2026 APRU SCL Conference

The APRU SCL Conference brings together students and members to explore the various initiatives offered by APRU SCL. The APRU-SCL 2026 Conference will be hosted and organized by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The conference will take place in and around Shanghai, along with related field trips. The conference will provide time for both working groups to meet and discuss collaborations while also enjoying a variety of guest speakers. There will be a Student Symposium incorporated into the conference program to allow young researchers to experience and be exposed to the valuable conversations of the APRU-SCL network. Students will present their work and receive feedback from faculty in related fields. This symposium is open to students of all levels. 

2026 Working Groups: 

• Urban AI, led by Associate Professor Youngchul Kim, KAIST & Senior Lecturer Elham Bahmanteymouri, University of Auckland
• Human Development and Nature Preservation, led by Professor John Dunn, Universidad San Francisco de Quito
• Climate Justice, led by Senior Lecturer Iresh Jayawardena, University of Auckland
• Moral Ecologies of Infrastructure, led by Professor Anne Taufen, University of Washington Tacoma & Professor Yiliang He, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 
• Urban Landscape Biodiversity, led by Professor Ruishan Chen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University &  Associate Professor Shiqiang Du, Shanghai Normal University
• Age Friendly Cities and Communities (virtual), led by Assistant Professor Alex Li, National University of Singapore &  Assistant Professor Mei Lan Fang, Simon Fraser University
• Civic Engagement and Community Design, led by Professor Jeff Hou, National University of Singapore 
• Landscape and Human Health, led by Professor Tzuhui Angie Tseng, National Tsing Hua University & Researcher Rosita Samsudin, National University of Singapore

2025 APRU SCL Conference

The Eighth Annual APRU Sustainable Cities & Landscapes Conference and Student Symposium took place in Vancouver, BC in partnership with the Simon Fraser University. This event gathered over 130 registered participants from15 APRU member institutions, including 55 students, along with researchers, practitioners, and community partners from across the Pacific Rim. Guided by the theme “Living with Water across the Pacific Rim”, the conference explored water as a powerful connector across climate adaptation, energy systems, food security, ecosystems, and livelihoods - while emphasizing justice, equity, and Indigenous-led sustainability approaches.

• Six UO students participated in the conference, presenting their research.
• Three UO faculty members attended, with two leading working groups.
• Two UO staff member attended to support conference planning.

2025 Working Groups:

• Water and Wastewater, led by Assistant Professor Kory Russel and Professor of Practice Zafar Adeel
• Climate Justice & Community Resilience, led by Professor Chingwen Cheng and Associate Professor Maya Gislason
• Smart Urban Technologies, 
• Landscape & Human Health, led by Professor Tzuhui Angie Tseng and Assistant Professor Shih-Han Hung
• Civic Engagement & Community Design, led by Professor Jeff Hou and Associate Professor Mari Fujita
• Urban Landscape Biodiversity, led by Associate Professor Fei Mo, Assistant Professor Sohyun Park, and Postdoctoral Research Fellow Chaeri Kim
• Moral Ecologies of Infrastructure, led by Professor Anne Taufen 
• Renewable Energy Systems & Landscapes, led by Associate Professor Yekang Ko, Assistant Professor Nicholas Pevzner, and Associate Professor Taco Niet
• Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, led by Assistant Professor Alex Li and Assistant Professor Mei Lan Fang
• Future Regenerative & Differential Cities, led by Associate Professor Manfredo Manfredini

2024 APRU SCL Conference

The Seventh Annual APRU Sustainable Cities & Landscapes Conference and Student Symposium took place in Manila, Philippines, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños. This event gathered 219 registered participants from 10 economies, which helped build on our initiatives for international collaboration on sustainable urban development and environmental resilience.

• Three UO students participated in the conference, presenting their research.
• Three UO faculty members attended, with two leading working groups.
• One UO staff member attended to support conference planning.

2024 Working Groups:

• Future Energy Landscapes and Smart Cities, led by Senior Lecturer Alessandro Premier, Senior Lecturer Mohsen Mohammadzadeh, Associate Professor Edgar M. Reyes Jr., and Associate Professor Casper B. Agaton
• Civic Engagement and Community Design, led by Professor Jeff Hou and Associate Professor Efraim D. Roxas
• Urban Waterfronts, led by Professor Anne Taufen and Assistant Professor Kyle Pierre R. Israel
• Urban-Rural Linkages, led by Professor Yizhao Yhang and Assistant Professor Edwin R. Abucay
• Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Justice, led by Professor Chingwen Cheng, Assistant Professor Almira Geles L. De Mesa, and Associate Professor Joan Pauline P. Talubo
• Urban Landscape Biodiversity, led by Professor Gail A. Langellotto and Associate Professor Ma. Catriona E. Devanadera
• Water and Waste Management, led by Associate Professor Samad Sepasgozar, Assistant Professor Sheila B. Austero, and Assistant Professor Janssen Andrew S. Calvelo
• Food and Nutrition Security, led by Dean and Associate Professor Jennifer Marie S. Amparo and Associate Professor Aileen R. de Juras

2023 APRU SCL Conference

The Sixth Annual APRU Sustainable Cities & Landscapes Conference and Student Symposium was held in Quito, Ecuador, and San Cristóbal Island, Galápagos, in partnership with Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). The event welcomed 65 participants from 17 economies. 

• Four UO students attended the conference to present their research.
• Three UO faculty members participated, with two leading working groups.
• One UO staff member attended to support conference planning.

2023 Working Groups:

• Energy and Climate Justice, led by Professor Chingwen Cheng
• Sustainable Urban Design, led by Assistant Professor Natalia Echeverri
• Urban Biodiversity, led by Professor Bart Johnson and Associate Professor Fei Mo
• Water and Wastewater, led by Assistant Professor Kory Russel and Dr. Valerie O. Herrera

2022 APRU SCL Conference 

The first in-person Annual Conference since COVID took place in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The event brought together 83 attendees from 11 countries.

• Five UO faculty members attended.

2022 Working Groups:

• Children, youth, and environments
• Civic engagement and community design
• Future energy landscapes
• Landscapes and human health
• Pandemics, humanitarian emergencies, and health
• Smart cities
• Sustainable urban design
• Urban landscape biodiversity
• Urban-rural linkages
• Vulnerable, resilient, and climate justice communities
• Water and wastewater

2020 APRU SCL Conference

The Fourth Annual Conference, hosted by the University of Auckland, was held entirely online due to COVID-19. A key highlight of the event was the student symposium, which featured presentations from 24 PhD students, showcasing their research and insights.

2020 Working Groups: 

• Children, youth, and environments
• Food nutrition security
• Future energy landscapes
• Indigenous knowledge and wisdom
• Landscape and human health
• Smart cities
• Sustainable urban design
• Transitions in urban waterfronts
• Urban-rural linkages (UO co-lead)
• Vulnerable, resilient, and climate-just communities
• Water and wastewater (UO lead)

2019 APRU SCL Conference

The Third Annual Conference, hosted by the University of New South Wales in August 2019, brought together representatives from 24 different universities.

• Four faculty members were from the University of Oregon.
• Four students from University of Oregon participated in this event.

APRU SCL launched a partnership with the Mayors Academy for Sustainable Urban Development in the Asia-Pacific. This initiative, led by the United Nations University Institute for Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in collaboration with UNESCAP, UN-HABITAT, and United Cities and Local Governments-Asia Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC), aims to support sustainable urban development efforts. University of Oregon faculty member, SCL Working Group leader, and Steering Committee member Yizhao Yang has been actively involved in the Mayors Academy since its initial connection with the SCL program in 2019.

2019 Working Groups: 

• Sustainable urban design, led by Professor Errol J Haarhoff and Professor Paola Boarin
• Vulnerable communities, led by Professor Chingwen Cheng
• Food and nutrition security, led by Senior Lecturer Robert Dyball
• Transitions in urban waterfronts, led by Professor Anne Taufen, Professor Ken Yocom, and Associate Professor Catherine Evans
• Landscape and human health, led by Professor Chun-Yen Chang and Associate Professor Jiang Bin
• Urban renewable energy, led by Professor Makena Coffman, Associate Professor Yekang Ko, and Associate Professor Kirk Dimond
• Infrastructure ecologies, led by Associate Professor Mathew Pryor
• Smart cities, led by Senior Lecturer Mohsen Mohammadzadeh
• Urban biodiversity, led by Senior Lecturer Caroline Dingle and Professor Bart Johnson
• Urban-rural linkages, led by Professor Yizhao Yang and Associate Professor Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard
• Water and wastewater (UO lead), led by Dr. Adam DeHeer

2018 APRU SCL Conference

The Second Annual Conference, hosted by the University of Hong Kong in September 2018, brought together over 110 attendees from across the Pacific Rim. 

• Four faculty members were from the University of Oregon.
• Six students from University of Oregon participated in this event. 

2018 Working Groups:

• Productive cities, infrastructural ecologies, led by Lecturer Wang Ting and Associate Professor Mathew Pryor 
• City-landscape sustainability, led by Postdoctoral Researcher Edwin Schmitt
• Urban biodiversity, led by Senior Lecturer Caroline Dingle
• Urban renewable energy, led by Professor Makena Coffman and Assistant Professor Yekang Ko 
• Sustainable urban design, led by Professor Errol J Haarhoff
• Urban water and sanitation, led by Assistant Professor Kory Russel
• Urban-rural linkages, led by Associate Professor Yizhao Yang and Lecturer Sara Padgett Kjaersgaard
• Transitions in urban waterfronts, led by Professor Anne Taufen and Associate Professor Ken Yocom 
• Vulnerable communities, led by Professor Stephanie Pincetl, Assistant Professor Kian Goh, and Associate Vice Chancellor Mark Gold
• Landscape and human health, Associate Professor Bin Jiang and Professor Chun-Yen Chang
• Smart Cities, led Senior Lecturer Mohsen Mohammadzadeh

2017 APRU SCL Conference

The First Annual Conference, held in Portland in September 2017, brought together over 120 attendees from 14 countries. Participants and delegates were welcomed by Michael H. Schill, President of the University of Oregon; Christoph Lindner, Dean of the UO College of Design; Christopher Tremewan, APRU Secretary General; and Bart Johnson, APRU SCL Steering Committee Chair and Head of the UO Department of Landscape Architecture. 

• 10 University of Oregon faculty attended.
• 12 UO students participate in the event and working groups. 

2017 Working Groups:

• Containing Urban Expansion Using “Boundaries” in the Era of Rapid Urbanization
• From Urban Agriculture to new Urban Commons: Productive Landscapes and Infrastructural Ecologies
• Redrawing Our Urban Waters
• Resolving Conflicts of “Greens”: Energy Planning for Sustainable Landscape Conservation
• Sustainable Transportation in an Era of Autonomous Vehicles
• Sustainable Urban Design
• The Chengdu Plain and Dujiangyan Irrigation District, Sichuan, China: A Case of City-Landscape Sustainability in Comparative Perspective
• The Future of Urban Water and Sanitation
• Transitions in Urban Waterfront Operation and Development
• Urban Biodiversity

Asia Pacific Mayor's Academy

The Academy is a joint initiative organized by the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), UN-Habitat, United Cities and Local Government Asia Pacific (UCLG-ASPAC), The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).

The Asia-Pacific Mayors Academy engages newly elected or appointed city mayors/governors in the Asia-Pacific region to participate in an annual fellowship and build their capacities to develop and implement sustainable urban solutions in their communities, in support of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Certificate in Global Climate Change Leadership

The APRU Certificate in Global Climate Change Leadership is a role-playing exercise in which students will form multi-disciplinary teams to play the role of delegates to the UN Climate Change Negotiations. Students will be assigned to international teams (students from various universities) representing one of six economies/regions.

Teams will hear perspectives from experts on topics such as coastal habitats, deforestation, clean energy, trading and offsets, and diplomacy and negotiation skills. Teams will discuss the human and environmental effects of climate change, as well as the economic impact that economies/regions consider in determining their position and global commitments.

Galapagos Field School

This 21-day study abroad program in Quito and the Galapagos Islands, provides a unique learning experience for students interested in urban planning, architecture, and environmental conservation. 

It's designed to deepen the understanding of the complex socio-ecological system of cities and landscapes using the Galapagos as a case study and explore how it might be impacted by the looming climate crisis.

The academics will be divided into workshops, excursions, and lectures. The focus is on the intricate relationship between urban development and natural ecosystems, emphasizing sustainable practices in city planning and landscape architecture. Students will delve into the unique social and environmental interactions exclusive to the islands.

Global Sustainability: Waste in The City

The seminar course introduces graduate students to global sustainability concepts and applications from leading experts in the academia and the industry. Students will learn the key points of the United Nations Sustainability and Development Goals (UN SDGs) focusing on the environment and economy, specifically those that pertain to waste and urbanization. They will also learn how leaders work with key stakeholders in implementing sustainability in their organizations. By exposing students to real-worldEnvironmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) reports produced by corporations in various industries, they will practice critical thinking and analytical skills.