Arid Cities, Sustainability, and Placemaking, hosted in collaboration with Qatar Museums. This event will be exploring how arid cities around the world, and Doha specifically, can revitalize their public spaces sustainably and inclusively.
Renowned thought leader Ethan Kent, the driving force behind PlacemakingX, will kick off the evening with a keynote address, shedding light on the transformative power of placemaking in fostering meaningful human interactions, community wellbeing and sustainability withtin our urban landscapes. Following Ethan's keynote, a distinguished panel comprising Dr. Lobna Mostafa, Prof. David Simon and Dr. Nourhan Bassam will engage in a dynamic discussion on this crucial topic.
Details
Date: Monday, March 4
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: ThinkBay Auditorium
Parking: Green Spine Parking
Directions: upon parking/drop-off at the Green Spine Parking, please cross the tramway and proceed up the long ramp towards ThinkBay.
Agenda
6:00pm: Doors Open / Refreshments & Networking
6:30pm: Welcome Address and Introduction
6:35 pm: Keynote Presentation by Ethan Kent
6:50pm: Q&A session
7:00pm: Panel discussion
7:45pm onwards: Networking moment
REGISTRATION
SPEAKERS
Ethan Kent, Executive Director, PlacemakingX
Ethan Kent works to support public space organizations, projects, and leadership around the world to build a global placemaking movement. Ethan has traveled to more than 1000 cities, in 60 countries, to advance the cause of leading urban development with inclusive public spaces and placemaking. In 2019 he co-founded PlacemakingX to network, amplify and accelerate placemaking leadership and impact globally. Ethan has helped initiate and grow 24+ regional placemaking networks covering much of the globe, while also supporting the PlacemakingUS network, and the Social Life Project.
He builds on more than 20 years of working on placemaking projects and campaigns with Project for Public Spaces. Ethan has been integral to the development of placemaking as a transformative approach to economic development, environmentalism, transportation planning, governance, resilience, social equity, design, placekeeping, digital space, inclusion, tourism and innovation.
Dr. Lobna Mostafa, Co-Founder, Amaken Placemaking
Dr. Lobna A. Mostafa is an architect, urban innovation, community engagement, and placemaking expert. She is an Associate Professor of Architecture and Sustainable urbanism in Egypt and KSA. She is an advocate and consultant for participatory design approaches for the city's public realm and open spaces.
Her research work focuses on urban sociology, quality of life, and environment-behaviour studies. She is the co-executive director and founder of the AMAKEN network for placemaking in the Arab States, cooperating with the UN-HABITAT public space program and other local, regional, and international public space organizations.
Prof. David Simon, Professor of Development Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London
Dr. David Simon is Professor of Development Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London. He was also Director of Mistra Urban Futures, Gothenburg, Sweden, from 2014–2019. A former Rhodes Scholar, he specialises in cities, climate change and sustainability, and the relationships between development theory, policy and practice. Recent books include Rethinking Sustainable Cities: Accessible, Green and Fair (Policy Press, 2016), Urban Planet (Cambridge Univ Press, 2018), Comparative Urban Research from Theory to Practice: Co-production for sustainability (Policy Press, 2020), and he has just completed a book on Sustainable Development Goal 11 for Agenda Press.
Dr. Nourhan Bassam, Founder, GamingX
Nourhan Bassam is an architect, urban designer, social entrepreneur, educator, feminist urbanist, and city enthusiast. She has a deep passion for women's and community empowerment, using place- and playmaking to guide communities to shape their own inclusive, equitable, and sustainable cities. As founder and CEO of GamingX, a think-tank that focuses on community development and empowerment, Nourhan further builds on the idea of feminist urbanism. The organisation works to create play spaces and active urban places that are accessible and inclusive for all members of the community, especially marginalised groups. Furthermore, Nourhan engages in advocacy efforts to promote gender-sensitive design and policymaking. She conducts research to better understand the experiences and perspectives of women in cities, including their mobility patterns, safety concerns, and access to economic and social opportunities. As creator of ‘The Gendered City’ project, Nourhan amplifies the attention given to the restrictions and failures that women face in cities using a range of activities and initiatives: research, advocacy, and community engagement. It aims to raise awareness about the ways in which cities have been designed and structured that often excludes and marginalises female citizens, and to promote gender equity and social justice in urban life. Her upcoming book, ‘How cities keep failing women’ will explore these themes. With a master's degree in user-centric design approaches, Nourhan is now finishing a Ph.D in sustainable communities, resilient cities, and social inclusivity. Her goal is to work with local stakeholders – such as community members and policymakers – to identify creative ideas to promote community engagement and empowerment in the built environment.