On Thursday, October 25, 2024, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning Succesfully held International Lecture Series #05. It was held online via Zoom (synchronously) and asynchronously on YouTube. The discussion is, “Inclusive Urban Design,” which is related to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). On this occasion, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wiwandari Handayani, the Head of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Diponegoro University, gave opening remarks. In her remarks, she said that Lecture Series #05 is the first lecture in this semester, following four lecture series held in the previous semester. The lecture series has become a regular event for the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Diponegoro University over the past two years. It is hoped that this activity will benefit undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students by helping them understand global issues and develop innovative research ideas. The theme of inclusive urban design in this lecture could also be an interesting topic for further research development.

In this event, Grandy Loranessa Wungo, ST, MT, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Diponegoro University, served as the moderator, facilitating discussions between two speakers. The first presentation was delivered by Prof. Chun, Hyun-Jin, Ph.D., from the Department of Design, School of Arts at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), Nanjing, China, on “Urban Design Using the Concept of Korean Traditional Garden.” Meanwhile, Dr.-Ing. Wakhidah Kurniawati from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Diponegoro University, explained “Redefining Inclusive Public Space in Today’s Era.”

An important note from the discussion is that one of the main focuses of inclusive cities is to provide public spaces not only for recreation but also as socially and economically sustainable community spaces. Emphasizing the importance of building urban designs that consider cultural heritage and local wisdom—a blend of local and modern elements—will make these spaces attractive to both local residents and tourists, whether local or international. Additionally, collaboration between academics, practitioners, and the community is essential in designing public spaces.

The webinar activity went well and there One hundred participants attended the synchronously (Zoom meeting), not only students and lecturers from Diponegoro University, but also academic members from other universities, representatives from government agencies, NGOs, and alumni of Diponegoro University.