Doha flora. © Johanna Gibbons.
The Sustainable Urbanism New Directions International Workshop was held on 19, 21, 22 and 24 March 2016 with a rich programme of speakers and activities featured in this issue.
Curated and staged by Qatar University, the international workshop programme brought together leading experts and researchers from around the world to discussion new directions in sustainable urbanism from the perspectives of the social sciences, but also with an emphasis on its interdisciplinary nature.
From Waste to Fertility: Building Soil Fertility with Compost
Qatar University Nursery and Female College of Engineering Permaculture Garden
8:30 – 12:00pm
Nancy Klehm, artist, ecological systems designer, landscape/horticultural consultant and permaculture grower, founder of Social Ecologies, Chicago, USA
Luzita Ball, certified permaculturist, Qatar
Paige Tantillo, certified permaculturist, Qatar
Dr. Anna Grichting, architect-urbanist, Qatar University
Sustainable Urbanism. New Directions Workshop. Qatar National Convention Center
8:30 – 9:00am
Refreshments and Welcome
Opening Speeches: Qatar University, Qatar Foundation
9:15 – 9:30am
Introduction:
Dr. Yasser Maghoub, Head of Department, Architecture and Urban Planning, Qatar University
Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
Opening Statement: Dr. Julia Lane, NYU New York University, USA
9:30–10:00am
Topic 1: Sustainable Urbanism: New Paradigms
Keynote: Sustainability Paradigms and Future Cities, Professor Gerhardt Schmitt, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Future Cities Lab Singapore
10:00 – 11:15am
Panel 1:
Ecological Patchiness – Johanna Gibbons, landscape architect and urban designer; co-founder, J & L Gibbons, London, UK
From Urban Acupuncture to the Third Generation City – Marco Casagrande, Professor, Vice-President, International Society of Biourbanism and founder, Casagrande Laboratory, Finland
Research Gaps in Sustainable Urbanism: Socio-Cultural Implications of Sustainable Infrastructure in Arab Eco-Cities – Dr. Rafael Pizarro, American University of Sharjah, UAE
Discussion and audience questions chaired by Professor Dr. Patrizia Lombardi, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
11:15-11:30am Break
11.30-12am
Topic II: Sustainable Urbanism and the Social Sciences
Keynote: The New Urban Agenda – Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat, presented by Dr. Eduardo Moreno, Director of Research and Capacity Development, UN-Habitat
12:00-13.15pm
Panel II:
Swarm Planning: A Systems Approach to Sustainable Urbanism – Dr. Rob Roggema, Cittaideale, Holland
Recoded City: Co-Creating Urban Futures in the Majority World – Dr. Lucy Bullivant, Place Vision Strategist, Curator, Author, founder and Creative Director, Urbanista.org, London, UK
PPP Public Private Partnerships: Towards Ethical and Sustainable Urbanism – Sharifah Hamza, Qatar. Public-Private Partnerships lawyer, Bennett Jones, Qatar
13:15.-14:15pm Lunch break
13:15-14:15pm
Blue Planet Design – Viewing of exhibition of Blue Planet Design concepts by students of architecture and urban design, Qatar University, Female College of Engineering
14:15-15:15pm
Topic III: Urban Data and Urban Indicators for Sustainability
Keynote: Sustainable City Building: An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda informed by High Calibre City Data – Professor Dr. Patricia McCarney, Director, Global Cities Institute, University of Toronto and President and CEO, World Council on City Data, Toronto, Canada
15:15-16.30pm
Panel III:
Supporting Decisions Towards Post-Carbon Cities – Professor Dr. Patrizia Lombardi, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Next Generation Urban Data – Professor Dr. Julia Lane, New York University, USA
BioGeometry Solutions for the Increased Electromagnetic Hazards in Smart Cities – Dr. Ibrahim Karim, founder of BioGeometry, Egypt-Canada, presented by Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
Discussion and audience questions chaired by Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
16:30-16:45pm Break
16:45 – 17:15pm
The Ground Rules: Reconnecting Soil and Soul
Nancy Klehm, artist, ecological systems designer, landscape/ horticultural consultant and permaculture grower, founder of Social Ecologies, Chicago
17:15 – 18:15pm
Roundtable Discussions: A Research Agenda for Sustainable Urbanism in Qatar and the Gulf Region
Moderated by Dr. Lucy Bullivant, Place Vision Strategist, Curator, Author; founder and Creative Director of Urbanista.org.
With the participation of local stakeholders Qatar University, Ashghal Public Works, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Estedama, Qatar National Program for Sustainable Development, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), Qatar Foundation, UNESCO.
18:15 – 18:30pm
Conclusions chaired by Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
19:00pm
Networking Reception. Embassy of Switzerland in Qatar.
Reception: Hosted by his Excellency the Ambassador of Switzerland in Qatar, Swiss Ambassador’s Residence, Doha, Qatar
11:00 – 12:30pm
Panel – Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities – Sustainable Urbanism
Introduced and moderated by Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
Speakers:
9:00– 13:30pm
Introduced and moderated by Dr. Anna Grichting, Qatar University
Presentations by students of architecture and urban design
Guest Keynote and discussion: Ecological Patchiness – Johanna Gibbons. J & L Gibbons, United Kingdom, landscape architect and urban designer