Aim of the conference

Date and time: 15 September 2011 at 10.30-19.00
Venue: Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
Language: Estonian and English, translation available
Participation: free of charge. Registration has ended.

More than half the world’s population live in cities. Cities also pose a variety of socio-economic problems that hinder advances in people’s quality of life: poverty, inequality, the availability of education and healthcare, and so on. An eco-city is an environment which is economical in regard to nature but which also improves the quality of life of its residents.

Eco-cities are set apart from ordinary cities by the limited transport needs of their residents, their use of renewable energy, their environmentally efficient buildings, their well-developed systems of public transport, their density of construction and their emphasis on the green network (grass roofs, recycling of waste, low carbon emissions and so forth).

The international conference ‘Modern Eco-cities’ attempts to find answers to the following questions:

  • Can contemporary environmentally hostile cities be sustainably changed into eco-cities?
  • How does Estonia support the design of a creative, sustainable and accessible urban space?
  • Is an eco-city an architect’s dream or nightmare?
  • Are electric vehicles and sustainable transport good investments?

Experts from Estonia and the Nordic countries will try to find answers to these questions. The discussions are illustrated with examples of existing and planned urban spaces.

Target group of the conference: local authorities, scientists, community representatives, entrepreneurs, urban space designers.

Organisers: Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia, Embassy of Finland in Tallinn, Tartu City Government, Tartu Science Park, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu Centre for Creative Industries, Tartu Municipality Government
Supporters: Tartu City Government, Association of Local Authorities of Tartu County, ClearChannel, My City Hotel, Postimees, Radio Kuku, auto24.ee

Green Growth Festival Rohevik focuses on the green economy during three days in September 2011 and takes a look into the future:

  • 15 September: conference ‘Modern Eco-cities’ (Tartu)
  • 16 September: conference ‘Smart Energy and Green Transport’ (Tallinn)
  • 17 September: family event ‘Our Future – Electric Vehicles’ (Tallinn)
  • Rohevik recommends: car free day in Tallinn on 18 September