reSITE, an annual global forum discussing the most urgent issues in the urbanized world, has announced its top speaker line-up for this year's conference themed as REGENERATE. 

This year, Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio, Yosuke Hayano, Principal Partner of MAD Architects and Almada's Mayor Inês de Medeiros, Czech born architect Eva Jiřičná, Founder and Director of the AI DESIGN will be among the anticipated speakers to catapult Prague to the center of the international design and policy world again.

Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio. Image © Elena Heatherwick

Thomas Heatherwick will be giving a keynote on September 19, 2019 at reSITE's main stage. Then the talk will continue with a closing talk show with the British designer, who is behind the project Vessel at Hudson Yards. See the full event program here.

Taking place from 19-20 September 2019 in Prague's Forum Karlin, the annual conference will explore the essential questions on environmentally policies to create resilient infrastructure, while the conference will also discuss how smart technologies will solve and coordinate the urban challenges faced by Prague with open discussion on the topic of digitization in urban settings. The annual submit is curated by Greg Lindsay, a journalist, urbanist, futurist, and speaker. 

Snøhetta and Heatherwick Studio have unveiled their proposal on Toronto’s Eastern Waterfront. Courtyard view from the proposal of Heatherwick Studio. Image © Picture Plane

Smart Cities will be main topic of the discussions since they have a huge impact for the future of the cities in which they allow people to control their own data. Registrations are still open for the event to not to miss the most up-to-date discussions. 

World Architecture Community is media partner for this year's event and will be bringing you the hottest topics, live-discussions and keynote sessions from the two-day event with exclusive interviews. 

reSITE 2018 stage, image courtesy of reSITE

reSITE will welcome 50 globally renowned speakers from 4 continents and will bring inspiration from the world’s most desirable cities to reSITE’s 360° stage, at the center of a 1000+ audience of innovators, architects, planners, investors, cultural, municipal and real estate leaders. 

Design Indaba Founder Ravi Naidoo from Cape Town will address the first keynote on September 19, 2019. Newly this year, the REGENERATE guests will be able to participate in intensive break-out sessions and several networking, athletic and social events.

The theme REGENERATE is especially close to reSITE’s heart, putting its value to work by initiating Manifesto Market, an impactful and internationally heralded case or urban regeneration which turned a brownfield into a lively “food’n culture” market in the heart of Prague. 

MAD Architects' winning proposal for the Yiwu Grand Theater has been set to move forward in Yiwu, located in China’s Zhejiang province. Image courtesy of MAD

"When we talk about regenerating cities, we have to ask: who are we regenerating them for?," said reSITE's Chairman Martin Barry.

"With urban populations growing, so are the challenges facing cities ranging from building modern and resilient infrastructure, creating affordable accommodation while simultaneously preparing for the impending climate crisis," Barry added.

"Not only will cities have to prepare for the impacts, but according to the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, they will play a key role in implementing environmentally-friendly policies to halt the worst consequences of climate change," continued Barry. 

reSITE focuses on positive practices and creating links between professional groups and ideas where other people have missed them. This year reSITE will introduce a new program format - Break-out Sessions organized by McKinsey & Company, Nano Energies and more.

Yosuke Hayano, principal partner of MAD architects. Image courtesy of MAD.

Future Generations Cities

One of the conference highlights, Yosuke Hayano, principal partner of MAD architects, strives to restore a harmonic balance between humanity and nature, through holistic and contemplative spaces. MAD's pursuit of the integration of structure within the existing environment as well as communal resources, affordable housing, and integrated greenery creating an organic, inclusive space. 

Yosuke Hayano will be giving opening keynote on September 20, 2019 at reSITE's main stage. Then the architect will be in conversation at Live Mic Stage by Shared Cities.

Kate Wagner, founder of the funny-because-its-true McMansion Hell blog which picks apart American “luxury homes,” exposing them for the extreme waste of resources and heinous architecture that they really are, while her sarcasm makes architecture criticism more accessible.

Join the conversation on “Generations” with Yosuke Hanayo (MAD Architects), Britain's "co-living king" Reza Merchant (the Collective), Kate Wagner (McMansion Hell), and Christopher Cabaldon (Mayor of West Sacramento, US) that explore the question who are we regenerating for. 

Chris Precht and his wife Fei Precht have designed a vertical farmhouse that connects architecture and agriculture in one tower, by only using modular triangular volumes. Image © Studio Precht

Rewilding our Cities

In contrast to cities, natural ecosystems are perceived as self-regulating and self-healing, with the ability to regenerate themselves after natural disasters. What can the urban world learn from nature — to which it is typically seen as being opposed — and how can we “rewild” our cities? How to design new types of infrastructure to co-exist with (rather than resist) nature?

Dive into the revolutionary solutions with “Gardens in the Machine” block with Chris Precht (Precht) designing buildings which integrate urban agriculture, Stanislav Chvala (Nano Energies) on locally produced renewable energy, New-York based Bettina Zerza (Zerza) who applies a contemporary art approach to her architecture practice, and IliasPapageorgiou (PILA) currently leading a major redevelopment project in Paris. 

Anni Sinnemäki, Helsinki's Deputy Mayor of the Urban Environment. Image courtesy of reSITE

The Urban Regenerators and Female Power

Anni Sinnemäki, Helsinki's Deputy Mayor of the Urban Environment has set her sights on making the Finnish capital carbon neutral by 2035, while Almada mayor, Inês de Medeiroshas implemented a local sustainable development strategy based on the principles of the United Nations Plan of Action Plan for the Portuguese city. Berlin-based Leona Lynenis the project manager for the German capital’s massive regeneration project, Haus der Statistik in the heart of Alexanderplatz, which will be home to a complex of cultural, municipal and residential spaces.

While reSITE insists on a gender-balanced line-up of speakers, the organizers also encourage women across disciplines of design, architecture, city leadership to attend the annual conference, by subsidizing the entry. 

Bianca Wylie. Image courtesy of reSITE

Bianca Wylie, Co-founder (Tech Reset Canada) & Senior Fellow (Centre for International Governance, will be giving a special lecture on September 19, 2019. 

"The existing gender imbalance in architecture and design is reflected in conferences or events. reSITE is the exception," added reSITE's Chairman Martin Barry. 

By bringing together a diverse roster of speakers, reSITE creates provocative conversations around regeneration and quality of life that reflect the different needs of inhabitants, creating more socially balanced communities.

Jee Liu and Jamie Wallace, Co-founders of WallaceLiu, London, UK. Image courtesy of reSITE

East and West: At a Crossroads Of Revitalization

Popularly seen as the world’s biggest construction site, China’s urban boom is now old enough that many of its cities are in need of regeneration themselves. How do we fix the mistakes of the world’s longest, most furious building boom? On the flip side, what are the most inspiring projects and opportunities for western studios to work in Asia? Hear from Beatrice Leanza(B-Design), Jee Liu, Jamie Wallace(WallaceLiu) and Wallpaper's China editor Yoko Choyon our East-Meets-West block. 

The founder of The Global School in China, Beatrice Leanza, has curated the “Across Chinese Cities” exhibition at the last three Venice Biennale’s portraying the best example of east meets west. reSITE returner, Solène Wolffis a Berlin-based managing partner at PLANE-SITE, working in the field of architecture and urban development and exploring climate-positive solution and sustainability at large. 

Heatherwick Studio’s zeitz MOCAA art galleries in Cape Town. Image © Iwan Baan

Mega-redevelopment Projects

Urban mega-redevelopment projects are typically fraught, all-too-often producing sterile, cookie-cutter districts or stalling during economic downturns. What have we learned about the near-impossible — and absolutely necessary — the art of building or reinventing new pieces of cities, from scratch? How do we make a place urban long before the foundations are dug? And what stories do they tell about the cities they belong to?  

“Make No Little Plans” will include some names behind mega-development projects from all over the globe including British designer whose prolific and varied work over two decades is characterized by its ingenuity, inventiveness, and originality, Thomas Heatheriwck (Heatherwick Studios), Gerard Schuurman (Stocznia Cesarska, Gdansk), Kingsley Jayasekera (West Kowloon District), Matus Vallo (Mayor of Bratislava), and Ines de Medieros (Mayor of Alamada). 

Czech architect Eva Jiřičná. Image courtesy of LDF.

Beyond the Main Stage

reSITE is definitely not only about listening and seeing, but about interaction, connection and creating new relationships. Visitors will have the opportunity to chat with several keynote speakers on the informal Live Mic stage powered by Shared Cities: Creative Momentum project, among them the internationally acclaimed Czech architect Eva Jiřičná. Intensive and interactive break-out sessions, hosted in the Dome Stage and focusing on Prague's brownfields, cooperative housing as a business model, as well as renewable, sustainably produced energy. 

Eva Jiřičná will be on the informal Live Mic stage on September 19, 2019.

reSITE will again invite participants to join a run across Prague's iconic places as well as two yoga classes and breakfast sessions to open the day. 

RSVP is required to attend the events with limited capacity. Making a return, the legendary not-to-be-missed party in Old Town's Bokovka's Renaissance courtyard will take place on Sept 19th. Doors will open to the general public from 9 pm. 

reSITE has assembled a global community of diverse professionals and creative people who are solving problems in the world’s cities – real estate developers and investors, politicians, entrepreneurs, alternative energy leaders, smart city professionals, architects, urbanists, planners, designers, municipal leaders and representatives, researchers, professors, students, media, cultural leaders, curators and non-profit organizations and activists. 

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