May 21 - 24, 2026

Shanghai, China

The 9th Annual Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) Conference will be hosted in Shanghai, China, from May 21 to 24, 2026. Cities and landscapes along the Pacific Rim hold a crucial position in supporting global ecosystems. Historically, this region has been profoundly shaped by deep interconnections established through trade, innovation, and shared environmental conditions, making it an essential arena for studying the co‑evolution and adaptation of urban and natural systems. At the same time, Pacific Rim cities face a common set of challenges, including natural hazards, climate change, biodiversity loss, and the pressures of rapid urbanization. The 9th APRU‑SCL Conference will bring together experts from academia, industry, government, and local communities to reflect on multi‑scalar transformations underway across the region and collaboratively design pathways and frameworks toward a more sustainable and resilient future. All conference sessions will be conducted in‑person.

1 Conference Theme

Evolutionary Cities and Landscapes at the Pacific Rim

2 Conference Topics

Centered on the theme of "Urban and Landscape Evolution in the Pacific Rim Region", this conference has specifically established five thematic forums, aiming to foster cross-border exchanges and cooperation to advance the sustainable development of Pacific Rim cities:

Topic 1: Climate Risks, Adaptive Transformation, and Resilience Design

Topic 2: Heritage Conservation, Community Renewal and Inclusive Design

Topic 3: Landscape Perception, Health and Well-being, and Biodiversity

Topic 4: Urban Ecological Infrastructure and Regional Resilience Networks

Topic 5: Digital Technology, Smart Governance, and Innovation in Human Settlements

3 General Schedule

Field Trip, Routes:

1. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center;

2. Urban community habitat gardens;

3. Xuhui Riverside Urban Renewal;

4. Yangpu Riverside Urban Renewal;

（Registered personnel, please pay attention to emails in the near future to choose the corresponding route）

4 Important Guests and Attendees

4.1 Guest Speaker

Thomas Schneider

Chief Executive of Pacific Rim University Union (APRU)

Ding Kuiling

President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University,  ‌Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences‌

Li Xiong

Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture, Professor at Beijing Forestry University, and Former Vice President

4.2 Keynote Speaker

Anne Taufen

Professor, University of Washington

Jaime López-Andrade

Professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ

Jeffery Hou

Provost's Chair Professor & Head of the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore

Wang Xiangrong

Professor of Beijing Forestry University, Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Landscape Architecture

Xing Ruan

Chair Professor and Dean, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Zhou Weiqi

Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of Landscape and Urban Planning

Zhu Yufan

Professor and Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

4.3 Memembers of Executive Committee

Dennis Galvan

Chair, Executive Committee of APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscape Program

Dean and Vice Provost of Global Engagement, University of Oregon

Guo Yong

Associate Professor and Deputy Chair, Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

Jaime Lopez

Professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Director of the Institute of Architecture and Urban Form (AFORU) 

Su Xiaobo

Co-Director of the APRU-SCL Program

Professor, University of Oregon

Yekang Ko

Co-Director of the APRU-SCL Program

Associate Professor, University of Michigan. Director of Asian Affairs, School of Environment and Sustainability

4.4 Memembers of Steering Committee

Anne Taufen

Professor, University of Washington

Chen Ruishan

Professor and Vice Dean, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Jeffery Hou

Provost's Chair Professor & Head of the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore

John Alejandro Dunn Insúa

Professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Natalia Echeverri

Assistant Professor , The University of British Columbia

Wang Zhifang

Professor and Vice Dean, College of Architecture and Landscape, Peking University

5 Important Announcements

This conference no longer accepts submissions, and registration is still accepted. Participants can attend the entire conference, but no conference report will be arranged. Interested participants are requested to fill out the relevant information collection questionnaire and complete the conference payment according to the regular fee standard (general participants/students). Thank you for your attention and support!

Regular Conference Fees

General participant: USD 400 (CNY 2,750)

Student: USD 200 (CNY 1,300)

Scan QR Code

For payment methods, please visit:

https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/international/29b5b7b9850ceb2dc7b923e3d66703ac/cd8518d46d62e0e6e7298c8e71f18c3d  (CN)

https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/en-us/e689b4d7072385e4da5cfcb69bb3ecb4/b9654d38833e773f9d943cd3528753d2/40f199def801b0916c0a90c67d2e128b  (EN)

6 Contact Us

For academic inquiries, please contact the Academic Committee at fei_mo@sjtu.edu.cn

For administrative/logistical inquiries, please contact the Organizing Committee at sdesign@sjtu.edu.cn

More details about the conference athttps://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/international/29b5b7b9850ceb2dc7b923e3d66703ac/1a2ddda11148de1c9adf9a5afc170e98 (CN)

https://designschool.sjtu.edu.cn/en-us/e689b4d7072385e4da5cfcb69bb3ecb4/b9654d38833e773f9d943cd3528753d2/30ab09d18c35c8a12bcdaee4df04ff4c (EN)

7 Organizational Information

Host

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Organizer

Division of Global Cooperation and Exchange, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Supporting Organization

Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture

Co-organizer

School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

College of Architecture and Landscape, Peking University

College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University

Faculty of Architecture,The University of Hong Kong

Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University

School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University

School of Geography and Ocean Science of Nanjing University

(The above rankings are not in any particular order)

Cooperative Media

《Landscape and urban planning》

《Landscape ecology》

《中国园林》

《景观设计学（LAF）》

《生态学报》

《地理科学进展》

《地理研究》

《旅游学刊》

《旅游科学》

《城市规划学刊》

《上海交通大学学报（哲社版）》

《园林》学刊

(The above rankings are not in any particular order)