‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation’ book launch and fire-side chat

A book that spotlights culture and innovation in the context of today’s and tomorrow’s global urban cities

As Singapore’s lockdown eases from the chaotic COVID-19 pandemic, notable educators and researchers of sustainability, including Pomeroy Academy, press on with their book launch tour to accord with the National Design Centre’s month of sustainability themes. The book, ‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation’, is a collection of essays from leading experts on how culture and innovation are shaping sustainable urbanisation.  The virtual and physical event will be directed by the British Council with British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Kara Owen, who will be giving the opening speech.

The book was first launched at the United Nation’s Habitat Group’s Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) in Abu Dhabi during early 2020, which embraced how cities, as centres of culture and innovation, can be entangled together.

The book’s contributor and editor, Jason Pomeroy, is an award-winning architect, as well as a past Asia Real Estate Summit speaker, regular Property Report newsroom contributor, and designer of certain Asia Property Award-winning projects. He is the founder of Pomeroy Studio, a Singapore-based interdisciplinary design and research firm, including Pomeroy Academy, a sustainable education provider.

‘Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation,’ is Pomeroy’s fourth book, which covers culture and innovation through social, economic, environmental, spatial, cultural, and technological considerations across six chapters.

As stated by Pomeroy, “culture and innovation in cities can take on different complexions if viewed through the lens of academics and practitioners drawn from different geographies, disciplines, or fields of expertise when addressing particular urban challenges. It is through this complexity of views that the book seeks to provide a broad perspective on culture and innovation in the context of global cities today; and a rich cornucopia of insights from thought leaders within their respective fields to shape the cities of tomorrow.”

Some of the eminent academics, practitioners, and policymakers that contributed to the book include Maria Vassilakou, Deputy Mayor and Executive City Councillor, Vienna, Austria; award-winning landscape architect Andrew Grant and Hollywood film producer, Emmanuel Benbihy, among others.

The physical and live feed (virtual) events of the ‘Cities of Opportunities’ Asia Book Launch was held at the National Design Centres in Singapore last Tuesday the 26^th January at 6:45 pm. The audience experienced exclusive lectures and fireside chats with Pomeroy and some of the book’s contributing authors. Panellists included award-winning architect and founder of Spark Architects, Stephen Pimbley; Cambridge University academic and course director of the IDBE programme, Dr. Kayla Friedman; and former National athlete and Sport Singapore CEO, Lim Teck Yin.

Watch Jason Pomeroy’s session here: