Delving into the technologies building smart cities across the globe at the Middle East Smart Landscape Summit

(MENAFN - Mid-East.Info) The 9th instalment of the  Middle East Smart Landscape Summit  returned last week for two full days of panels and keynote presentations exploring the latest advancements that are shaping landscapes and urban development across the globe. Held on the  31st of March and 1st of April at Le M�ridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre,  the Summit delved into the technologies and strategies that are helping to build happy, healthy and well-connected cities. To kick off day one,  Michael Austin  from  City of Bellevue, Washington  joined us virtually for a keynote presentation on the Grand Connection public space project in the Seattle Metro Region. To follow,  Khalid Meccai  from  Alyaf Geo  explored sustainable landscaping practices and how they're applicable in the Middle Eastern context. Bringing us up to the coffee break,  Sherif Hosny  from  Schaduf  explored the world of micro-farming and its effects on socio-environmental development. After a break, delegates returned for the first panel session of the day. Featuring  Ayub Hassan Algaferi of  Al Ain Municipality, Husain Al Saeedi  from  Abu Dhabi City Municipality  and  Khaled Nawar  from  Hunter Industries,  this session delved into the challenges and rewards of taking a sustainable approach to retrofitting. Nathan Chapman  from  Eva-Last  was up next to give an insightful presentation on composite. From  Modon Properties, Carlos Vieira  discussed the need for balance between the old and the new when creating effective public spaces, particularly in the context of COVID-19. Up next, we heard from  Fady Nassim  of  Jeddah Economic Company  as he spoke on the need for a human-centric approach to urban design. A panel discussion between  DJ Armin  of  ZAS Group, Ala Hason  from  HKS architects, Ewa Juszczyk  from  UA Architects  and  Neil Serridge  from  Benoy  went into the dynamic role of the landscape designer and challenges faced when working in the arid Middle East. A quick address from  Emir Ergec , from our lunch sponsor  Gulf Perlite,  carried us through to networking lunch and the end of day one. To begin day two,  Martha Schwartz  of  Martha Schwartz Partners  and  Steven Velegrinis  from  AECOM jointly presented on the deeper, structural aspects of landscape design beyond the aesthetics. Next, Rayya Jawhar  from  Buro Happold  spoke on the nature-based solutions that are helping to create smarter, more sustainable cities. For the first panel of the day,  Clinton Southorn  from  Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Matthew Perry  from  Dubai Golf, Stuart Horwood  from  Jumeirah Golf Estates  and  Toby Lumsden  from  Dubai Sports City  discussed the role of landscape design in building great sports and recreational facilities. Following the break, Baharash Bagherian from Diamond Developers took us through the next generaton of sustainable cities and demonstrated the impacts of urban design on community culture. Boris Fabinski then spoke on the challenges and benefits of green structures, specifically their impact on liveability. To round out the day and close the Summit, a panel discussion on urban dynamics and blue green infrastructure featuring Farah Yassine from WSP, George Arvanitis from RMJM, Manosh De from Jacobs CH2M, Marlon Van Maastricht from Khatib Al Alami and Nivine Issa from AESG. About Expotrade: Expotrade is a global conference and event organizer with its head office based in Melbourne, Australia. Expotrade has delivered some of the largest, most successful B2B industry conferences and events in the areas of infrastructure, major projects, sustainability, technology & architecture. For over 10 years, our unique blend of knowledge, experience and flexibility has accomplished an array of consistently top-quality events. Today, Expotrade events enjoy such a distinctive edge, they are amongst the best patronised in the calendar.MENAFN03042021005446012082ID1101856101