Abstract
ISOCARP Doha World Congress Abstract Harvard GSD: Spiro Pollalis, Gareth Doherty Harvard SPH: John Spengler, Wendy Purcell Liverpool University ArCHIAM: Soumyen Bandyopadhyay Urban Economy Forum: Reza Pourvaziry, Anantha Krishnan Ardalan Associates: Nader Ardalan DOHA VISION 2050: Sustainable Urbanism for the Gulf – A Foresight Challenge Session Drawing on the intellectual resources of Harvard University, Liverpool University, Urban Economy Forum, and local civic, academic, business leaders and experts, we will demonstrate a visioning exercise on the power of collective and private action. We will set out a provocation that invites dialogue among multi-actor stakeholders to establish the visionary scenarios for sustainable urbanism for the Gulf region, featuring the City of Doha as a case study. The case study promises to be a powerful, innovative demonstration on how an approach of collective action by inhabitants, local governments, private sector, universities and corporations that agree to a common agenda can achieve mutually reinforcing activities to potentially realize future visionary qualitative and quantitative goals. The Urban Economy Forum, through the channel of the Regent Park World Urban Pavilion (Pavilion), has the potential to share best practices, innovation and research in urban development from cities and countries globally. The Doha Vision 2050 will be nominated for the Pavilion, a global network for cities to share science, research and innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopting a ‘then, now, next’ approach, the session will consider the transformational priorities as we re-imagine sustainable urbanism drawing on the UN 17 SDGs targeted for 2030 as a shared purpose around which we can gather. This vision will furthermore extend to 2050 to predict a prosperous urban future. Creating a city where no-one is left behind, demands that we explore energy, mobility, food, education, health, culture and human life while considering urban resilience and re-generation. Re-connecting people with nature and a focus on social equity means the session will explore the inter-connectedness and hyper-dependencies of the biosphere, society and the economy. As well as technological innovation, this requires that we pay all due attention to socio-cultural innovation based on public participation. In this regard, extensive involvement of the people in building a community vision will be part of the process to have a sense of intergenerational and community-wide ownership. Given the physical proximity and pooling of resources afforded by cities, sustainable urbanism is explored as a means to advance sustainable development in the Gulf region. Within this context, the Doha Vision 2050 for the ISOCARP Conference is proposed as a stand-alone Case Study of 90-minute duration related to Track 5 Uniqueness and Connectivity to demonstrate how an international collaborative partnership can foster large-scale sustainable urban and national transformations in the Gulf region. The session will have four parts; Introduction (20 min), Presentation of Doha Vision 2050: "Thinking Out Loud" (30 min), Panel Discussion: Commentary on Doha Vision 2050, (30 min) and Q&A and Closing Remarks (10 min). Urbanization is a megatrend exacerbating the strain on our natural systems and socio-cultural experiences. What happens to our cities over the next 30-plus years will determine the wellbeing of the global environment and people’s quality of life, particularly in urban settlements. Global and local solutions delivered through concerted, cooperative and people-based actions are critically required now to create a more sustainable, just future for the wellbeing of life. In this way we can re-imagine urbanism that pays all due attention to maintaining the dynamic harmony among people, planet, prosperity and peace for all.
