Pierre Laconte

Born in Brussels, 17/05/1934

Professional Occupation
President of the Foundation for the Urban Environment. In 2000 it co-organized the Bologna international exhibition The Other Modern The Traditional City and its Architecture in the 20th C. Between past, present and future and the international conference on the same subject in the context of Bologna 2000 European Cultural Capital. This exhibition travelled to Berlin the same year and to Strasbourg in 2001. In 2001 it organized in NY the conference Cities on the Move : Towards Sustainable Urban Development and in Brussels the Conference Ples de dveloppement ferrs et urbains (Rail induced urban development).

In 1984, appointed Secretary General (CEO) of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP). UITP is the professional international association of urban and regional passenger transport, a think tank on urban mobility, a forum on transport policies, an observer of industrial developments and an advocate of public transport and intermodality. It has around 2000 members: urban and regional passenger transport authorities, operators, suppliers and experts in some 80 countries and around 50 permanent staff. Retired from UITP at the end of 1999 and was appointed Honorary Secretary General.

From 1966 to 1984, Director at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL). In charge of various aspects of the planning and implementation of the Louvain-la-Neuve new university town (around 30,000 inhabitants), south of Brussels. It includes a new railway line connecting it to the centre of Brussels in less than half an hour. Founding Partner (in association with R. Lemaire and J.P. Blondel) of the Groupe Urbanisme-Architecture, which produced the Master Plan of the new town and co-ordinated its implementation (Abercrombie Award 1982, International Union of architects UIA)

From 1963 to 1965, Deputy Chief of Staff, Provincial Government of Brabant for urban planning matters in Brussels.

Education and Teaching
Secondary education (Humanits grco-latines) at Collge Saint-Michel, Brussels (1951).
Doctor of Laws (1956) and Doctor of Economics (1978), Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), Belgium.
Doctor honoris causa, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK (1999). Fulbright scholar to the USA (1955-56) and regular visiting Lecturer at the Dept of Urban Studies and Planning of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT (1980-1984).
Guest Professor, Conservatoire National des Arts et Mtiers CNAM, Paris (1999-).