Manila – Last Tuesday, 6 August, Jessica Bianca Sy, Lead Executive for Design, Innovation, and Strategy for SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SMPHI) and SM Development Corporation (SMDC), joined local and international professors, climate specialists, and government officials at the 7th Annual Conference of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities – Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Conference and Student Symposium 2024 (APRU-SCL 2024).

The theme for this year’s three-day conference was "Advancing Sustainable Cities and Communities through Science, Technology, and Innovation."

“At SM Prime (SMPHI), we dream big for our shared future. True prosperity transcends financial success. Our commitment to developing sustainable integrated properties is matched by our efforts to foster vibrant, inclusive communities wherever we build legacy properties that weather the challenges of time and that last for generations,” said Sy.

The APRU-SCL has been hosting its annual conference since 2018, aiming to enhance sustainability in urban and regional landscapes through collaborative knowledge production. The conference focuses on four key areas: processes internal to cities, interactions with surrounding landscapes, urban-rural boundary issues, and connections between cities and distant economies.

Guided by principles of transformative scholarship, localized solutions, diverse representation, support for vulnerable communities, and a focus on climate change, the APRU-SCL Hub seeks to develop actionable plans for fostering supportive relationships between cities and their environments.

For future large-scale master planned developments, Sy shared that SMPHI was taking a systems approach to utility infrastructure, embedding them in the urban design guidelines at the precinct or plot level developments.

“We are developing this living framework together with our knowledge partners. Currently, the ambition is to combine our efforts and actionable items under six themes of – transport, energy, water, biodiversity, built form and materials,” she said.

As one of Asia’s leading integrated property developers, SMPHI's strong track record in sustainability and disaster resilience has been central to the company’s projects. Rapid city growth has increased energy demand, necessitating innovative and efficient renewable energy solutions. SMPHI have noted that they partner with franchise holders to systematically manage energy use and move towards net-zero emissions.

“We believe this will be the future of cities in the Philippines and we are committed to delivering it to our future generations,” she said.