17.30 hours, 5 April 2005
His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Quassimi, Member of the Supreme Council, Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Seventh Sharjah Urban Planning Symposium (4 - 6 April) and greeted more than 400 participants including 150 academics and practitioners who had gathered at Sharjah University from the Gulf Region, Arab States, Europe, the USA, South America and Asia to join in discussion with academics and practitioners from the Emirates. The theme of the 2004 Symposium was ‘Cities in the Postmodern Age: Co-ordination, Networking and Regional Development’.
Participants reflected on a variety of urban planning problems and approaches, and offered insights for the solution of critical issues facing urban areas. Papers covered the Arab world, including Sharjah, and beyond. Major topics included GIS and urban development, future cities and the Palm Island, knowledge cities, heritage sites and cityscape, sustainable metropolis and urban management, the post modern Arab city, regional development and globalisation, public participation and bottom up planning. Papers also focused on disaster management, liveable communities and empowerment of citizens, community capital and territorial development, information technology and community networking. Speakers also presented research on real estate investment and Shariah financing, and governance and Public Private Partnerships.
The participants emphasised the dichotomy between the modernisation planning and the postmodern debate. While the latter concept would demand a more people centred approach to urban development, the ongoing modern approach to planning continues to focus on physical structures and place enhancement. The other topic of significance to the participants was new approaches to governance, particularly Public Private Partnership. It was obvious that most thought that public participation needs to combine with private initiatives for more transparent and accountable urban development processes. And finally the participants were of view that in the age of information networks a more integrated approach to community development is preferred over the existing fragmented approach.
To improve upon the efficiency and effectiveness of the Urban Plan Symposium it is proposed that in the future symposia, more Sharjah-focused topical workshops be included. It is also felt that to make such workshops directly relevant to planning education for research and practice they be extended beyond the SUPS as models of continuous education in which the expertise of the international educators and consultants can be utilised.
Other relevant models to consider would include the type of collaborative research being developed as announced in the SUPS7, with the expectation that research results will be incorporated in future symposia :
- Joint research between the University of Sharjah and the Sharjah Directorate of Town Planning and Survey on the University Corridor Revitalisation;
- Joint research between King Sturge and London South Bank University on Shariah Property Investment – developing an international strategy.
It was generally agreed that this symposium is making a major impact on theories and practices of urban planning in the Middle East and beyond, and should continue to be held in future years so that more contributions to the field of urban planning could be made. Of the 101 papers delivered at the symposium, nearly 34% were given by participants from Sharjah and the UAE as a whole, and a further 20% from the wider Gulf area. The existence of the Symposium as a forum for discussion has undoubtedly stimulated an increase in scholarly papers from within the emirates and more widely from the Gulf and Arab States.
A total of 21 papers were submitted for consideration for the ‘best paper prizes’. Of this GCC authors accounting for about 40%, many of which compete well with papers by international participants in terms of quality.
- The prize for the Best International Paper (open to all participants) sponsored by His Highness has been awarded to Professor Tschangho John Kim, University of Illinois, USA for his paper ”Planning for an Economically Sustainable Metropolis in the Desert”.
- The prize offered by the Institute of Urban and Regional Planning and Design at the American University of Sharjah is for papers written by an author from one of the GCC countries, on urban planning research and practice dealing with subjects relevant to Sharjah, the UAE, or the GCC countries. This year it has been awarded to Professor Ahmed Ouf, Expert on Urban Planning and Design, Sharjah Directorate of Town Planning and Survey, for his paper “Managing urban heritage conservation to promote an integrated vision of cultural continuity”.
Emerging from the previous Symposia the momentum for the establishment of the Middle East Real Estate Society was realised in SUPS7 through the announcement of an inaugural meeting to be held on Wednesday 7 April in Dubai to confirm its constitution, membership and board structure.
Finally the organisers are particularly pleased by the positive feedback from participants as to the high quality of the presentations. International participants are very impressed with the tremendous achievements of the Emirate of Sharjah and the warm hospitality offered to them during their stay.
5 April 2005
Sharjah
SUPS 8 Final Communique
