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 »
What is your favorite sound? Mine is the sound of stereotypes crashing down. I was asked to give a short reflection at this year’s ISOCARP World Planning Congress as part of a ‘Women in Planning’ event. I was the last to speak. As I listened to the other speakers before me, I couldn\’t stop writing
Showing up as yourself Read More »
Jeddah Waterfront, Jan 2021 How can we create safe public/green spaces for women? What are the considerations and guidelines? This was the prompt I was asked to respond to this morning in a dialogue session on public spaces in cities. It was a super fun session to be part of and I learnt a lot
Public spaces for women 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 »
… on Sustainable Cities of course! Thank you Voices of Future Generations for the chance to write for a younger audience… thoroughly enjoyed the experience and received some heartwarming feedback. The piece is here… excerpt below… What if our Cities did not compete with Nature, and instead integrated with it? What if our Cities had
What if? A short piece… 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 was at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) event in Abu Dhabi last week, speaking at the Cities forum about happiness and nature in cities. There was lots of interest and engagement on the topic of the benefits of nature in the urban context, which was fantastic! Two simple messages from me: 1. It’s