Expo 2020 Dubai has been exploring ways to transform how people move, build, consume and live in the habitats of the future, as global population growth continues to challenge the world’s existing cities and communities.
Urban and Rural Development Week, running from 31st October to 6th November held in association with Expo 2020 Dubai’s Infrastructure Digitalization Partner Siemens, UN-Habitat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), will explore communities as building blocks of prosperity and how future habitats should be made sustainable.
It will focus on District 2020, the physical legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai, and the blueprint for a people-centric smart city of the future, as it examines how cities are formed and who they serve. Rural communities will also be highlighted, with a focus on leveraging local knowledge and innovation and ensuring that everyone has access to inclusive infrastructure and services, ranging from mobility and housing to clean energy access and green public spaces.
Reem Al-Hashimi Minister of State, UAE Director-General Expo 2020 Dubai UAE
“The demand on cities and communities to provide uninterrupted access to resources is intensifying, and this challenge can only be addressed by collaboration and the exchange of ideas. We are proud to be working alongside over 200 countries and stakeholders, each offering a different perspective, to explore new approaches to resilient and inclusive habitats that serve their communities and exist in harmony with the natural environment, and to drive dialogue for progress in this critical area.”
A Thematic Business Forum at Dubai Exhibition Centre will spotlight new technologies, progress and future businesses opportunities in the urban and rural development sector, encouraging governments, the private sector, and civil society to share knowledge and collaborate.
Meanwhile, two key World Majlis events will offer different perspectives on smart and sustainable cities. ‘Smarter than Smart Cities’ on 3rd November will discuss low-tech ways to improve the holistic wellbeing of citizens.
Urban and Rural Development Week is the third of 10 Theme Weeks taking place throughout Expo 2020 Dubai as part of the Program for People and Planet, in an exchange of inspiring new perspectives that tackle the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time, including climate, connectivity, the future of human health and more.
