International Conference on Sustainable Urban Proximities
4th – 5th September 2025
Paris City Hall / Sorbonne University
Paris, France
Read the program

On Friday, April 4, the University of Padua hosted a landmark international symposium titled “The Wealth of Nations and the Role of Architecture for an Urban Economy Focused on Human Well-Being,” organized by the Italian National Council of Architects, Planners, Landscapers and Conservators (CNAPPC). The event featured Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who delivered a powerful and timely keynote address.

A Thoughtful Institutional Opening

The symposium began with institutional greetings from key figures in academia and government: Antonio Parbonetti (Vice-Rector of the University of Padua), Paola Valbonesi (Director of the Department of Economics and Business Sciences “Marco Fanno”), Andrea Micalizzi (Deputy Mayor of Padua), and Roberto Righetto (President of FOAV and the local Order of Architects). Massimo Crusi, CNAPPC President, formally opened the event, followed by remarks from Senator Roberto Rosso, rapporteur of the new Urban Regeneration Law.

Paul Krugman: “Stable Cities, Stable Nations”

At 3:15 PM, Paul Krugman took the stage with a lecture titled “On the Stability of the Deplorables,” reflecting on the economic structures that can either deepen urban inequality or unlock inclusive growth. Krugman emphasized the need for urban planning that places human dignity, accessibility, and local resilience at the center of economic development.

Urban Challenges and Future Visions

The first thematic session, led by Catherine Gall (Executive Director of ETI Research, Sorbonne Paris), addressed contemporary struggles in urban life and governance:

• Carlos Moreno (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) explored the power of proximity as a pillar for sustainable and inclusive cities.
• Karima Kourtit (Open University, Netherlands) reflected on the emotional and social bonds that shape cities in crisis.

After a short coffee break, the second session, titled “What Kind of Cities Do We Want to Live In?”, opened with a series of thought-provoking talks:

• Philippe Rahm (Philippe Rahm Architects) made a compelling case for bioclimatic architecture.
• Robin Wells (Princeton University) examined principles of urban equity.
• Roberto Antonietti and Peter Nijkamp contributed insights on forgotten cities, climate resilience, and the global role of local policy.
• The session concluded with reflections from Giuseppe Cappochin, former CNAPPC President.

A Forum with Impact

With over a hundred in-person attendees and a wide online audience, the event marked a significant moment in the evolving conversation about sustainable, human-centered urbanism. It made clear that architecture, economics, and policy must work hand in hand to shape cities that are resilient, inclusive, and designed for everyday life.

November 2024 marked a month rich in international engagements for the CNAPPC, which was prominently involved in several key events abroad.
At the beginning of the month, the “Exploring Proximity – for the Future of Urban and Territorial Development” event, held in Cairo during the 12th World Urban Forum organized by UN-Habitat – where President Massimo Crusi and Councillor Giuseppe Cappochin participated – provided an opportunity for the presentation of the “Italy in Proximity: The Future of Urban and Territorial Planning” publication.
The publication, developed by the CNAPPC’s Scientific Committee under the scientific direction of Professor Carlos Moreno — creator of the “15-minute city” model — was presented to an international audience as a declaration of the Architects PPC’s commitment to realise a vision of urban regeneration in our cities, imagining other ways of living, moving and working, based on innovative paradigms of territorial governance centred on the principle of “sustainable proximity”.
Participating in the UIA International Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, which focused on the theme “DIVERSECITY” allowed President Massimo Crusi, along with Councillors Lilia Cannarella, Marcello Rossi, and Diego Zoppi, to take part in a global collective dialogue on the role of architects within current economic, social, and environmental contexts, emphasizing the importance of architecture, urban planning, and design perspectives.
Taking Kuala Lumpur as a starting point, as a multicultural Asian city through the lens of cultural identity, the Forum examined an updated interpretation of the notion of cultural identity in cities, that has gained visibility and expression with the rise of modernism and the beginning of a globalized architectural communication culture throughout the 20th century.
After the Forum, the two-day UIA General Assembly brought many issues relating to the new governance of this important international body to the attention of the Delegates’ Assembly.
The CNAPPC also contributed to the “New European Bauhaus: Heritage & Transformation” European Conference, organized by ACE-CAE in collaboration with Europa Nostra, the European Heritage Hub, and other associations.
In Kraków, Councillor Diego Zoppi delivered a talk on “Innovation for the City and Historical Building: the relationship between technology and historic cities, and between new technologies and the restoration of historic buildings.” This topic is particularly sensitive, as, on an urban level, historic urban centres are often subject to mono-functional uses oriented toward tourism and leisure — the result of mass communication tools that reduce the urban dimension to a commercial one. At the same time, historic building heritage — realised with techniques and principles vastly different from those used today — risks being seriously altered or simplified when approached through contemporary methods rooted in digital tools, increasingly industrialized interventions, and standardized procedures.
It is worth emphasizing that our country is universally recognized as a cultural reference point for its approach to the conservation and enhancement of historic buildings, and their integration into the fabric of contemporary cities, preserving not only their testimonial value, but also the identity of our cities.