ISOCARP2015 will be attended by many new and young planners. This is fertile soil for new initiatives that energise ISOCARP even after the congress. The basis for this are the 12 Workshop Cities. However, participants also want to connect with those from other workshops. Matchmaking provides a formal structure for that process.

Goal: Participants have the opportunity to commit themselves to a challenge, task and/or business opportunity as a follow-up to the congress.

For whom: All congress participants are welcome to join, including non-ISOCARP members.

How it works: Each of the sessions will be led by two people:

Pitcher – A representative from each initiative or consortium makes a clear proposition to which participants are invited to commit themselves. The pitch offers a concrete opportunity to contribute to a specific solution, report and/or consortium.

Matchmaker – A matchmaker ensures that a deal is made between the pitcher and interested participants. The goal is that participants have concrete follow-up actions in their agenda: dates, steps and deliverables.

Time table

16:00-16:45
All pitchers make their 15-minute pitch three times in the hour with a transition time of 3 minutes. Participants can therefore attend a maximum of three pitches in order to find the one that interests them most.

16:45-17:00
All interested participants join their chosen matchmaking session. The pitcher and the participants are willing to commit time and energy to produce the results.

17:00-18:00
The matchmaker facilitates the pitcher in closing the deal. They develop with the formed team a concrete follow up agenda with dates, steps and deliverables, which will be presented or published on an agreed date. The atmosphere will be hands-on and oriented to concrete follow-up steps that energise ISOCARP. If needed, participants can continue the deal-making during the evening party.

All initiatives will be announced on the screens at the Main Hall and Lounge Hall on Thursday. Some of the expected propositions are:

Business Table

“Smart Solutions for Sustainable Cities – the Best of Urban Development“
Roundtable discussion with experts from ENGIE (GDF/SUEZ) Urban Development, BPD Bouwfonds Property Development, Doppelmayr, and KfW German Development Bank

EU Urban Agenda

To form a team of experts that produces a 10-page message as input for the transnational EU Urban Agenda.
Pitcher: Pedro Campos Ponce – Dutch Department of Internal Affairs and Kingdom Affairs

Housing refugees in the EU

To invite participants to contribute to the thinking and guidance in the urgent matter of the housing of refugees in the EU and involving the international professional community.
Pitcher: Huib Haccou – International Federation for Housing and Planning

Guidance Low Carbon new development and redevelopment

To invite participants to contribute to an additional part of the online platform Solutions Gateway of the Urban-LEDS project
Pitcher: Ana Marques – ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Habitat III Conference

To form a team of experts that develops a contribution for the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Quito, October 2016).
Pitchers: Nicole Wirz and Susanne Fischer – UN Habitat Think Tank

UPAT Magazine

To form a team to contribute to Magazine 3 on the UPAT workshops Gaza and West Bank
Pitcher: Martin Dubbeling – Urban Planning Advisory Teams

Educational Forum ‘David Prosperi’

To form a team of experts that develops a proposal for the reinvention of international planning education via the ISOCARP Academy or otherwise.
Pitcher: Slawek Ledwon – ISOCARP Vice President Congresses and Events