Urban Futures Lab 2017

Urban Sustainability Perspectives from Switzerland & Azerbaijan: Retrofitting, Restauration, Greening Strategies and Policies

Dr. Alexandre Babak Hedjazi, Director, University of Geneva Mr. Tural Aliyev, Teaching Assistant, University of Geneva

Program Outline

Organizers & Hosts of the Living Lab

Dr. Alexandre Hedjazi, Lecturer, UNIGE Institute of Environmental Sciences, Urban Futures Lab Μr. Tural Aliyev, Ph.D. Researcher in Sustainable Urbanism, University of Geneva ([email protected])

Objectives of Workshop

The Urban Futures Lab is dealing with processes by which cities switch from current urban development practices to sustainable planning in the context of environmental degradation, demographic shift, scarcity of natural resources, vulnerability of ecosystems and rescaling of governance. New challenges to develop a sustainable planning model are numerous - from data collection to policy formulation and implementation, environmental assessments, public involvement and innovative strategies require real-world problem solving. In this context, the Urban Futures Lab introduces participants to selected global urban hotspots and their local retrofitting and adaptive solutions (Geneva, Baku) based on a series of lectures and site visits. The lab has an explicit multidisciplinary approach in examining political, economic, social and environmental issues and approaches to sustainability. The main objective of the course is to map some of existing major sustainability challenges through a transversal multi-city reading of urban development in 21st century and develop a portfolio of solutions. The final goal of this living lab is to present different visions of sustainability and urban development beyond clichés of improbable or accomplished sustainability. Taking place in Geneva and Baku, the Urban Futures Lab 2017 is a joint endeavor of University of Geneva and ADA University organized around six main themes:

Urban sustainability governance Demographic and sociological shifts Infrastructure retrofitting and greening strategies (port) Urban resilience, vulnerabilities and risks Dynamic land use and design patterns Environmental, human and social capital Ecosystem depollution and restauration Waste Management

Renaturation of the River Aire, Geneva, 2017 Old City and Flame Towers, Baku, 2016

Building on the strengths of institutions in Switzerland and Azerbaijan, this program is formulated around distinct learning practices. Students will be immersed in different local case studies in each site related to particular sustainability contexts and give them the opportunity to interact with decision makers. They will be taking stock of local drivers, challenges and practices of urban development and retrofitting.

Assignments

This workshop is worth 6 ECTS. Final Grade will be composed of the following:

I.) Class participation (25%) Students are expected to be in class every day and attend all presentations. In addition, active participation in discussions in expected. II.) Analytical Reviews (75%) Students will write a blog article for a specific day. The overarching theme of this blog is the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in urban areas. Each day we will hear from various experts and practioners. The goal is that the blog article should critically analyze the material presented that specific day as well as connect to one or two specific SDGs.

• Step 1: What are the overall dynamics of change addressed during that specific day and why is it important? • Step: 2: Describe the institution (stakeholders) presented (what are the goals, aims, objectives?) How does this institution (stakeholders) (s) address a specific dynamic of change? (Ex. Climate change-mitigation/adaptation) • Step 3: Choose one or two SDGs you think connect most closely to the action implemented globally and locally and explain why. • Step 4: Explain some of the challenges and opportunities this institution has with regards to implementing these SDGs (regulations, governance, policy, local community, etc.) Include photos and references • Step 5: Describe the main methods /policies of adaptation and mitigation implemented by these institutions. Length: 1000 words max (word document). Please email to Tural ([email protected]) next morning of your assigned day.

Schedule, Baku –

November 2017

12 (November) – 19 (November)

Day 1: Wednesday Nov. 8, 2017

- 4-6: Introduction session @ Uni Carl-Vogt

Day 2: Sunday Nov. 12, 2017

- Flight Geneva to Baku

Day 3: Monday Nov. 13, 2017 – Local Historical, Geographic and Political context

- 9-9:30: Introduction – given by Dr. Alexander B. Hedjazi - 9:30-10:30: Lecture 1 – “Sustainable Retrofitting and Urban Form” – given by Tural Aliyev - 11-12: Lecture 2 – UNDP Azerbaijan on “Environmental portfolio of UNDP in Azerbaijan” – given by Chingiz Mammadov (Senior Programme Adviser/UNDP) and “The implementation of SDG’s in Azerbaijan” – by Gular Fatali and Ulfet Mehdiyev - 12-13: Break - 13:30-15:00: Lecture 3 – “UN Sustainable Development’s goals in Baku: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage”– given by Prof. Elbay Kasimzade (Chairman of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan and ex-Chief Architect of Baku and Head of the Main Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Baku Mayor’s Office) - 15:30-17: Lecture 4 – “Urban spectacles in Baku, Azerbaijan” – given by Prof. Anar Valiyev (Vice-rector of the ADA University) - 17-18: Roundtable Discussion

Day 4: Tuesday Nov. 14, 2017 – Transition Strategies

- 9:30-12: Visit the SOCAR’s Ecological park project: (Ecological restauration, retrofitting, planting greenery and implementation of wasteless technologies) in Qala - 12-1: Break - 13:30-14:30 Field visit: Visiting the Bibiheybat, retrofitting of the coastal industrial areas from the oil and visiting the world’s first mechanically drilled oil well in Bibiheybat – commented by Tural Aliyev - 14:30-17:00: Waste Management Center of SOCAR in Qaradagh - 17-18: Roundtable discussion

Day 5: Wednesday Nov. 15, 2017 – Ecological Retrofitting

- 9-10:00: Lecture 5 – “The role of Strategic Environmental Assessment in City planning” – given by Ms. Aysel Babayeva (Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and member of the UNECE Espoo convention Implementation Committee)

- 10-11:00: Lecture 6 - “The Greater Baku Regional Development Plan for the period up to 2030” - given by Amin Mammadov (State Committee on Architecture and Urbanism of Azerbaijan) - 11-12:00: Lecture 7 – “The impact of the Climate Change on the Caspian Sea level”, given by Elnur Safarov (Ph.D. Researcher, Institute of Geography, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences) - 12-13:30: Break - 14-15:30: Lecture 8 – State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Department of Ecology – Lecture on Retrofitting, Environment protection, Oil transportation - 16:00-17:30: Field visit: Natural Retrofitting Project - “The Lake Boyukshor: the process of ecosystemic retrofitting from polluting area to clean-ecological one” and visiting around Baku’s Olympic Stadium new creating public space – commented by Tural Aliyev - Day 6: Thursday Nov. 16, 2017 – Transportation Infrastructure: The port of Baku

- 8-9: Lecture 9 – “Urban Infrastructure sustainability strategies” – Dr. Alexandre Hedjazi - 9:30-13: Section 1: Site visit of the Baku’s new Harbor in Alat and the Head Office of Port of Baku - Transportation Infrastructure and Sustainability Agenda - 13-14: Break - 14-17: Section 2: Site visit of the Baku Shipyard Company – Construction of a variety of vessels and Sustainability Agenda - 17-18: Field visit: Baku White City Project (Urban Retrofitting Project mainly by Parisian style buildings for 20.000 inhabitants) – commented by Mr. Fuad Verdiev, Head of Development of Baku White City Project

Day 7: Friday Nov. 17, 2017 – Innovative Urban Integration Methods / Conclusion session

- 9-12: Lecture 10 (roundtable) - “Main challenges in urban transition of Baku”, discussion by Dr. Emir Huseynov (Faculty of Architecture, University of Architecture and Construction of Azerbaijan), Dr. Alexander Hedjazi, Dr. Anar Valiyev , Tural Aliyev and Amin Mammadov 12-13: Break - 14-16: Lecture 11 - Presentation at the State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources, SAARES - 16-18: Lecture 12 – “Implementation of Master Plan of the Baku City”, given by Ilqar Isbatov (Director of Baku State Design Institute under the State Committee on Architecture and Urbanism of Azerbaijan) - 19:45: Farewell Dinner

Day 8: Saturday Nov. 18, 2017 – Day Off

Day 9: Sunday Nov. 19. 2017 – Flight back to Geneva

Bibliography and Readings: General:

- J. Mathiason (2007), Invisible Governance: International Secretariats in Global Politics, Kumarian Press, pp 87-121. - B. Kjellen (2008), The New diplomacy for sustainable development: The challenge of Global Change, pp 44-69 - M. Betsill, H. Bulkeley (2006), Cities and the multilevel governance of global climate change, Global governance 12, pp 141-159 - J. Mathiason (2007), Invisible Governance: International Secretariats in Global Politics, Kumarian Press, pp 87-121. - Scroll down this page and have a look at different news articles on the ‘solar trade war’: http://www.pv-tech.org/topics/solar_trade_war - Longhurst, J. (2005). 1 To 100: Creating an Air Quality Index in Pittsburgh. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 106(1), 27-42. doi:10.1007/s10661-005-0758-x - Tarantino, M., & Zimmermann, B. (2017). Database Green: Software, Environmentalism and Data Fows In China. The China Quarterly, 217(3). - Gupta, A., & Mason, M. (2016). Disclosing or obscuring? The politics of transparency in global climate governance. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 18, 82-90. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2015.11.004

Baku:

- Eve Blau,“Baku Oil City in The New Europe” in Mohsen Mostafavi, ed. In The Life of Cities: Parallel Narratives of the Urban.(Zurich: Lars Müller Publisher, 2012), pp. 41-61. - Aliyev T. (2013), « Grandes ambitions urbaines de Bakou », http://urbanplanet.info/urbanism/dou-viennent-les-grandes-ambitions-urbaines-de-bakou/ - Aliyev T. (2016), “Ideas for making Baku Ecologically Sustainable”, visions, URL: http://www.visions.az/en/news/829/6c4e308b/ - Emir Huseynov (2014), « Planning of sustainable cities in view of green architecture », Elsevier, URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187770581104882X - Anar Valiyev (2012), “City Profile – Baku”, Elsevier. - Anar Valiyev (2014), “The post-Communist growth machine: The case of Baku, Azerbaijan”, Elsevier. - Veronica Horwell, “Back to Baku, Tom Reiss tells an extraordinary tale of reinvention in his biography of Lev Nussimbaum - The Orientalist” URL: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/jun/18/featuresreviews.guardianreview14 - Zulfugar Agayev, “A new Asia-to-Europe Railway Route is Opening Up”, URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-30/azerbaijan-to-open-railway-planned-as- new-europe-china-corridor

Watching:

General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4vAYlaYhrg http://www.vieuws.eu/environment/europe-must-rediscover-its-ambition-on-climate- change-urges-unep-executive-director/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaSABaLj16U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8UTPrWwZQ Have a look at the website of the UN on the Sustainable Development Goals: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300

Baku:

- “Hidden Cities Revealed: Baku” - National Geographic channel’s documentary film URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdBK4DErQ3U

- Azerbaijan’s oil gateway URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nRQl0D9SD0 - Part I - Baku Architecture History and Now, EA'S Philosophy, URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-i97Cidu00 - Baku: into tomorrow’s world–life URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD8keaXvZaY - Ecological Park of SOCAR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1JMwkyH_Sw - Port of Baku: Country and Port presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR6JEyZ7FcE - CNN - Azerbaijan on the Silk Road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihFBmoJdX3Y - Projet - Baku White City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xp0JKHIGYQ - Baku Shipyard Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTxsjVGXTvQ

The presentation of the experts from the different organizations:

1. ADA University 2. Azerbaijan Development Company (ADEC) - Baku White City Project 3. Baku State Design Institute 4. Baku Shipyard Company 5. Institute of Geography, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences 6. Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan 7. Port of Baku 8. State Agency on Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources (SAARES) 9. State Committee on Architecture and Urbanism of Azerbaijan 10. State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) 11. UNDP Azerbaijan 12. Union of Architects of Azerbaijan (UAA) 13. University of Architecture and Construction of Azerbaijan (UACA) 14. University of Geneva