Theme

"Climate Change" is one of the most crucial concerns of the global community, stimulating active debate around the world about the post-Kyoto framework. Some governments have proposed a reduction in the world's greenhouse gas emissions to 50 percent or even more of 2000 levels by the year 2050.

"Population" is another serious issue. While the global trend has been population explosion, Japan is experiencing a drastic shift towards an aged society due to low birth rates, and this is occurring in many other countries as well. These outcomes of 'FORECASTING' are the major drivers of change in 'DESIGN' for quality of life in a sustainable built environment.

Looking back to 1933, "The Athens Charter" drafted by Le Corbusier et al. at the CIAM that year became a worldwide urban and architectural formula throughout the 20th century. However, we have failed to replace this charter for the 21st century and the vision of a sustainable future remains intangible.

Hence, the strategy of 'BACKCASTING', which involves identification of a particular vision and tracing its origins and lines of development back to the present, is urgently required in the new paradigm arising from these pressing agendas. This is the very role of the 'ARCHITECT', a profession that integrates ethics, aesthetics, technology, and economics into a holistic socio-cultural vision of the future.

UIA2011Tokyo will be a milestone event for exchange, elaboration and sharing of this vision towards 2050 and beyond.

Let's get together in Tokyo in 2011 and "DESIGN 2050" for the sake of our children and coming generations!