On Thursday, 24 March 2023, the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization held its awards gala, in person this year for the first time since the pandemic lockdown. We celebrated the achievements of five exceptional individuals and their organizations: Emilio Ambasz, Emilia Sáiz, Keziah Theresee Gerosano (along with UN1FY), Michal Mlynár and Henk Ovink, all of whom exemplify the action-oriented goals of the CSU, assuring that sustainable urbanization and resilient design are at the heart of design, planning and building.

Over the past year the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization has marked many successes. With the leadership of Immediate Past President Lance Jay Brown and engaged generosity of CSU Advisory Board Chair H.E. Talal Abu-Ghazelah, we have redesigned our website to make more accessible the calendar of our events and our  publications. Our Green Cities program has attracted new participants; we have seen innovations and best practices from six continents. Just prior to the Gala, thanks to Board Chair Aliye Pekin Celik, we published our eighth book, Women and Sustainable Urbanization, containing the proceedings of the 5 October 20022 World Habitat Day Conference. We’ve celebrated a restructuring of our Board, putting more emphasis on the roles of reinvigorated committees on programs, communications and membership headed by new Vice Presidents Gizem Karagöz, Toni Castro Cosío and Jhaelen Hernandez-Eli respectively. And we were significantly involved last summer at the 11th World Urban Forum in Katowice, Poland, with Immediate Past President Lance Jay Brown and Board Members Ted Liebman and Anna Rubbo speaking on numerous panels. Most importantly, with devastation and displacement caused by natural disasters and armed conflict rampant, the CSU has reaffirmed the responsibility of architects and urbanists to use our knowledge and experience for rebuilding. This past year has been one of new challenges and many accomplishments, not the least of which is our new logo and graphics by Liz Nebiolo. If you are not yet a member, please consider joining.

UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif joined by (l-r) Gernot Riether, Henk Ovink, Aliye Celik, Shaun Donovan, Keziah Theresee Gerosano, Nicholas Hamilton, Gizem Nur Karagöz, Ted Liebman, Jan Kairel Guillermo and Mariana Orte Rodriguez

The Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization promotes a better understanding of the role of sustainable urbanization and resilient design in the planning of our cities. Our purpose is to advocate for responsible and enlightened planning and design. We connect global thought leaders concerned with urbanization in order to exchange ideas. We share information on-line, in print and at conferences. Our focus is on replicable ideas, best practices and innovative proposals that can be realized, that can lead to action.

Danei Cesario and Maimunah Mohd Sharif

Nick Hamilton and Rick Bell