Migration is historically a human mechanism for survival. In the face of armed conflict and climate crises, migration is an adaptive solution for the populations affected by crises. As long as conflict and crises prevail, migration will happen.
Amidst mass migration flows, cities in low and middle-income countries are experiencing rapid population growth. The questions are: how can we prepare our cities for the future of mass migration, what tools and technologies will help us to build resilient cities to absorb swelling migrant populations, and how can we mitigate social inequalities, economic downturns, and ecological footprints when designing solutions for enhanced livelihoods and social coherence of refugees and migrants?
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 100 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as of May 2022 due to the fear of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations. Climate-related crises are annually contributing to the displacement of 21.5 million people. It is projected that by 2050, 1 degree temperature increase will lead to the displacement of roughly 1 billion people. So, as we prepare to respond to the influx of mass migration in the upcoming decades, urban designers and architects have a responsibility toward changing the global refugee and migration governance through sustainable and equitable spatial design.
In this symposium, we will discuss the pathways for the development of future urbanism away from camps and temporary shelters. We will discuss opportunities and challenges facing architects and urban designers in response to the fast and growing global crises and how technological innovations can be utilized to design effective community-based solutions.