The event, hosted by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), is expected to draw about 500 urbane planners, innovators, researchers and policymakers to Wellington. The event is expected to generate a nearly NZ$975,000 return for the New Zealand economy.
“New Zealand offers a globally significant vantage point from which to rethink the future of cities and regions,” said ISOCARP president, Elisabeth Belpaire.
“At a time of accelerating biodiversity loss, climate change, social and geopolitical uncertainty, hosting the 62nd ISOCARP World Planning Congress in Wellington places the Pacific at the centre of the conversation – where questions of resilience, regeneration, indigenous knowledge and spatial equity are not abstract, but lived realities.
“This is precisely the kind of grounded, forward-looking context that the global planning community must engage with now.”
Belpaire said integration of Māori perspectives into the meeting and the civic culture of the host city were part of what clinched the win for Wellington.
ISOCARP board director Dr Greg Mews said Wellington would become “a living laboratory for integrated planning practices” for the congress.
“The city’s scale enables excellent proximity between decision-makers, practitioners, and communities to shift the dial toward regenerative practices.
“Hosting the congress in Wellington lets us connect global insights with place-based and life-centred innovations, showing how cities and regions can respond to complexity with agility, care, and imagination.”
The global meeting will be held at Wellington’s young convention centre, Tākina.
The local host of the event is Wellington City Council, with both Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand Business Events supporting the bid.
“Hosting ISOCARP will showcase Wellington as a leading city for urban planning, sustainability and liveability, while strengthening New Zealand’s voice and reputation within the city planning community,” said Business Events Wellington manager Loryn Blaikie.
