Live Stream
البث الحي
On the Topic
Cities of Action: Challenging conventional methods of rapid urbanization during the next decade
A discussion with Josef Konvitz, Karim ElGendy & Dhay AlDhawyan
Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in urbanization. As a result, cities are faced with concerns of high population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing and poverty issues, just to name a few. On January 22nd 2020, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued a global call of action to insure delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030; stressing on “Local Action” and a need to step up domestic response. With over half of the world population living in urban areas today a heavy undertaking falls onto cities and how they develop, ensuring that all goals are being addressed to help create positive impact on the overall quality of life.
In an effort to rank amongst the best urban environments in the world, Saudi Arabia has committed substantial resources into the development of cities across the Kingdom through Vision 2030. Using impactful capital, cultural and innovative actions, cities across the nation intend to make urban living synonymous with sustainability, challenging rapid urbanization concerns.
As the decade turns, global challenges become more clear. Development efforts must differ from previous endeavors, while still being aligned with all SDGs in order to produce the ideal urban environment. Our topic sets to explore these challenges and the innovative methods cities intend to apply, looking at it from a global lens and juxtaposing with national and local efforts throughout the Kingdom.
نظرة حول الموضوع
المدن صاحبة القرار: تحدي الطرق المعهودة للنمو الحضري المتسارع خلال العقد القادم
حوار مع جوزيف كونڤتز، كريم الجندي، وضي الضويان
نتيجة للتطور الحضاري المتسارع للدول النامية تواجه المدن عدة تحديات نذكر منها على سبيل المثال زيادة الكثافة السكانيه و نقص البنى التحتية إضافة للفقر وغلاء المساكن وندرة توفرها.
في الثاني عشر من يناير من العام الجاري اصدر الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة أنطونيو غوتيرش بيان يدعو للعمل لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة بحلول العام ٢٠٣٠، مشيرا للعمل المحلي وضرورة رفع الاستجابة المنزلية.
مع عيش اكثر من نصف سكان العالم في المناطق الحضرية تزداد التحديات أمام المدن وكيفية تطورها مع التأكد مع ضرورة الإشارة لكل الأهداف للمساعدة في خلق أثر إيجابي على كل معايير الحياة.
عبر رؤية المملكة ٢٠٣٠ و ضمن جهودها لتكون من بين اصحاب أفضل بيئة حضارية إلتزمت المملكة العربية السعودية بتوفير مصادر ضخمة لتطوير المدن في أنحاء المملكة عن طريق إستخدام ممارسات استثمارية و ثقافية وعبر الابتكار لجعل المدن أكثر استدامة و تحدياً لشؤون تسارع النمو الحضاري.
تصبح التحديات العالمية اكثر وضوحاً مع مرور العقود لذلك لابد ان تتغير جهود التنمية من المساعي القديمة مع التأكد من موائمتها مع أهداف التنمية المستدامة لإنتاج بيئة حضارية مثالية.
يهدف حوارنا لتسليط الضوء على هذه التحديات والطرق المبتكرة التي تستخدمها المدن لمواجهتها. عبر وجهة نظر عالمية شاملة و رؤية محلية عبر مدن المملكة.
Opening Commentary
Our March session will begin with a moderated talk featuring our esteemed guests, Prof. Josef Konvitz, Karim ElGendy (RIBA, MSc, LEED AP, BREEAM AP, GSAS CGP) & Dhay AlDhowyan (SCE, AIA). Each panelist will be presenting their perspectives on sustainability & urban development trends drawn from their respective research and field work, providing an international, regional and local perspective on the topic. A short Q&A session will follow for our guests joining the livestream.
The first half of the session will set the ground for a more in-depth and dynamic closed discussion (held under Chatham House rule). This hybrid session will include guests joining physically, at KAUST’s Museum of Science & Technology in Islam and virtually via zoom. The limited number of attendees will allow for a more dynamic dialogue, between panelists and attendees, to discuss critical issues and debate various approaches for sustainable urban development.
*The live stream will be recorded and made available online following the session.
الكلمات الافتتاحية
يشرفنا في شهر مارس تقديم متحدثينا البروفيسور جوزيف كونڤتز، كريم الجندي، وضي الضويان حيث سيعرضون وجهات نظرهم حول الاستدامة والتنمية الحضرية، مستسقين من أبحاثهم المتعمقة وتجاربهم الميدانية في هذا المجال دوليًا، إقليميًا ومحليًا.
ستمهد ملاحظاتهم الافتتاحية (والمسجلة) الطريق لإجراء مناقشة مغلقة أكثر تعمقاً وديناميكية على زووم وفي متحف جامعة الملك عبدالله للعلوم والتقنية (تُعقد بموجب قاعدة تشاتام هاوس) والتي ستتيح للمشاركين الفرصة لمناقشة القضايا الحرجة وتبادل الأفكار والخبرات وتحديد التحديات والفرص ضمن إطار مريح وغير رسمي
Joseph Konvitz | Former Head of Urban Affairs Division at the OECD
Josef Konvitz served 19 years at the OECD, first in the Urban Affairs Division (1992, as head from 1996 to 2003) when sustainable development became a major policy theme, then as head of the Regulatory Policy Programme where he led over 30 country reviews of member and non-member countries and helped to launch the OECD programme of co-operation with countries in the Middle East and North Africa. In retirement, he has been Adjunct Professor, Kings College London, and is Honorary Professor, University of Glasgow. He is the author of CITIES AND CRISIS (Manchester University Press, 2016), and is a member of the Scientific Committee of the WHO Europe Healthy Cities Programme (2021-24). Before joining the OECD, Konvitz was a member of the history faculty at Michigan State University. His degrees are from Cornell and Princeton Universities.
Dhay AlDhawyan | Head at the Center for Development of Urban Design and Planning of Saudi Cities
Dhay AlDhawyan is an Urban designer & an Architect, Head of the Center for Development of Urban Design & Planning of Saudi cities previously under the Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs – MOMRA. She Worked for McKinsey & Company as an advisor in master planning & urban design of many Mega- urban development programs as part of the transformation plan of Saudi Arabia 2030. She is the founder & principal of D H Λ Y D H Λ W Y Λ N Architects, founded in November of 2016. Partner & exclusive representative of DKA Chicago, in the Middle East. She has participated in a number of projects in a design & production capacity with Torus Architecture & Engineering Design since 2013; and worked at CEL (Creative Exchange Lab) as an urban designer & project coordinator on CEL NEA (National Endowments for the Arts) award titled ‘Our Town’ “to develop revitalization plan with the residents of five East St. Louis neighborhoods that will use culture & the arts as an economic and community drive.
Karim ElGendy | Associate Fellow at Chatham House
Karim Elgendy is a sustainability consultant and architect based in London, with extensive experience practicing sustainability and design in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and the United States. Over the past two decades he has helped create sustainable buildings and urban environments across four continents. Karim is an Associate at Dar and an Associate Fellow at the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House). His professional and research interests include developing sustainable and resilient cities, and assessing the role of policy, economics, urban planning, urban mobility, and building design in reducing the impact of cities on resources and the environment. As a public advocate for urban sustainability, Karim is the Founder and Coordinator of Carboun, an advocacy initiative promoting sustainability in the cities of the Middle East and North Africa, and the editor of its online publication.
Moderator:
Faris Abuzeid
Research Fellow - Urban Development at Aeon Collective. Faris Abuzeid is a developer, urban strategist, architect and independent researcher focusing on community centric development projects with a value-add approach on public health. Mr. Abuzeid began his career with involvement in development projects pioneering the re-imagination of the Wynwood neighborhood into the main arts district of Miami. During his career, Mr. Abuzeid has worked on vertically integrated projects ranging from hospitality, commercial, residential and leisure developments across various environments. Converting opportunity into value using in-depth understanding of urban and lifestyle needs; with over $1 billion in total value of assembled properties.
His interest in UN’s Agenda 2030 and the global SDG’s moved him to become involved in finding long-term solutions using a community-centric approach. His recent research focuses on quality of life improvement for residents of unplanned neighborhoods through the development of sustainable construction solutions.
Mr. Abuzeid holds a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami; in his spare time he leads efforts in expanding Columbia Alumni Association’s network across Saudi Arabia.
Relevant Reading
Deeper Dive
We have gathered some topic relevant background papers and other thought provoking reading material pertaining to this month’s topic.
Please click on the images & videos to access the content.
Urban Planning in Islam
by KAUST Museum of Science & Technology in Islam
Karim ElGendy - Regional Perspective: Sustainability in the Middle East
Dhay AlDhowyan - Local Perspective: Thmaniya Interview
“My primary goal is to be an exemplary and leading nation in all aspects, and I will work with you to achieve this endeavor”
