory Team, meeting in Singapore in July 2010, developed a fresh analysis of rapid urbanisation and proposed radically new approaches to...

The Netherlands 2020...

The Netherlands is a densely populated, low-lying coastal country and besides that it is the delta of the rivers Rijn, Maas and Schelde. There are also many smaller rivers and some 3000 polders. The metropolitan area ‘Randstad’, the heart of the Dutch economy, is largely situated below sea...

Towards low carbon c...

Sustainable urban planning is a challenge for planners and city managers. It fits in well with other goals and objectives in the field of urban planning, urban design and urban management, such as preserving and improving a city’s identity and values while, at the same time, making it...