KAUST

Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in urbanization. As a result, cities are faced with concerns of high population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing and poverty issues, just to name a few. On January 22nd 2020, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued a global call of action to insure delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030; stressing on “Local Action” and a need to step up domestic response. With over half of the world population living in urban areas today a heavy undertaking falls onto cities and how they develop, ensuring that all goals are being addressed to help create positive impact on the overall quality of life.
In an effort to rank amongst the best urban environments in the world, Saudi Arabia has committed substantial resources into the development of cities across the Kingdom through Vision 2030. Using impactful capital, cultural and innovative actions, cities across the nation intend to make urban living synonymous with sustainability, challenging rapid urbanization concerns.
As the decade turns, global challenges become more clear. Development efforts must differ from previous endeavors, while still being aligned with all SDGs in order to produce the ideal urban environment. Our topic sets to explore these challenges and the innovative methods cities intend to apply, looking at it from a global lens and juxtaposing with national and local efforts throughout the Kingdom.


Dialogs

Cities of Action: Challenging conventional methods of rapid urbanization during the next decade

Cities of Action: Challenging conventional methods of rapid urbanization during the next decade