Introduction This piece describes my vision for urban health and wellbeing in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) cities. It advocates for two radical changes: Active Mobility and Access to Nature. Each of these brings multiple layers of physical and mental health benefits for the individual and the community. Moreover, they are both essential ingredients for a […]
Vision for Healthy Cities in GCC Read More »
Population density in Amman (Source: Metropolitan Amman: Comprehensive Climate Plans, November 2020) I am a big fan of the work of the urban geographer Myriam Ababsa. Her spatial analysis of Amman has changed the way I view the city. Her work is an excellent example of the power of data analysis in laying out facts
Lessons from Amman Read More »
I’ve found myself reflecting on the role of technology more these days. It is definitely a means, not an end, in my world, and it is not going away, so let’s embrace it and use it creatively and consciously to help us meet our most important needs, resilience being one of them. Some thoughts on
The Role of Technology in City Resilience Read More »
Along with 57 other urban environment professionals, I was invited to share my thoughts on how COVID-19 would change me professionally and personally. Full contributions here, excerpts from my piece below: On a personal level, the pandemic has helped me realise my fragility and dependency on others, particularly for my mental wellbeing. I hope that
How do you imagine a new post-virus “normal”? Read More »
Whatever a post-COVID-19 world looks like, I\’m hoping that it will bring a renewed understanding and awareness of the importance of city resilience. My hope is that this is not narrowly focused on physical distancing and other pandemic-specific, short-term measures. Rather, what is needed is a strategic, long-term, and proactive look at the multiple shocks
Resilience in the time of Corona Read More »
Urban Ecology in Arid Cities from Hollings Center on Vimeo. Urban Ecology in Arid Cities from Hollings Center on Vimeo.
Short interview with TGU Read More »
I had the honor of attending and speaking at the Meeting of the Minds Annual Summit in Cleveland two weeks ago. The event revolved around themes related to smart and sustainable cities and the digital economy and occurred amidst global debate on controversial data-driven projects like this one. I have to confess that I usually
Highlights from Meeting of the Minds Read More »
I was recently asked to write a piece for Meeting of the Minds on the above topic…full article here excerpts below. What should a revitalization plan for a Middle East city look like? It should address the challenge of introducing walkability and effective public transport into existing urban cores, especially since most cities have been
Urban Revitalization in Middle East Cities Read More »
April has been an exciting month for Resilience. The first resilience strategies for the Middle East (Byblos, Lebanon) and Europe (Vejle, Denmark) were released – well done, Byblos, Vejle, and Arup! There were also very interesting updates from other cities on the journey: New York published its first resilience progress report, and Pittsburgh’s Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), Grant Ervin,
Resilience: what can cities learn from Byblos and Pittsburgh Read More »
A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the concept of City Resilience by some of my colleagues at Arup. Initially, I considered ‘resilience’ to be the likely next step for the ‘sustainability’ movement. However, as I look more into it, I am changing my view and realising that resilience is its own field, with potentially
Resilience…the New Sustainability? Read More »