Marmara Urban Forum Will Be Held in Istanbul on 4-7 October
Marmara Urban Forum, organized by Marmara Municipalities Union (MMU) with the motto
MARUF was first organized in Istanbul in 2019 and hosted 250 speakers from 25 countries and more than 5000 participants. The second MARUF was organized as a virtual event on the theme of “Re-Think, Co-Act” in 2021 in cooperation with 113 partners. It gathered 500+ and 8000+ viewers from 52 countries in over 100 sessions. UN-Habitat, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, ICLEI, Metropolis, CDP, European Association for Local Democracy, WRI, WWF, UNDP, UITP, NALAS, IKSV, as well as many other NGOs, municipalities, universities, think-tanks, development agencies are among the partners of MARUF.
Cities Developing Solutions
MARUF’s motto "Cities Developing Solutions" encapsulates the essence of cities as both problem catalysts and solution incubators and provides a gathering place for discovering and celebrating the transformative power of cities. MARUF explores various themes related to urbanism such as governance, environmental management, housing, migration, public space, disaster and risk management, inclusion, infrastructure, mobility, local development, climate change and many more in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals with an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach.
Main Theme: "Resilience and Beyond"
Today's polycrisis age, and the fact that people, society, urban life, and the ecosystem that includes them are affected by various parameters reveal that we should seek solutions in "resilience". However, resilience should be considered beyond resisting crises and returning to the previous state, it should include the ability of not only surviving, but also thriving in the face of uncertainty and challenges, and adapting to new situations and times. For this reason, it is necessary to take a step beyond resilience.
This year MARUF focuses on the beyond of resilience by getting rid of the limited, sometimes useless and impossible way of returning to the previous state after a crisis, and on the possibility of building a life suitable for new conditions in an organic way, like life itself. With the main theme "Resilience and Beyond", MARUF23 questions the basic requirements of a sustainable, quality life for everyone in cities.
MARUF23 Will Host World Metropolitan Day
Marmara Municipalities Union will host World Metropolitan Day (7 October) this year in Istanbul within the framework of MARUF in partnership with Metropolis and UN-Habitat. Climate change, natural disasters, and environmental inequalities pose serious threats to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in metropolitan areas worldwide. What if we could use nature as a source of inspiration and innovation to solve challenges related to natural disasters and climate change? The title of this year’s World Metropolitan Day "Beyond Urban: How Nature Can Transform Metropolises" focuses on this very question. The power of nature in metropolises will also be one of the main topics of MARUF23 and various discussions on nature-based solutions will take place with the participation of local, national and international leaders. For more information: www.marmaraurbanforum.org
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