World Habitat Day at The University of Auckland

(3 October)

World Habitat Day was celebrated with a Global Celebration hosted by the Government of Mexico. This year’s theme 'Cities and Climate Change' reflected on the impact of cities in creating climate change, and, in return, on the effects of climate change on cities. What are cities doing to address this? What can be done both globally and locally to address the challenges of climate change as it becomes the preeminent development challenge of the 21st century?

The day aimed to increase collective awareness of the human habitat and to encourage greater responsibility for its sustainable future. As the world’s population living in urban areas steadily increases, issues of climate change, poverty, resource depletion, social exclusion, food insecurity and economic instability become more pressing and have the potential to significantly impact on our urban settlements well into the future.

In the words of Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General: On this observance of World Habitat Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the important journey to a more sustainable future, and let us focus greater attention on addressing climate change in the world’s cities and beyond.

The University hosted a series of events to observe World Habitat Day and to raise awareness of the impacts of climate change on the urban environment, and to showcase the University’s initiatives in urban sustainability in line with the theme of 'Cities and Climate Change'.

• World Habitat Day 2011 photo competition - Climate Change in Everyday Life

Architecture PhD candidate Seyyedeh Ghazaal Ghoreishi won first prize in the University’s 2011 World Habitat Day photo competition, which was open to all students, staff and members of the public. In line with the theme of World Habitat Day this year, ‘Cities and Climate Change’, entrants were asked to submit a photo with a relevant caption and title, highlighting their interpretation to the question of how climate change affects everyday life.

Prizes were awarded to the top three entries as well as to the People’s Choice (as voted via Facebook), the most Highly Recommended photo and, for the first time in the competition’s short history, prizes for commendable entries, as Claire Speedy, coordinator for the World Habitat Day celebrations at the University and International Development Manager at the National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI), explains.

“The judging panel were pleasantly surprised at the standard of the photos that were submitted and at the thought people had put into the theme. Because of the exceptionally high quality of entries, we decided to award a commendation prize to five notable submissions. We hope the bar will be raised again next year.”
Ghazaal’s entry, entitled “Do human activities let the next generation have a blue sky?” was judged to be the best of over 50 entries.

The competition was part of the week-long celebrations across campus for World Habitat Day – a day the University celebrates, as a partner of UN-Habitat, the United Nations Agency for Human Settlements. To view the winning photos, please view: 2011 World Habitat Day photo competition.

• World Habitat Day Photo Exhibition. Selected entries were displayed at the NICAI Student Centre, Level 2, 26 Symonds Street from 3-7 October.
• Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change - poster display at Epsom Campus reflecting students’ journeys towards making their lives more sustainable (3-14 October).
• Myths and maths behind a low carbon Auckland: Exhibition and lecture by Dr Hugh Byrd on the impact of climate change on the built environment, Gus Fisher Gallery (1 October).
• Emergency shelter: Strong and insulated yet comforting. Display of an emergency shelter designed and constructed by architecture students, NICAI courtyard (23 September-14 October).
• Urban growth in Uganda: What do you do when 50% of the population is under 14? Lecture and exhibition, Conference Centre (3-8 October).
• Spring Clothes Swap. Drop off pre-loved clothes to AUSA reception (opposite General Library) and let's recycle clothes, save money and look after the planet at the same time.
• Auckland's housing: The struggle against climate change. A cross-disciplinary panel of academics from The University of Auckland discussed this theme (5 October).
• There Once Was an Island. A screening of a multi-award winning documentary about the lives of three members of the Takuu community and their personal journeys in the face of climate change (October 6).
• Sustainability and Christchurch. A public lecture by Cameron Sinclair, CEO of Architecture for Humanity, and Vicki Buck, former Mayor of Christchurch (7 October).
• Climate change: Our health, our children, our Pacific. A public lecture by Dr Teuila Percival, Director of Pacific Health Unit at The University of Auckland and a practising paediatrician who does work in the Pacific (13 October).

(29 September - 06 October)

The 2010's theme of Better City, Better Life “highlights our vision of a sustainable urban world that harnesses potentials and possibilities, mitigates inequalities and disparities, and provides a home for people of all culture and ages, both rich and poor.” (UN-HABITAT World Habitat Day 2010 Booklet)

The University hosted a series of events which involved departments, disciplines, students and staff across the University, as well as other interested stakeholders, in various key activities including:

• A home for all cultures day. The International Office took part in a collaborative painting event to celebrate cultural diversity on campus.
• A panel discussion on the future of public transport in Auckland: How can we redesign Auckland's transport to best meet the challenges of the future?
• Urbanisation and Public Health: Find out about the impact of urbanisation on health, and how urban design, done well, can improve the health of populations.
• Get down to earth: A hands-on experience and demonstration in workshops on gardening and composting held on the University grounds.
• Imagining Development: Urban Challenges to Development - a public lecture on the challenges to development in the urban context.
• An interactive Urban Survivor Installation helmed by Architecture and Planning Students demonstrating the processes and paths of urbanisation.
• Multidisciplinary approaches to sustainable urbanisation: Reflections on WUF5.
• Photography competition - What does Better City, Better Life mean to you?
• World Habitat Day Photo Exhibition - Selected entries were displayed at the NICAI Student Centre, Level 2, 26 Symonds Street from 4-15 October.
• Shift/Enter - An art exhibition highlighting the common experience of a group of multicultural students at Elam in migration, transition and adjustment in the new environment.
• Shanghai World Expo 2010: Better City, Better Life? A panel discussion on sustainable-focused topics, from a detailed take of Shanghai’s eco-friendly strategies, to Expo’s influential nature in Auckland and possible effects it has had on the planning of the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

(5 October)

The University celebrated World Habitat Day with a range of events and activities across the campus and the wider community. World Habitat Day theme was "Planning our Urban Future".