The article is adapted from the original by Yukino Mori (Simon Fraser University)
Photos Credit: SFU
The 8th annual APRU Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) Conference took place on June 17-19, 2025 at Simon Fraser University (SFU), marking the first time the event was held in Canada.
The conference was organized by SFU’s Faculty of Environment and SFU International, with support from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It brought together over 130 delegates—including researchers, students, and practitioners—from across the Asia Pacific to engage with the 2025 theme: Living with Water across the Pacific Rim.
“This is not the time to retreat inwards,” said SFU President and Vice-chancellor Joy Johnson during her opening remarks on June 17. “It is a time to look outwards, to collaborate, learn from each other, and move forward together.”
SFU President and Vice-chancellor Joy Johnson (Middle)
Water was highlighted throughout the three-day program as a critical connector across climate adaptation, food security, energy, biodiversity, and urban planning. The conference also emphasized the importance of place-based knowledge, Indigenous-led solutions, and cross-sector collaboration in addressing the region’s most pressing climate challenges. Leveraging SFU’s global leadership to drive innovation in climate solutions and sustainable cities.
Delegates from over 25 leading institutions, including the National University of Singapore, University of Auckland, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, University of Melbourne, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, participated in the conference’s dynamic mix of keynote talks, field visits, working groups, and cultural sessions.
Student Symposium
Ten interdisciplinary working groups advanced collaborative research on issues ranging from climate justice and biodiversity to smart cities, aging infrastructure, and circular economies. The conference’s grounding in Indigenous knowledge and leadership was a defining feature. Highlights included a cultural welcome by the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, as well as keynote addresses from urban planner and filmmaker Kamala Todd and Indigenous governance scholar Zoe Todd.
Culture Welcome
Conference attendees also took part in local field visits across the Metro Vancouver region, including the Cleveland Dam, a district energy facility, and x̱aw̓s shew̓áy̓ (New Growth Garden)—offering firsthand insight into sustainable urban and ecological practices in the region.
Field Trip
“SFU is proud to be advancing global conversations on sustainable cities, climate action, and Indigenous leadership,” said Andréanne Doyon, Academic Lead for the conference and Director of SFU’s School of Resource and Environmental Management. “The connections built here will shape research and policy well beyond this week.”
Andréanne Doyon, Director of SFU’s School of Resource and Environmental Management
A major academic output of the conference will be the development of an edited volume in Springer’s Water Security in a New World series, slated for publication in 2026/27.
The APRU SCL Conference is an annual opportunity for researchers across the Pacific Rim to engage in action-oriented dialogue and joint scholarship. With SFU’s growing leadership in sustainability and global engagement, the university’s role as the 2024 host signals a deepening commitment to interdisciplinary, international collaboration.
The 2026 APRU SCL Conference will be hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.
Hosted by the University of Oregon, APRU’s Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) Hub is dedicated to fostering a globally united society to reconsider critical challenges in the modern world as well as creating a platform that facilitates collaboration among authorities, decision-makers, and policymakers to align their efforts toward sustainable development.
Link: The 8th APRU Sustainable Cities & Landscapes Conference 2025