Global Metropolitan Forum of Seoul 2010: Designing Seoul for the Next Ten Years

USA - English

• USA - English

SEOUL, South Korea, March 8 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Global Metropolitan Forum of Seoul 2010 will begin on March 10 at Nuritkum Square located in Digital Media City in Sangsam-dong, Seoul's new landmark expected to be a symbolic venue for foreign capitals and human resources, with some 500 world-renown scholars and futurists at home and abroad attending. Under the theme of The Future of Global Metropolis: From Limitless Competition to Boundless Cooperation, the world's top-notch participants will discuss measures to strengthen metropolises' competitiveness and their role in the global community.

The Future of Global Metropolis: From Limitless Competition to Boundless Cooperation

The one-day forum, which marks its fourth year this March, will stress the importance of social integration and the nurturing of cutting-edge industries as the growth engine for Seoul in the future. It will also redefine relationships between Seoul and its neighbouring metropolises as rivals and at the same time cooperative partners.

The Forum kicks off with a keynote speech by Rolf Jensen, the author of the world's bestseller "Dream Society." In his speech entitled the "Advancement of Global Metropolises and Storytelling," Mr. Jensen will expand the concept of "dream society" to "dream city," examining challenges current global metropolises are facing in shaping themselves into dream cities. With the theme of "The Importance of an Attractive Place in the Global Economy," another keynote speech will be made by Professor Richard Florida of University of Toronto, an expert in urban development strategies. Mr. Florida will address three Ts (Technology, Talent, and Tolerance) as driving forces for urban economic development in the future and examine the current standing of Seoul in each T. He will also suggest future directions for global metropolises to become creative cities after the financial crisis.

The morning session is devoted to discussions on growth and social integration as the driving forces for the sustainable development of global metropolises," while the afternoon session consists of discussions on strategies for the role and responsibility of each key player for the fulfilment of the future vision of global metropolises.

The Forum is garnering much attention from international residents in Seoul as well as locals. A total of 28 foreign diplomats from 26 countries including Singapore, France, Germany and Italy, will participate, and diplomats from 17 countries including the United States and Spain will convey their messages about the future of Seoul at the venue.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to comprehensively review and develop various ideas suggested by participating scholars, and incorporate them into its vision and strategies for 2020.

Seoul hosted the first Global Metropolitan Forum in 2007 with the aim of finding ways to sharpen the city's competitive edge and increasing the citizens' happiness. At the second Forum held in 2008, the concept of culturenomics was established for creative cultural policies of Seoul. At the 2009 Forum, participants sought for strategies to enhance the competitiveness of the global metropolis along with strategic alternatives to combat the global financial crisis.

The Global Metropolitan Forum of Seoul has been forming a consensus on cities' major issues from international academic and political experts, and has established itself as a leading conference for global metropolis.

Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul, said, "As the boundaries between nations are being blurred and competition among cities fiercer with rapid globalization, cities face more challenges to be addressed together, such as environmental pollutions, financial crises and social integration." He added that the Forum will serve as an area for in-depth discussions on the paradigm for sustainable urban development and the growth engine of the future for global metropolises.

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SOURCE Seoul Metropolitan Government