Dear ISOCARP members, colleagues, and friends.
Good morning everyone, here in-person in Siena. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to our members watching online from all over the world. A special shout out to those who are watching now at night.
Welcome!
Today we transition into a new era of ISOCARP
As we transition, it is both a honor and privilege to stand before you today as the elected new president of ISOCARP. I’m excited by all that we can achieve together in the next 3 years. Knowing I will be working with such talented and dedicated group of professionals, all of whom are passionate about shaping the future of our cities and regions.
But I want to start with a confession…
I never wanted to be a planner!
To me, planning seemed bureaucratic, rigid, and, well, a little boring. I thought it was about regulations, permissions, laws, and paperwork. … until something changed.
As young engineer architect finishing studies in Belgium, I started my first job in Paris with an Italian architect. Immersed in competitions and broader projects at block level, looking beyond buildings, I discovered very different approaches to housing, the link with immediate environment, public space, and impact on inhabitants lives. My journey continued to Switzerland years ahead when it comes to environmental considerations , and social , econ aspects and even participation with future residents, for innovative neighborhoods. Back to Belgium I had a chance to vision poverty belt of city of Ghent overlapping with absence of PS and green. At the same time I studied Urban and Spatial Planning.
I began to see the incredible impact that planning can have -for better or worse – on the way we move, grow up, work, live, and play. How it is about shaping lives, and it has the power to transform communities and livelihoods, affect our health and well-being, and that of our environment and planet. While also addressing spatial and other inequities.
My journey continued to working on global agendas as Local Agenda 21 and Disaster Risk Reduction in Vietnam, and the importance of the natural layer, the landscape at the regional scale to act as sponge for adaptation and mitigation to disasters, the power of grassroots women and meeting them where they are; I learned about and we applied the power of visioning and multi-level approach for planning in post-conflict areas, how planning can make informal settlements ‘visible’ and give dwellers right to the city, how in Soa Paulo in Brazil regional planning and integration of food systems can support healthy child development, with lifelong impact. And how planning is supporting resilience and regeneration.
I became passionate about the transformative power of city and regional planning and processes. To make cities and human settlements inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable. And that’s what ISOCARP’s vision is!
Looking back – I have come to realise that planning is not boring at all!
Planners, a Charter, and the importance of Planning
I also have come to realise that as planners we have an extraordinary responsibility, a responsibility to serve the public and the planet, thereby influencing quality of life of millions of people, creating places where communities can prosper, where nature (with all its life) and humanity can coexist in harmony.
Today, the triple crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, pollution (and broader the health crisis), alongside rapid urbanisation and migration threaten not just the environment but also the social fabric of our communities, the life fabric. For example earlier this week, there was a news report on neighborhoods with vulnerable population, a neighborhood as heat island which is a few degrees hotter than its neighboring neighborhood; it has less trees, but also the inhabitants have to travel much further to find coolness. Once again (spatial) inequity, with vulnerable population disproportionally disadvantaged and with increasing accumulated burdens.
So Place Matters!
And the significance of our profession, planning, matters now more than ever!
And it is about service to the public, to future generations, and to the planet.
It’s an important RE-MINDer of this noble goal, which a lot of us may forget this when we are all ‘too busy planning’, but speaking to members over the past couple of months, I learned that we find unity in this message. Members looking for a joint statement.
I believe it’s time for strengthening that united feeling in an ISOCARP Charter for planners that unites us, provides clarity what we stand or fighting for and makes us proud.
So today we transition into a new era of ISOCARP !
I made a confession and a call for a Charter.
And now I come to you as a president re-iterating my four commitments from last year, to you and our Society:
First, Nurturing a Healthy Foundation through Good Governance and Transparency
Change is needed for an improved value-driven ISOCARP . Our Society must inspire trust and confidence among our members, and this begins with good governance, transparency, and respect for all voices. As President I commit to enhancing a culture of integrity, inclusiveness, ethics, respect and constructive dialogue.
We often talk about creating thriving, resilient communities, but we must also ensure that our Society reflects these same values. One of my short term priorities as we move forward is to conduct what I like to call a “body scan” – a ‘health check’. Our Society is 60 year old, and as a human, it is time for a health check. So we will have a health check. We must examine the health of our governance structures, our finance, the way we work together and build consensus or not, and how we collaborate across different teams and regions.
This isn’t just about identifying problems – though if issues exist, we will address them head-on. It’s about ensure that our Society is positioned to take on the great challenges of our time with strength and unity and function healthy for some time in the future. As ‘ONE ISOCARP’.
From a solid foundation of healthy good governance, we will grow our membership and enable members engagement in countries, and consider regionalisation.
Second, Empowering Members at the Heart of ISOCARP
At the heart of ISOCARP are its members, the lifeblood of this Society, and I deeply value the collective wisdom and input that individual members bring. As President, I will work to ensure that members feel empowered, more connected, and heard. Bringing more to the AGM and provide platforms where members can participate. We will enhance connecting and collaboration by introducing new tools. Members are also indicating a strong desire to connect and engage with peers in their own country, and neighboring countries.
Empowering members is also giving opportunities to be published in quality journals. Example of this is the partnership with the Journal Cities & Health (Routledge), and I’m proud we’re launching the First Special Issue at the end of next session.
As we stand on the cusp of new possibilities, we are not just adapting to what we have to – I want us to Rethink our very foundation. I call it the big RE-THINK. A collective rethinking process: rethink of vision and mission, where are we, what is our DNA, where do we want to go, addressing core challenges such as the global shortage of planners, need for continuous professional development. These issues can be
This is an open invitation to member to join the conversation, to be architects of ISOCARP’s future. Together, let’s craft a strategy that not only reflects our collective vision but sets a bold course for what’s next. More in the coming weeks on how we can do this.
Third, Women, youth and diversity at the forefront
As I step into the role of President, I am deeply aware of the history and legacy that this position carries. I am honored to be the third woman to hold this role in the history of ISOCARP, following in the footsteps of predecessors who paved the way in ISOCARP for women planners in leadership.
While making progress globally, with some setbacks eg during the pandemic, there is still much work to be done. Globally women remain underrepresented in leadership positions across many sectors, including city & regional planning. We need to not only increase the number of qualified women planners in all their diversity worldwide – we also need to see more of them in positions of power, where critical decisions about cities, regions, the environment and communities are made. We see disparities in pay, opportunity, and recognition that continue to limit the full potential of women professionals. The challenges are not just about fairness, they are about the richness of perspectives and insights that diverse leadership brings to the table. Bringing different type of lived experience for a more compassionate future.
I will strengthen the focus on Women in Planning: just kickstarted the Leadership Conversations, we’ll be advancing the WiP leadership group, and operationalising the WiP Award idea which was initiated in theory some time ago; this will be an ISOCARP first!
One of the most important ways for the future of our profession and leaving a long term legacy is by investing in the next generation of planners. Our Young Planning Professionals (YPPs) represent the future of spatial planning, and it is our responsibility to continue equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and support they need to thrive. Elevating our focus on young planners means creating more opportunities for them to learn, collaborate, and innovate within our Society. Also give them a platform to bring fresh unique perspectives to the governing tables.
My ambition is strengthening ISOCARP’s presence across the globe, not just Europe, reflected in a diversity of Board members, – if we can guarantee diversity in the board- , congresses in the global south – we just had one in the Philippines – and initiatives with focus on underrepresented and low income regions including Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Having ISOCARP in the World and having the World in ISOCARP!
Fourth, position and leverage ISOCARP globally
We live in a time when the role of planning has never been more central to addressing the global challenges and I see that an awareness is growing of what planning can do for climate, biodiversity, and health. ISOCARP must continue to be a positive force for change, re-position itself on the global scene, leading the way through cross-disciplinary collaboration, innovation, and critical reflection. Making an outreach strategy and making sure we contribute to global impactful agendas.
My ambition is to strengthen ISOCARP’s role as the ‘go-to place’ for independent thought – an important aspect of our DNA- and critical discourse on the intersection of climate action, underground urbanism, artificial intelligence, and more. Forging select critical cross-disciplinary partnerships.
We have a unique opportunity to further leverage our ECOSOC and UNFCC accreditations to collaborate globally, advancing sustainability and addressing the challenges that threaten our future.
In the coming years, I envision an ISOCARP that not only continues to push the boundaries of planning with likeminded partners – we have some institutional members here- but also expands its reach, influence, and impact globally.
I’m looking forward to grow together as a Society, with a shared vision and strategy!
Thank you’s
I want to thank the many many volunteers involved in the 60th Diamond Anniversary WPC series in both the Conference on New Regenerative Cities in New Clark City and the World Congress here in Siena. – It’s because of you that these events are possible. Bring positivity and fun too to these events.
To all the volunteers engaged in the many different member led activities – we have community of practices, climate resilient planning group, women in planning, cyber agoras, and so on.
A special thanks to the ‘bridge-builders and makers’, often very dedicated members – for connecting ISOCARP with dedicated host cities or regions for a potential
I want to recognise the hard work dedication of the secretariat team, always ready to help
Thanking members that voted for me for the trust and in return the responsibility and accountability I feel in putting your trust in me. Thank you for the encouraging messages I received the past days. It is so heart warming.
Thanking the board, and looking forward to continuing support even in a changing environment. Diversity of opinion, different views and perspectives, because ISOCARP and its members are so diverse, the contexts in which we work are so diverse. That this may come together to make the right decisions.
Thank you Pietro for the past 3 years and for bringing us to this veery beautiful room for the handover.
Last but not least I’m thanking my family, my husband and two wonderful ados for continuous support and letting me put hours into it even during nights and weekends. For giving me the time to better the society and our planet through planning, while also reminding me regular of a healthy balance!
Elisabeth Belpaire
President ISOCARP