LOUD Successfully Hosts "Shanghai Climate Week" Event Series!

On the occasion of the 56th Earth Day (April 22, 2025), the "Shanghai Climate Week" series of events was successfully held, jointly organized by the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science (LOUD). The event aimed to actively respond to global climate change, promote China’s green and low-carbon transition, and build a platform for international exchange and cooperation.

The LOUD played an active role in the Climate Week, participating extensively in the Opening Ceremony, the thematic forum “Sustainable Urban Futures: Synergizing Climate Resilience, Decarbonization, and Healthy Ecosystems”, and the “Beautiful China” forum. The event was supported by a wide range of partners, including NYU Shanghai, the Shanghai Natural and Health Foundation, the Executive Committee of Shanghai Climate Week, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Prosperity Alliance Shanghai Centre, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Shanghai Technology Exchange, Tongmu Architecture Group, and Sounds Climate.

Figure 1. Opening Ceremony of the 2025 Shanghai Climate Week

The Climate Week brought together a distinguished group of guests from government and industry, including Yiqun Wang, Deputy Party Secretary and District Mayor of Fengxian District; Jianping Sun, President of the Shanghai Modern Service Industry Federation;Lin Xiao , Director of the Pudong New Area Development and Reform Commission;Wei Qu, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission; Mikael Hemniti Winther, Consul General of the Kingdom of Denmark in Shanghai; Philippe Roesle, CEO and Consul of the Swiss Federal Government’s Science and Culture Center; and Jennifer Zou, Vice President of Global Initiatives and Head of China Operations at the Bay Area Council.

Professors Chenghe Guan and Ying Li, Co-Founding Directors of the LOUD, also attended the event. During the forum, Prof. Guan introduced the Urban Climate Park & Community project, emphasizing that it is not only a concept and discourse, but also an initiative and a form of cultural practice. Urban Climate Parks serve as both physical spaces and digital platforms to foster communication and promote green and low-carbon lifestyles.

Figure 2. The “Beautiful China” Forum

The Urban Climate Park initiative envisions becoming a world-leading model for green space development, setting standards for low-carbon communities, and building a China-rooted theory of “Park Cities” to contribute Chinese wisdom and solutions to global urban sustainability. The Urban Lab has already accumulated a diverse portfolio of pilot cases, including the Ordos Net-Zero Industrial Park, the Yanhua Salt Cavern Energy Base in Heze, Shandong, the Sungrow Net-Zero Center in Hefei, Anhui, the Lingang International Climate Community and Xidu Community in Fengxian, Shanghai, as well as the Hengdian Film and Cultural Community.

Notably, the Urban Climate Park will make its official debut at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, showcasing China’s innovative practices and achievements in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable urban development—drawing global attention and recognition.

The project is also receiving strong support from the UNITAR Prosperity Alliance Shanghai Centre. A series of collaborative projects are planned across demonstration sites to strengthen international cooperation, introduce cutting-edge concepts and technologies, and provide the initiative with global insight and resources.

With its distinctive appeal, the Urban Climate Park is stepping onto the international stage. By focusing on climate challenges, it aims to formulate and apply a uniquely Chinese theory and methodology for climate-responsive urban parks. The initiative is reshaping the role of parks—from traditional “urban construction” to innovative “urban operation,” and from single-source government provision to a multidimensional, co-governance model involving broader society.

Driven by ecological civilization and cultural confidence, the Urban Climate Park is redefining park experiences through aesthetic economy, supporting the growth of green communities, and charting a path toward sustainable urban development with distinctly Chinese characteristics. This embodies not only China’s cultural confidence but also its commitment and responsibility in advancing global ecological civilization.

The successful hosting of Shanghai Climate Week marks a significant step forward in China’s efforts toward green transformation and climate action. The event highlighted China’s proactive engagement and firm resolve in tackling climate change, while building a bridge for international cooperation—and gathering collective wisdom and momentum for the development of the Urban Climate Park.

Figure 3. Thematic Forum: “Sustainable Urban Futures – Synergizing Climate Resilience, Decarbonization, and Healthy Ecosystems”