16 – 19 th of January 2018, London & Oxford
Platforms designed and organised this important knowledge and interactive Lab in London and Oxford in collaboration with the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI), the University of Westminster, Oxford Brookes University, the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and a group of high-level professionals from leading consultancies and academics from the UK and KSA, including Atkins, AECOM, Prince Sultan University, Dar El-Hekmeh University, and others. More information about the lab: Draft Lab Concept
The Lab was an innovative knowledge forum gathering Saudi and UK participants from several organisations to discuss the urban state of Saudi cities and their future in light of the KSA Vision 2030. We discussed how to encourage sustainable development of Saudi cities, focusing on inclusiveness, urban resilience, well-being, and community engagement. The participants also stressed the importance of local Saudi architects and planners having their local influence on the design and sustainable growth of Saudi cities. Furthermore, the participants explored together, supported by Dr. Alkhani and the legendary Angela Brady, former President of the RIBA, how planning can better accommodate women in the design of cities, the value they bring, and the importance of Saudi women participating actively in the making of cities. The Lab also targeted building a strong women’s academic and professional network around the development of cities, and planning and architectural advocacy.
The Lab included lectures, discussion sessions, and site visits to Cambridge and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
The outcomes of the insightful discussions were gathered in a Visions Book to inspire ideas for the future of Saudi cities.
Sponsors: We are thankful to the British Council and AECOM for their kind sponsorship of the Lab and to all our collaborators for their scientific sponsorship. We hope there will be future collaborations.
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If you are interested in our unique co-thinking and co-designing the city future labs, please get in touch and we can curate the lab to suit your vision and aims.
