, coinciding with the Industrial Revolution to create spaces where the population can survive, and more importantly, thrive. In a metropolitan region as diverse as MENA, providing an emphasis on green urbanism is essential to enhancing the quality of life of its citizens.
This past week, we successfully concluded the Modernscapes MENA Summit with almost 200 attendees, ranging from renowned support partners, media representatives, and pioneers in the urbanscape industry. The summit – in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan & inspired by the long-standing vision of HRH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – set out to transform the region into a modern world of its own.
To say that the summit was a resounding success would be an understatement, as we achieved exactly what we were seeking; two days of networking, with industry professionals initiating the conversation revolving around the future of a region as globally distinguished as MENA is. Cities within the region have emerged regardless of the harmful environmental conditions and limited natural resource availability, therefore possessing every reason to work towards the capitalization of the MENA region’s incredible potential. “In the Middle East, green credentials are expected to become a key battleground in the post-COVID world, amid a renewed effort to avoid the ensuing climate crisis,” said Abdulatif Albitawi, Director of Emirates GBC during the course of his discussion stemming from the design of a greenscaped, urban realm for climate resilience. He added, “The built environment needs to commit to net zero whole-life carbon emissions to contribute to climate change mitigation.” The densities of cities in the MENA region provide a basis for thriving developments that can help achieve the combined environmental, social, and economic benefits of urbanism as long as appropriate measures are carried out to ensure sustainability for future generations.
Moreover, it’s a known fact that architecture can contribute to fostering biodiversity by stimulating the provision of habitat opportunities as part of new developments, while simultaneously ensuring the protection of existing habitats within the region. “We’re all working towards a shared goal – the government and corporations like ours – i.e., building better sustainability and infrastructure for the region as a whole. We have to make sure our cities are prepared to accept legislations put into place, to guarantee the sustainable future of urbanscaping.”, were the wise words of the Head of Urban Planning at the Sustainable City Diamond Developers, Marwa Nahlawi during her panel discussion on biodiversity. The panel, featuring regionally renowned urban developers and professionals within the industry, went into the importance of horizontal integration, to make sure the region works with its people to create a mobile, yet urban environment that protects generations to come. Like Sebastian Miller, Design Manager at Masdar City, said during the course of the discussion, “Cities are not projects, they’re constantly evolving, constantly changing.”, and while working towards this transition, it’s essential to keep in mind the people who are said to benefit from top-line decisions.
All in all, we’re proud of a scintillating couple of days initiated through the course of the summit, luring professionals from some of the most globally esteemed corporations to network and work together to potentially solve any challenges stemming from urbanization, all to create a region that enhances the experiences derived from avid masterplans and projects.
“The tool is to capture the needs of the people, because, at the end of the day, we design for the people.”
Dr. Hishem Trache, a well-known advisor of the Urban Planning Department in the region
