From Sept 6 to 15, a Guangzhou research group completed a series of peer review tours, focused on energy, environment and sustainable development, in three selected cities of Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award): Malang (Indonesia), Sydney (Australia) and Songpa-gu (South Korea).

The research group consisted of experts and scholars from the Guangzhou Institute for Urban Innovation (GIUI), Guangzhou Research Institute of Environmental Protection, Guangzhou-based Jinan University and Guangzhou Urban Planning and Design Survey Research Institute (GZPI).

During the four-day trip in Malang on Sept 6 to 9, the delegates studied the initiative of "Water Banking Movement – Transforming Glintung Go Green from Flood Risk Area", selected among the 15 shortlisted for the 2016 Guangzhou Award.

A research group from Guangzhou together with the expert from ISOCARP hold a meeting with representatives from the University of Brawajaya, in Malang Indonesia, on Sept 6.

The research group held meetings with Vice Mayor Drs. H. Sutiaji and representatives from the University of Brawajaya, one of the initiative partners. While at the Glintung Kampong, they looked into the socio-ecology project, observing its progress and interviewing local villagers benefiting from it.

The research group then embarked on the tour of Sydney, Australia to look into the Guangzhou Award Deserving City's initiative "Delivering Sustainable Sydney 2030" from Sept 10 to 12.

The staff of the city council gave presentations of the initiative, allowing the group to get a close-up look at its progress. The research group also held a discussion with the Barangaroo Delivery Agency to draw on the experience of the urban renewal project and conducted a field investigation into the city's latest Green Square project to be updated on Sydney's progress in sustainable development planning.

Experts and investigators take part in a field investigation into the Green Square in Sydney, Australia, on Sept 11.

Following the Sydney study tour, the group also looked into the Guangzhou Award winning initiative "Songpa Solar Nanum (Sharing) Power Plant" in Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea from Sept 13 to 15.

Experts were briefed by the Songpa-gu environment department and its partner Energy Peace Foundation about the initiative background and progress. They also paid visits to beneficiary families to delve into urban innovation project.

Representatives of Songpa-gu share their sustainable energy and welfare project – Songpa Solar Nanum (Sharing) Power Plant during a peer review tour on Sept 14.

During the peer-review tours of the three cities, the research group was joined by experts from the Guangzhou Award global partners: Mr. Luigi Cipolla with the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) in the Malang tour, Mr. Sunil Dubey with the World Association of Major Metropolises and Professor Paul James with Western Sydney University in the Sydney tour, and experts led by Ms. Son Bonghee with the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI).