sustainability conference 2008

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Sustainability Conference 2008: Brighton & Hove – the first ‘Urban Biosphere City’?

Thursday 30 – Friday 31 October 2008 at Bellerbys Brighton Study Centre, Brighton

You can find out more about conference proceedings and evaluation by downloading the final conference report [pdf 9.9MB].

If you experience any difficulty please get in touch with the sustainability team and we will be happy to send you a hard copy.

 

The 2008 Sustainability Conference looked at how biodiversity might shape Brighton & Hove. The aim of the conference was to contribute to international debate about the greening of cities as well as to help local decision makers take biodiversity into account in city planning.

Brighton & Hove’s Sustainable Community Strategy includes a commitment to work towards designation of the city ‘as the first UK Urban Biosphere Reserve’. 

Urban Biosphere Reserve

Biosphere Reserves, designated by UNESCO in partnership with national governments, could be described as ‘centres of excellence’ where conserving ecosystems and biodiversity is actively prioritised, alongside economic and social development. 

Photograph of Chicago City Hall by Mathew Frith

Currently, all Biosphere Reserves are rural, but UNESCO has recognised the need to establish the same ecological principles in urban areas and there has been much debate internationally about what a ‘biosphere city’ might look like. 

Typically cities consume food, water and other ‘ecological services’, sometimes from vast distances away, and produce pollutants and waste which must be ‘processed’ by their surrounding natural environment. Most cities owe a huge ‘ecological debt’ to their rural hinterlands which can only be sustained because cities cover a relatively small proportion of the globe. But cities are growing – and fast. In 2007 over half the world’s population became city dwellers. More than ever before, we need to find ways for cities to be more ecologically sustainable.

Sustainability Conference 2008

This year the Sustainability Conference is over two days and is jointly organised by the University of Brighton and Brighton & Hove City Council, and will be supported by the Environment Agency. 

The conference will aim to address the following questions as well as contribute to the international debate about the future role of ecology in cities:

• What would designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve mean for Brighton & Hove?
• How might the wider Brighton & Hove community be engaged in helping to achieve Biosphere Reserve status? 
• How might being a ‘biosphere city’ affect the day-to-day lives of people living in and visiting Brighton & Hove?
• How might it help to guide policy and shape new development, transport, education and housing?

Day One, chaired by Stuart Laing, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university, and Alan McCarthy, Chief Executive of the council, will look at how being a biosphere city might affect strategic issues such as economic and social development, housing, education, health and food production.

Day Two, chaired by Dr Niall Burnside, of Brighton University will take a local perspective, looking at how local communities might benefit. Day Two will also include a series of workshops where delegates will have the opportunity to engage in exploring key issues in more depth.

Click here to download conference flyer [PDF 367kb].

Confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Thomas Elmqvist, Stockholm University, Sweden, a key contributor to the international debate on Urban Biosphere Reserves and to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
• Pooran Desai - Sustainability Director, Bioregional Quintain, Mathew Frith, urban ecologist from the Peabody Trust, and Dusty Gedge, Urban Ecologist/Green Roof Designer

You can find further information on speakers and agenda on the full conference programme [PDF 79kb].

Delegate and stall-holder registration

Unfortunately, the conference is now fully booked. Many thanks for your interest. Please note that full conference proceedings will be available on this webpage in due course.

Venue & Directions

The conference will be held at Brighton Study Centre (where the Bellerbys International College, Brighton is based), 1 Billington Way, Brighton, E. Sussex, BN1 4LF. For directions download the map [PDF 315kb].

Brighton Study Centre is adjacent to Brighton rail station which is served by lots of local bus services and trains.  Find out real time bus information and plan your route to the conference using the council's unique journey planner www.journeyon.co.uk.  

If you have any further queries please email: sustainability@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Conference proceedings

Many thanks to all those that attended and participated in this years conference. The conference was a big success and I am pleased to say that conference proceedings are now available on the conference proceedings webpage. Some presentations are still not available but we hope to give you access to these in due course.