Monday 9 November 2015

Sustainable Development and Planning 2016

8th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Planning

6 - 8 December 2016

Penang, Malaysia

Introduction

The 8th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Planning, to be held in Penang, Malaysia, follows the success of previous meetings which started in Skiathos, Greece (2003), and continued in Bologna, Italy (2005); the Algarve, Portugal (2007); Cyprus (2009); the New Forest, UK, home of the Wessex Institute (2011); Kos, Greece (2013) and the Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture in 2015.
It has become apparent that planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without comprising the ability of future generations.
Problems related to development and planning, which affect rural and urban areas, are present in all regions of the world. Accelerated urbanisation has resulted in deterioration of the environment and loss of quality of life. Urban development can also aggravate problems faced by rural areas such as forests, mountain regions and coastal areas, amongst many others. Taking into consideration the interaction between different regions and developing new methodologies for monitoring, planning and implementation of novel strategies, can offer solutions mitigating environmental pollution and non-sustainable use of available resources. 
Energy saving and eco-friendly building approaches have become an important part of modern development, which places special emphasis on resource optimisation. Planning has a key role to play in ensuring that these solutions as well as new materials and processes are incorporated in the most efficient manner.
Sustainable Development and Planning 2016 aims to bring together scientists and other stakeholders from across the globe to discuss the latest scientific advances in the field.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable Development and Planning 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • City planning
  • Regional planning
  • Rural developments
  • Sustainability and the built environment
  • Sustainability indicators
  • Policies and planning
  • Environmental planning and management
  • Energy resources
  • Cultural heritage
  • Quality of life
  • Community planning and resilience
  • Sustainable solutions in emerging countries
  • Sustainable tourism
  • Learning from nature
  • Transportation
  • Social and political issues
  • Community planning
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 2 November 2015

MARAS 2016

5th International Conference on Mobile, Adaptable and Rapidly Assembled Structures

21 - 23 September 2016

Siena, Italy

Introduction

Structures that move in the course of normal use, or which have to be assembled or erected rapidly on a relatively unprepared site, offer a particular challenge to the designer. The interaction between the structure and the mechanism by which it moves is essential in these cases. The speed of assembly, and what this means in terms of logistics, materials and cost, is a major factor in many such structures.
Mobile and rapidly assembled structures play a major role in disaster mitigation and temporary accommodation. They are of primary importance in many military as well as civilian applications and are widely used for rescue and maintenance services. Their importance continues to grow in contemporary society where speed of response is of primary importance. Also, in many cases, their reversible deployment and potential reuse can lead to a lower economical and ecological impact, providing a more sustainable solution. There are common problems such as the efficient design of assembly joints, the resistance to damage of the membrane and metal cladding, crashworthiness and the limits of serviceability. Some areas of the subject are already well documented, but knowledge is fragmented and there is little design guidance available in the form of textbooks, data sheets or codes of practice.
The interaction between morphology, kinematic behaviour and structural performance – typical of these structures – poses real challenges in terms of design and successful realisation. The interaction of ideas and experience during the conference may lead to new mobile structural forms and an increased awareness of the problems of rapid assembly and mobility of structures. This multi-disciplinary meeting will bring together engineers, architects and researchers concerned with the design, analysis, manufacturing and erection of rapidly assembled structures. This fifth edition follows the success of the previous conferences in this series, first organised in Southampton, followed by Seville, Madrid and Ostend.

 Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at MARAS 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Rapidly assembled and mobile bridges
  • Disaster mitigation structures
  • Temporary structures and dwellings
  • Deployable systems and structural mechanisms
  • Tensegrity and reciprocal frames
  • Origami-based folding structures
  • Inflated and air-supported structures and membrane shelters
  • Rapidly assembled kit-of-parts systems
  • Leisure structures, demountable grandstands and scaffolding systems
  • Mobile inspection platforms
  • Folding and telescopic masts and gangways
  • Rapid repairs of structures
  • Tower cranes and mobile lifting apparatus
  • Trackways and prefabricated paving for roads and airfields
  • Protective structures
  • Zero gravity structures
  • Construction and repair
  • Optimisation of transformable structures
  • Kinetic structures
  • Design for re-use
  • Adaptive building envelopes
  • Parametric analysis and design
  • Innovative approaches
  • Engineering transformation
Find out more on the conference webpage

Monday 26 October 2015

BEM/MRM 39

39th International Conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods

20 - 22 September 2016

Siena, Italy

Introduction

The conference on Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods, now in its 39th edition, is the recognised international forum for the latest advances in these techniques and their applications in science and engineering.
The history of the conference traces the evolution of these advanced methods since the first successful development of boundary integral techniques into BEM took place in Southampton in the mid-1970s, up to the emergence of the most recent Mesh Reduction Methods. The continued success of the conference is an indication of the strength of the research being carried out all over the world.
All the meetings since 1978 have produced a series of edited volumes in which the major developments in the field have been presented. This valuable collection has been available in digital form since 1993 when the volumes began to be archived in the Wessex Institute’s eLibrary (http://www.witpress.com/elibrary) where they can be easily accessed.
The objective of the research papers presented at the meetings is the further development of techniques that reduce or eliminate the type of meshes required by first generation computational methods, such as finite differences or finite elements. This has slowly been achieved through the development of BEM as a computational tool and continues through more recent research into advanced techniques, leading to further mesh reduction aiming to produce a truly meshless method in the future.
The meeting also encourages the presentation of papers on the use of BEM and, in particular, the description of new applications. Problems related to interface with other techniques, processes such as finite elements; the solution of large systems of equations and the direct coupling of BEM to rapid manufacturing are also welcome.
The annual meeting of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements (EABE) will take place during the Conference. The Journal has successfully become the main publication not only for Boundary Elements but for papers in the important field of Mesh Reduction Techniques.
The George Green Medal has been established by the University of Mississippi at Oxford, Mississippi, USA and the Wessex Institute, UK to honour the memory of the man who single-handedly set up the basis for the Boundary Element Method among other achievements.
George Green (1793-1841) was a self-taught genius who mysteriously delivered one of the most influential mathematics and physics works of all time. He educated himself in mathematics and self-published the work “An Essay on the Application of Mathematical Analysis to the Theories of Electricity and Magnetism”. In his very first article, he derived the Green’s first, second, and third identities, forged the concept of Green’s function, and solved the problem of electrical potential created by a single charge placed inside a spherical metal shell. The idea of Green’s function forever changed the landscape of science, as many physics and mathematics problems have been solved using this technique. As Green died early, and his work was discovered only posthumously, it remains a mystery today how Green could produce such a masterpiece without the guidance of a great teacher or school and, in fact, without a formal education. Only recently, due to the advent of powerful computers, has it been possible to take full advantage of Green’s pioneering developments.
The Medal is awarded to those scientists who have carried out original work with practical applications in the field of Boundary Elements and other Mesh Reduction Methods, continuing in this manner to further develop the pioneering ideas of George Green. They are also persons of the highest integrity who, by sharing their knowledge, have helped to establish research groups all around the world.
The selection process is conducted by a panel of internationally recognized scientists. The Medal is given once a year and presented during the conference.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at BEM/MRM 39. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Advanced formulations
  • Advanced meshless and mesh reduction methods
  • Structural mechanics applications
  • Solid mechanics
  • Heat and mass transfer
  • Electrical engineering and electromagnetics
  • Computational methods
  • Fluid flow modelling
  • Damage mechanics and fracture
  • Dynamics and vibrations
  • Engineering applications
  • Interfacing with other methods
  • Coupling with manufacturing
  • Solution of large systems of equations
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 19 October 2015

HPSM/OPTI 2016

The 2016 International Conference on High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials

19 - 21 September 2016

Siena, Italy

Introduction

The use of novel materials and new structural concepts nowadays is not restricted to highly technical areas like aerospace, aeronautical applications or the automotive industry, but affects all engineering fields including those such as civil engineering and architecture.
The conference addresses issues involving advanced types of structures, particularly those based on new concepts or new materials and their system design. Contributions will highlight the latest development in design, optimisation, manufacturing and experimentation in those areas. The meeting also aims to search for higher performance sustainable materials. Most high performance structures require the development of a generation of new materials, which can more easily resist a range of external stimuli or react in a non-conventional manner. Particular emphasis will be placed on intelligent structures and materials as well as the application of computational methods for their modelling, control and management.
The conference also addresses the topic of design optimisation. Contributions on numerical methods and different optimisation techniques are also welcome, as well as papers on new software. Optimisation problems of interest to the meeting involve those related to size, shape and topology of structures and materials. Optimisation techniques have much to offer to those involved in the design of new industrial products. The development of new algorithms and the appearance of powerful commercial computer codes with easy to use graphical interfaces has created a fertile field for the incorporation of optimisation in the design process in all engineering disciplines.
This scientific event is a new edition of the High Performance Design of Structures and Materials conference and follows the success of a number of meetings on structures and materials and on optimum design that originated in Southampton as long ago as 1989. As the meetings evolved they gave rise to the current series, which started in Seville in 2002, and followed by Ancona in 2004, Ostend in 2006, the Algarve in 2008, Tallinn in 2010, the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute in 2012, and Ostend in 2014. The meeting will provide a friendly and useful forum for the interchange of ideas and interaction amongst researchers, designers and scholars in the community to share advances in High Performance and Optimum Design of Structures and Materials.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at HPSM/OPTI 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Composite materials and structures
  • Material characterisation
  • Experiments and numerical analysis
  • Natural fibre composites
  • Green composites
  • Composites for automotive applications
  • Transformable structures
  • Environmentally friendly and Sustainable structures
  • Structural optimisation
  • Design optimisation under uncertainties
  • Non deterministic approaches
  • Evolutionary methods in optimisation
  • Aerospace structures
  • Biomechanics application
  • Structures under extreme loading
  • Surface modification
  • Lightweight structures
  • Design for sustainability
  • Design for durability
  • Pneumatic structures
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 12 October 2015

Design & Nature 2016

8th International Conference on Comparing Design in Nature with Science and Engineering

13 - 15 September 2016

New Forest, UK

Introduction

The Design and Nature conference is to be reconvened in 2016 following the success of all previous meetings, the first of which was held in Udine, in 2002; followed by Rhodes, (2004); the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute (2006); the Algarve (2008); Pisa (2010); La Coruna (2012); and Opatija (2014).
The conference attracts researchers from all over the world working on a variety of studies involving nature and their significance for modern scientific thought and design.
Learning from nature has given rise to many original insights into how to solve science and engineering problems. More recently the developments of new experimental and computational tools have broadened our understanding of nature and we have been able to interpret better her processes in mathematical terms.
The conference deals with a wide variety of studies, some of them focusing on the fundamentals of natural processes, while others deal with particular applications. Although the topics are diverse, the common threat throughout them is in searching for a harmonisation of humankind activities with nature. The papers develop many interesting insights and theories, most of them transferable between different disciplines.
Previous papers presented at the Conference have been archived on line in the Institute’s eLibrary as part of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment and the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. The eLibrary provides a permanent and easily available archive of these important contributions (www.witpress.com).
The success of the series is in great part due to the interdisciplinary character of the conference, which brings together a wide variety of specialists such as physical scientists, engineers, biologists, medical experts, as well as those involved in humanities and arts.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Design & Nature 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Mechanics in nature
  • Natural materials and processes
  • Learning from nature
  • Biometrics and bio-inspiration
  • Biological studies
  • Locomotion in nature
  • Nature and architecture
  • Natural energy harvesting
  • Adaptation in nature
  • Emerging ideas
  • Light and lighting
  • Nature and art
  • Energy efficiency
  • Bio-inspired products
  • Networks
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 5 October 2015

Heat Transfer 2016

14th International Conference on Simulation and Experiments in Heat Transfer and its Applications

7 - 9 September 2016

Ancona, Italy

Introduction 

Heat Transfer 2016 is the 14th conference in the well-established series on Simulation and Experiments in Heat Transfer and its Applications. The Heat Transfer conference started in Portsmouth, UK in 1988 followed by Milan, Italy (1992); Southampton, UK (1994); Udine, Italy (1996); Krakow, Poland (1998); Madrid, Spain(2000); Halkidiki, Greece (2002); Lisbon, Portugal (2004); New Forest, UK (2006); Maribor, Slovenia (2008); Tallinn, Estonia (2010); Split, Croatia (2012) and A Coruña, Spain (2014).
The objective of the series is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of advanced topics, new approaches and applications of innovative advanced computational methods and experimental measurements to heat and mass transfer problems. Heat transfer topics and related phenomena are commonly of a complex nature and different mechanisms like heat conduction, convection, turbulence, thermal radiation and phase change as well as chemical reactions may occur simultaneously. Typically, applications are found in heat exchangers, gas turbine cooling, turbulent combustion and fires, fuel cells, batteries, micro- and mini-channels, electronics cooling, melting and solidification, chemical processing, aerospace engineering etc.

Heat transfer might be regarded as an established and mature scientific discipline, but it has played a major role in new emerging areas such as sustainable development and reduction of greenhouse gases as well as for micro- and nano-scale structures, nano-fluids and bio-engineering. Non-linear phenomena besides the momentum transfer may occur due to temperature-dependent thermophysical properties. To analyse thermal processes and enable design and optimisation, advances in computational methods for solving and understanding heat transfer problems continue to be important. Engineering design and development require reliable and accurate computational methods to replace or complement expensive and time consuming experimental trial and error work. Tremendous advances have been achieved during recent years due to improved numerical solution algorithms for non-linear partial differential equations, turbulence modelling and development of computers and computing algorithms to achieve efficient and rapid simulations by massive parallel computation. 
Nevertheless, further progress in computational methods will require developments in theoretical and predictive procedures – both basic and innovative – and in applied research. Accurate experimental investigations with advanced instrumentation are needed to validate the numerical calculation procedures. Papers presented in the Heat Transfer conference series can be found in the Wessex Institute eLibrary (www.witpress.com/elibrary).

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Heat Transfer 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Energy conversion devices
  • Heat transfer enhancements
  • Heat exchanges
  • Natural and forced convection
  • Radiation
  • Multiphase flow heat transfer
  • Modelling and simulation
  • Heat recovery
  • Heat and mass transfer problems
  • Heat transfer in nature
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Biotechnology
  • Thermal electric devices
  • High temperature heat transfer
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 28 September 2015

Energy Quest 2016

International Conference on Energy Production and Management in the 21st Century

6 - 8 September 2016

Ancona, Italy


Introduction

The 2nd International Conference on Energy Production and Management in the 21st Century: The Quest for Sustainable Energy follows the very successful meeting held in Ekaterinburg in 2014. The aim of the meeting is to discuss the future of energy production and management in a changing world
The objective is to compare conventional energy sources, particularly hydrocarbons, with a number of other ways of producing energy; emphasising new technological developments, based on renewable resources such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal. A key issue is the conversion of new
sustainable sources of energy into useful forms (electricity, heat, fuel), while finding efficient ways of storage and distribution.
In many cases the challenges lie as much with production of such renewable energy at an acceptable cost, including damage to the environment, as with integration of those resources into the existing infrastructure. The changes required to progress from an economy based mainly on hydrocarbons to one taking advantage of sustainable energy resources are massive and require considerable scientific research as well as the development of advanced engineering systems. Such progress demands close collaboration between different disciplines in order to arrive at optimum solutions. 
The Conference will also discuss the energy use of industrial processes, including the imbedded energy contents of materials, such as those in the built environment. Energy production, distribution and usage, result in environmental risks which need to be better understood. They are part of the energy economics and relate to human environmental health as well as ecosystems behaviour.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Energy Quest 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Energy policies
  • Energy management
  • Energy economics
  • Energy production
  • Energy efficiency
  • Energy and the city
  • Energy security
  • Energy distribution
  • Energy networks
  • Processing of oil and Gas
  • Emissions
  • Pipelines
  • Renewable energies
  • Biomass and biofuels
  • Waste to energy
  • Energy use in building, industry and transport
  • Energy storage
  • Energy conversion
  • Environmental impact
  • Environmental health risk
  • Safety management
  • Tight energy fields
  • Energy and climate change
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 21 September 2015

AFM 2016

11th International Conference on Advances in Fluid Mechanics

5 - 7 September 2016

Ancona, Italy


Introduction

AFM 2016 is the 11th International Conference on Advances in Fluid Mechanics. The meeting is reconvened following the success of all previous conferences in the series, the first of which took place in New Orleans (1996), followed by Udine (1998); Montreal (2000); Ghent (2002); Lisboa (2004); Skiathos (2006); the New Forest, UK home of the Wessex Institute (2008); The Algarve (2010); Split (2012) and A Coruña (2014).
The success of the conference continues to attract high quality contributions presenting original results. The evolution of the meeting is reflected in the variety of topics and applications published in the conference book series since its beginnings in 1996. The field of fluid mechanics is vast and has numerous and diverse applications. The conference covers a wide range of topics, including basic formulations and their computer modelling as well as the relationship between experimental and analytical results. The emphasis is on new applications and research currently in progress. 
The papers – like others presented at Wessex Institute conferences – are part of the WIT Transactions in Engineering Sciences series and are archived online in the WIT eLibrary (www.witpress.com/elibrary), where they are immediately and permanently available to the international scientific community.
The object of the meeting is to provide a forum for discussing new work in fluid mechanics and, in particular, for promoting the interchange of new ideas and the presentation on the latest applications in the field.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at AFM 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Computational methods
  • Hydrodynamics
  • Fluid structure interaction
  • Bio-fluids
  • Flow in electronic devices
  • Environmental fluid mechanics
  • Heat and mass transfer
  • Industrial applications
  • Energy systems
  • Nano and micro fluids
  • Turbulent flow
  • Jets
  • Fluidics
  • Droplet and spray dynamics
  • Bubble dynamics
  • Multiphase fluid flow
  • Aerodynamics and gas dynamics
  • Pumping and fluid transportation
  • Experimental measurements
Find out more on the conference webpage.

Monday 14 September 2015

COMPRAIL 2016

15th International Conference on Railway Engineering Design and Operation

19 - 21 July 2016

Madrid, Spain

Introduction

The 15th International Conference on Railway Engineering Design and Operation (COMPRAIL 2016), is the latest in a series of very successful meetings which started in Frankfurt in 1987 and continued in Rome (1990); Washington (1992); Madrid (1994); Berlin (1996); Lisbon (1998);
Bologna (2000); Lemnos (2002); Dresden (2004); Prague (2006); Toledo (2008); Beijing (2010); the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute (2012) and Rome in 2014. The meeting is organised by the Wessex Institute and sponsored by WIT Transactions on the Built Environment and the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. The Conference aims to update the use of advanced systems, promoting their general awareness throughout the management, design, manufacture and operation of railways and other emerging passenger, freight and transit systems. It emphasises the use of computer systems in advanced railway engineering. 
The meeting attracts a variety of specialists interested in the development of railways, including managers, consultants, railway engineers, designers of advanced train control systems and computer specialists. It provides a forum for researchers, academics and practitioners involved in railway engineering to present and discuss the latest developments. Since 1994 all published papers are archived in the Wessex Institute eLibrary (www.witpress. com/elibrary), where they are permanently available to the international community.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at COMPRAIL 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Advanced train control
  • Operations quality
  • Risk management
  • Planning and policy
  • Monitoring and maintenance
  • Energy supply and consumption
  • Communications and signalling
  • Train control systems
  • Timetable planning
  • Rescheduling
  • Safety and security
  • Railway vehicle dynamics
  • Driverless and automatic train operation
  • Operational planning
  • Interface management
  • Systems integration
  • Maglev
  • High speed technology
  • Interoperability
  • Passenger flow management
  • Computer simulations
Find out more on the conference webpage

Monday 7 September 2015

Eco-Architecture 2016

6th International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature

13 - 15 July 2016

Alicante, Spain


Introduction
The sixth International Conference on Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature (Eco-Architecture 2016) follows the five successful meetings which started in the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute of Technology, in 2006; and followed in the Algarve (2008); A Coruna (2010), the island of Kos (2012) and Siena (2014).
Eco-Architecture implies a new approach to the design process intended to harmonise its products with nature. This involves ideas such as minimum use of energy at each stage of the building process, taking into account the amount required during the extraction and transportation of materials, their fabrication, assembly, building erection, maintenance and eventual future recycling. Another important issue is the adaptation of the architectural design to the natural environment, learning from nature and long time honoured samples of traditional constructions. 
The conference will deal with topics such as building technologies, design by passive systems, design with nature, cultural sensitivity, life cycle assessment, resources and rehabilitation and many others including case studies from different places around the world. The list of topics gives an idea of the scope of the meeting, papers on other topics relating to the conference objectives, are welcome. Eco-Architecture is very multi-disciplinary by definition, attracting, in addition to architects, many other professionals. In that regard the conference participants, as well as architects, are expected to be engineers, planners, physical scientists, sociologists and economists, providing all of them an opportunity to share information and ideas with their colleagues from different regions around the world.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Eco-Architecture 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Design with nature
  • Energy efficiency
  • Building technologies
  • Tall buildings and environment
  • Ecological impacts of materials
  • Biomaterials
  • Bioclimatic design
  • Water quality
  • Green facades
  • Ecological and cultural sensitivity
  • Education and training
  • Case studies
  • Design by passive systems
  • Adapted reuse
  • Life cycle assessment and durability
  • Transformative design
  • Sustainability indices in architecture
  • Bioclimatic design and passive systems
  • Recycle, reuse, reduce and recovery
  • Mixing it up and building flexibility
  • Architectural visualisation
  • New techniques: building information modelling
Find out more on the conference webpage

Friday 4 September 2015

Sustainable City 2016

11th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability

12 - 14 July 2016

Alicante, Spain


Introduction

The 11th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability addresses all aspects of the urban environment, aiming to provide solutions leading towards sustainability. The Sustainable City 2016 Conference follows a series of very successful meetings that started in Rio (2000), followed by Segovia (2002), Siena (2004), Tallinn (2006), Skiathos (2008), A Coruña (2010), Ancona (2012), Kuala Lumpur (2013), Siena (2014) and Medellin (2015).
The Conference addresses the multidisciplinary aspects of urban planning; a result of the increasing size of the cities; the amount of resources and services required and the complexity of modern society. Most of earth’s population now lives in cities and the process of urbanisation still continues generating many problems deriving from the drift of the population towards them. These problems can be resolved by cities becoming efficient habitats, saving resources in a way that improves the quality and standard of living. The process however, faces a number of major challenges, related to reducing pollution, improving main transportation and infrastructure systems. New urban solutions are required to optimise the use of space and energy resources leading to improvements in the environment, ie reduction in air, water and soil pollution as well as efficient ways to deal with waste generation. These challenges contribute to the development of socialand economic imbalances and require the development of new solutions. Large cities are probably the most complex mechanisms to manage. However, despite such complexity they represent a fertile ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists, and other professionals able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements. 
The challenge of planning sustainable cities lies in considering their dynamics, the exchange of energy and matter, and the function and maintenance of ordered structures directly or indirectly, supplied and maintained by natural systems.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Sustainable City 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Urban strategies
  • Urban planning and design
  • Urban development and management
  • Urban conservation and regeneration
  • The community and the city
  • Eco-town planning
  • Landscape planning and design
  • Environmental management
  • Sustainable energy and the city
  • Transportation
  • Quality of life
  • Socio-economic and political considerations
  • Cultural quarters and interventions
  • Waterfront development
  • Case studies – sustainable practices
  • Architectural issues
  • Cultural heritage issues
  • Appropriate technologies for smart cities
  • Planning for resilience
  • Disaster and emergency response
  • Urban safety and security
  • Waste management
  • Urban infrastructure
  • Urban metabolism
Find out more on the conference webpage

Tuesday 1 September 2015

FRIAR 2016

5th International Conference on Flood Risk Management and Response

29 June - 01 July 2016

San Servolo, Venice, Italy

Introduction

FRIAR 2016 is the fifth Conference of this successful series. The conference started at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London in 2008 and was reconvened at the Lombardy Region Headquarters in Milano in 2010, Dubrovnik in 2012 and Poznan in 2014. Flooding is a global phenomenon that claims numerous lives worldwide each year. When flooding occurs in populated areas, it can cause substantial damage to property as well as threatening human life. In addition, many more people must endure the homelessness, upset and disruption that are left in the wake of floods. 
The increased frequency of flooding in the last few years, coupled with climate change predictions and urban development, suggest that these statistics are set to worsen in the future. How we respond and adapt to these challenges is key to developing our long term resilience at the property, community and city scale. Apart from the physical damage to buildings, contents and loss of life, which are the
most obvious, impacts of floods upon households, other more indirect losses are often overlooked. These indirect and intangible impacts are generally associated with disruption to normal life as well as longer term health issues including stress related illness.
Flooding represents a major barrier to the alleviation of poverty in many parts of the developing world, where vulnerable communities are often exposed to sudden and life threatening events. The conference provides a forum for researchers, academics and practitioners actively involved in improving our understanding of flood events and our approaches to response, recovery and resilience. The meeting will bring together social scientists, surveyors, engineers, scientists, and other professionals from many countries involved in research and development activities in a wide range of technical and management topics related to flooding and its impacts on communities, property and people.

Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at FRIAR 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
  • Flood management
  • Flood warning
  • Flood response
  • Flood risk adaptation
  • Flood protection – products and processes
  • Flood impact on health
  • Flood risk modelling
  • Flood forecasting
  • Flood vulnerability
  • Urban flood modelling
  • Flood risk assessment and recovery
  • Storm surge modelling
  • Environment assessment
  • Climate change impact
  • Socio and economic impact
  • Innovative approaches
  • Flood case studies
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Critical infrastructure
  • Flood damage assessment
Find out more on the conference webpage.