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NEWS | WHITR-AP Participates in UN-Habitat Forum

　 PublishDate：2025-11-17　 Hits：1

From 3 to 6 November 2025 in Songyang County, Zhejiang Province, Ms. Marie-Noël Tournoux, Project Director of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region, Shanghai Centre (WHITR-AP Shanghai), participated as a keynote speaker at the International Forum on Urban-Rural Linkages (IFURL). Organized in the framework of the International Dialogue on Urban-Rural Linkages (IDURL), the event, themed “Advancing Urban-Rural Linkages: Culture, Housing and Basic Services,” was co-hosted by UN-Habitat and the West Europe and Africa Communication Center (China Today) of China International Communications Group (CICG).

Liang Haigang, Secretary of the CPC Songyang County Committee

The International Dialogue on Urban-Rural Linkages is a flagship initiative of UN‑Habitat, established to advance the global urban-rural linkages agenda in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda. Since its inception in 2019, the International Dialogue on Urban-Rural Linkages (IDURL) has been held four times in Songyang (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025), with the 2025 dialogue following the third International Forum held during Urban October 2023.

Raphael Tuts, Director of the Global Solutions Division, UN-Habitat

The two-day conference served as a high‑level platform for discussing integrated urban‑rural development strategies. It brought together over a hundred participants from 12 countries. Representatives from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector advanced the global urban-rural linkages agenda in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 11 and the New Urban Agenda.

Moderator: Remy Sietchiping, Chief Policy, Legislation and governance Section, UN-Habitat

Speakers: Klaus R. Kunzmann, TU Dortmund, Marie-Noël Tournoux, WHITR-AP Shanghai, Lian Yirui, Tsinghua University; Zhao Zhongshu, China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, Yang Guiqing, Tongji University

Discussions and Field Activities

The program featured thematic discussions on critical sub themes and extensive field visits to several sites in Songyang and surrounding villages, providing firsthand experience of Songyang’s innovative practices in heritage preservation and rural development. Each thematic session was hosted on site at the last stop of the field visit itinerary allowing for full immersion of participants.

The thematic Sessions focused on:

1) Cultural Heritage Preservation and the Revitalization of Existing Urban Spaces and the field visit was to Hetianling Block, Mingshan Academy and Old Bus Station.

2) Cultural Heritage Protection and Thematic District Development. The field visit was to Songyang Old Street Three Temple and Cultural Communication Center in Wenli.

3) Living Heritage Transmission and Innovation in Traditional Villages and field visit was to Songzhuan Vilalge, Sandu Township.

4) Urban-Rural Green Transportation and Sustainable Development and the field visit was to the Smart Transportation Industrial Park and SongYang Public Distribution Center.

Field Visit to Songyang Old Street and Three Temple Cultural Communication Center in Wenli

Field Visit to Songzhuan Village, Sandu Township

Conclusion

The Forum provided a valuable platform for WHITR-AP to strengthen engagement with UN-Habitat and other international partners. The institute's participation supported its ongoing mission to advance the integration of cultural heritage in broader development agendas, particularly through initiatives such as the implementation of the UNESCO 2011 Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation and the Urban-rural Heritage Conservation in Higher Education Institutions Network (UHC-HEI).

From left to right: Rafael Tuts, Director of the global Solutions Division, Un-Habitat, Marie-Noël Tournoux, Project Director, WHITR-AP Shanghai, Remy Sietchiping, Chief Policy, Legislation and governance Section, Un-Habitat

Contributed by Marie-Noël Tournoux & Tang Zhuping (Intern)

Web typeset by Zhang Yidan (Intern)

Edited by Liu Zhen

Reviewed by Shao Yong

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