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Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane
30 October–3 November 2017

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Conference Synopsis

The future of humanity on this planet relies on the collective benefits of urban density; reducing both land consumption and the energy needed to construct and operate the horizontally dispersed city. Tall buildings must now be the vehicles for creating increased density not just through sheer height, but by connecting multiple layers of the city. Physical urban infrastructure, circulation, greenery, and urban functions traditionally restricted to the ground level would all, ideally, continue up and into the building, such that the buildings themselves become an extension of the city: a part of the two-dimensional horizontal urban plane flipped vertical.

The CTBUH 2017 Conference thus inquired far beyond the tall building as icon, in order to debate a new set of guidelines and responsibilities toward skyscrapers becoming “connectors” in the city. The discussion embraced every discipline, from urban planning to cost consulting, architectural design to vertical transportation, real estate development to curtain wall design. Sydney, a city with a 230-year history in urban development, finds itself at the nexus of much of the current debate about cities: density vs. suburbanization; modernity vs. historical preservation; infrastructure vs. urban life; the high- vs. low-rise realms. With its breathtaking combination of harbor, skyline, and opera house as a backdrop, and the famous Antipodean welcoming charm of its people, there was no better place for this debate at this specific time than Sydney.

Of course, no CTBUH conference in Australia would be complete without considering Melbourne or Brisbane, the country’s other premier urban laboratories. Thus, the fourth and fifth day of the conference comprised regional programming in those cities. There, three half-day segments focused on unique themes, encompassing expansive tours, site visits, and technical demonstrations. Thank you for joining us south of the equator this year for the CTBUH 2017 Conference, for a truly global gathering to debate what the future holds for tall buildings and urban density.

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