It is the ambition of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam to explore to what extent architects, with their knowledge, skills, and imaginative powers, can contribute to solving urgent problems in contemporary society. It therefore challenges the design disciplines, using the specific expertise of architecture, to conduct “research by design” and to develop concrete proposals, based on the Biennale’s theme.

The Biennale cherishes a genuine international exchange of ideas, and encourages public debate among designers and scientists; artists, politicians and authorities; developers and investors; social partners and residents in the Netherlands and abroad. This dialogue cross-fertilizes the architectural perspective with voices from politics, the arts, economy, the environment, and other vantage points.

By rallying people, ideas, and projects, each edition of the Biennale aims to provide a powerful impetus to the debate on the way the Dutch design and inhabit their country.

The Biennale is based in Rotterdam, a city with a strong reputation for engaging in architecture and urbanism. Not only will Rotterdam provide the setting for the Biennale, it will also be engaged concretely; collaborations with numerous local partners will link the local design agenda with global issues.

Kees Christiaanse, who is internationally recognized among today’s foremost researchers and practitioners in the fields of urban design and architecture, is the curator for the year 2009.

Urban Meetings
The meetings consist of seven lectures/debates exploring the need for an Urban Agenda for an Urban Age presented by IHS, in close collaboration with IABR and AIR.

With over half of the world’s population now living in cities, and up to two-thirds by the middle of the century, the issue of how to run a city is becoming increasingly important.

Rapid urbanization is having a strong impact on communities, cities, economies, urban ecologies and policies. How to develop and run a city as an engine for environment-friendly, inclusive and sustainable growth? How to connect the challenges of managing and of designing a city in order to further that urban sustainability?

In the context of its 50th anniversary the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) has teamed up with the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) and the Architecture Institute Rotterdam (AIR), to present a series of Urban Meetings to explore the outlines of an Urban Agenda for the 21st century.

Connecting the (inter)national and local networks of IHS, IABR and AIR has resulted in a highly interesting selection of speakers and debaters on issues such as sustainability, safety, urban management, environmental policies, infrastructural challenges and economic development.

By juxtaposing the global with the local perspective, and by triggering an exchange between urban managers and developers, and urban designers and architects, the series of Urban Meetings hopes to shed light on where our cities may be heading if headed right.

Among the speakers are Jan Pronk (former Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation and former Minister of the Environment), Anthony Williams (former mayor of Washington DC), Ivo Opstelten (current mayor of Rotterdam), Jaime Lerner (architect and former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil), and Kees Christiaanse (architect and curator of the 4th IABR).

Programme
25 September 2009
Open City: Designing Coexistence

26 September 2009
Parallel Cases

27 September 2009
Free State of Amsterdam