Vision

IAUC is the outcome of a steady process I started back in the mid-1980s. My wish was to bring together the field of urban climatology. At that time research conferences were being held separately by WMO, IFHP and CIB, with occasional interest from IGU and individual Japanese and Chinese groups. Hence meteorologists, geographers, architects and planners shared a common interest but did not meet together. This was inefficient, frustrating and intellectually sub-optimal. A meeting to discuss the possibility of cooperation was held in Geneva with the main players. It was agreed to hold joint conferences with each group taking the lead alternately. IFHP did it in 1989 in Kyoto, WMO in Dakha in 1993 and the IFHP Secretary plus a consortium of industries led the 1996 Essen meeting, and ISB and WMO led in 1999 in Sydney.

The process helped develop a sense of community. There was a shared ideal that the group wanted to keep meeting like this, perhaps without the budgetary vagaries that threaten societies and agencies and hence may cause the meetings to default. They also didn’t seem to want another scientific body with dues and political hassles.

At this point we got cheeky and decided to build on this loose group of players and make it into an organization. Nobody gave us the authority to highjack the conference sequence as ours but we did, and it seems the original organizers are happy to let us do so. In so doing we have democratically acquired the right to speak on the behalf of many colleagues, and by extension wield the power of their interest in attending meetings, or supporting journals or any other purpose we deem appropriate to the central goal of IAUC which is: “to foster cooperation and the free exchange of ideas and information about the climates of cities and their significance” – the primary medium of achieving this is to arrange for international conferences to be held every few years when the membership desires. Secondary ways of doing so involve hosting an e-mail list for exchange of information of interest to urban climatologists and to provide a web presence in support of similar goals.

Clearly my vision is one of a low key, low maintenance, low administration and near zero cost organization, with a nearly virtual presence but significant influence. It also includes almost no rules, except those that govern the running of the Board in a democratic way. IAUC should be collegial and the organization should belong to the members.

At present it owns no funds yet it has the leverage to “arrange” conferences, funded by third parties, almost purely for the benefit of the membership. Inevitably funds will come into our possession – as a result of a profit-sharing arrangement with a conference organizer, or through bequests from members, etc. We shall not try to make money out of our members, but it may be seen to be helpful to the other objectives to amass a small amount as ‘seed money’ or a cushion to facilitate future conferences or other activities.

To date much of this is eventuating. The success may well breed desires to take on other goals and the common trappings of a scientific society. People may wish to receive regular missives rather than quietude and the expectation that someone is working towards their best interests. That will be for the Board to decide in conjunction with the membership. At this point I prefer to let it grow organically. Clearly our central focus now must be ICUC-5 and the meeting beyond that. ICUC-5 will provide a forum where the membership can make their views for the future known and to indicate their willingness to make it happen by donating their time and enthusiasm.

May 2002

My Personal Vision of the Ideals of the IAUC