ENHG Lecture June 18th: Planning Abu Dhabi: An Urban History, by Dr Alamira Reem Bani Hashim

Welcome back ENHGers ! We hope everyone had a wonderful Eid ! Join us for next week's lecture, open to all and free. Details below.

Tuesday June 18th, 7pm (membership sign up), 7:30 pm lecture begins 

Venue: This talk is generously hosted and supported by  Saadiyat Rotana Resort , Emerald C Meeting Room 

About the talk: Dr. Alamira Reem’s research builds on the literature on Abu Dhabi’s urban planning by synthesizing how the city’s development unfolded in relation to the UAE’s intricate political and institutional frameworks and through the processes of modernization and globalization. Following the structure of her recent book, “Abu Dhabi, an Urban History,” Dr. Alamira will outline three distinct periods coinciding with three rulers since the discovery of oil in 1960: Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1960–1966), Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (1966–2004), and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (since 2004). She will analyse the different approaches of each ruler to development, including their interaction with planning consultants, architects, developers, construction companies and government agencies. While much still needs to be done, Dr. Alamira demonstrates how Abu Dhabi’s progress towards becoming a global, sustainable city provides lessons for cities elsewhere.

About the speaker: Dr. Alamira Reem is project manager and lead researcher behind the UAE Architecture Initiative - a collaboration between the UAE Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD), the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Municipalities (DPM), Zayed University (ZU), the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, Khalifa University (KU), and New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), that aims to advance architectural and planning knowledge in the UAE.  an Emirati Architect; Urban Planning, Design & Development Specialist; and Author of Planning Abu Dhabi: An Urban History; the first urban history book that explores and documents the course of Abu Dhabi’s urban planning. She is the first Emirati woman to be awarded a PhD in urban planning, which she received from the University of California Berkeley. She is widely published in academic books and journals, and regularly shares her expertise on UAE urbanism, place branding and urban design at industry forums, conferences and universities around the world.