Hopus conference in Gdynia

Cities are the biggest consumers of energy produced in Europe. Carbon dioxide emission reduction policy in the European Union is forcing revision to local approaches towards the increase in energy efficiency of urban structures. Succeeding directives are an announcement for further regulations. EU members are being obliged to increase technical demands of individual building. The general trend towards Energy Use Reduction calls for rise of European standards in holistic and far-reaching approach, balancing energy consumed during construction, utilization and removal of a building. How and where should we build residential areas in order to create energy efficient housing resistant to social and technical degradation?

The problem raised above sets urban planning and planning policy in a primary position. The complex functional circumstances of European cities followed by deep cultural, demographical and economical changes are raising yet another question: what is the contemporaneous model of living in the city and what are the up-to-date design methods of urban housing development?URBACT II HOPUS project (Housing Praxis for Urban Sustainability) is addressed to local governments and academic institutions – project partners and members of Local Support Groups. The co-operation between them concentrates on searching urban design methods for the new suburban development.The aim of the conference is to present selected, interdisciplinary examples of the best practice in planning of new housing development. Tendencies introduced during the conference should open a discussion about the implementation of foreign experiences in the reality of Polish suburban areas. Conference organizationThe conference consists of three main sessions, starting at 2 p.m. on 16 April 2009 and ending at 5:30 p.m. on 17 April 2009. The first session will be preceded by a bus tour around chosen residential areas in Gdynia.All lectures will be held in English, with general Polish translation.There will be an exhibition related to URBACT II HOPUS project, coinciding with the Conference Days.On Wednesday, 15th April 2009, within the framework of Local Action Plan URBACT II HOPUS Project two trainings are scheduled, first in the morning – a training for local government agents in Kartuzy, and the second one in the afternoon - trainings for designers in The Pomeranian Regional Chamber of Architects.