Over 500 participants gathered for the ‘7^th International Conference on World Class Sustainable Cities 2015’ (WCSC 2015) at The Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 29^th September 2015, to listen to, learn from, and engage with one another on issues of better city planning.

World class speakers: Mr. Stephen Luoni, Director of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center, Arkansas, U.S.A.; Ms. Dyan Currie, Director of Planning & Environment, Gold Coast, Australia; Mr. Sascha Haselmayer, Chief Executive Officer of CityMart, Barcelona, Spain; and Ms. Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson, Journalist, Moderator and Innovator from Malmo, Sweden; globally renowned for their innovative ideas and excellent achievements in urban regeneration, shared with an audience consisting of professionals (architects & planners), developers, city managers, and members of the public that included representatives of Residents’ Associations from Kuala Lumpur. 

This annual conference is co-organized by the Real Estate & Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (REHDA KL), the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP), and the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), and is supported and endorsed by City Hall Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). 

The WCSC series first began in 2009 and is now in its seventh year. It is organized to bring together ideas and best practices on what makes cities sustainable places to live and work in, as well as to increase the awareness of our city dwellers and other stakeholders on what makes a city great. The conference is unique as it brings together all stakeholders of the city. Besides developers, planners and architects, through Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) endorsement and support, City Authorities and officials, and representatives from Residents’ Associations throughout Kuala Lumpur also attended as participants in the conference. 

"We are also happy to note that WCSC's impact has gone beyond the boundaries of Kuala Lumpur. Each year, more and more local councils from across Malaysia have sent representatives to this conference. This year, we have over 20 Government Ministries and Local Councils from across Malaysia with us today," explained Datuk N.K. Tong, Organizing Chairman of WCSC 2015 from REHDA KL.

WCSC’s from past years have focused on various topics, including the transformation of Cheongyecheon River in Seoul, Korea, the city transportation solutions for Curitiba, Brazil, the metamorphosis of Kaohsiung, Taiwan from an industrial polluter to an ecological tourist hub and demonstrating that liveable cities are creative and competitive. This year, WCSC 2015 focused on the theme of "Urban Regeneration Through Smart Partnerships". 

"We have searched across the globe for world class ideas and speakers to share an impactful day with us. There are also Master Classes that will be conducted in smaller groups on a separate day, led by our esteemed speakers, to delve into greater details on the opportunities for the future urban regeneration of Kuala Lumpur," added Puan Khairiah Talha from MIP.

In previous years, WCSC conference speakers have had an influential impact in shifting public perceptions to the Kuala Lumpur project that followed. The Cheongyecheon River restoration was a great prelude to the Kuala Lumpur River of Life project, the Curitiba experience in transforming the city’s buses and MRT, and pedestrianization projects that include covered walkway systems to make cities for the people.

"We are especially excited this year, as WCSC 2015 is on the official agenda of the ASEAN Mayors/Governors Meeting (MGM). It is a great opportunity for Kuala Lumpur to showcase and lead the way in urban regeneration within ASEAN," shared Ar. Sarizal Yusman Yusoff from PAM. 

In conjunction with WCSC 2015, the winners of the ‘Photography Competition’ themed "Urban Regeneration Through Smart Partnerships" were also announced, and prizes were given out by Y.B. Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan Jaganathan, the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Federal Territories, who also officiated at the Opening Ceremony.

For further infomation, kindly visit www.wcsckl.com or call Mr. Soon Teck Giap (WCSC 2015 Conference Secretariat) at Tel: 603-7803 2978 or e-mail at stg@rehda.com / kul@rehda.com / wcsckl@gmail.com