{"id":53378,"date":"2019-10-30T09:43:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T09:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alj.com\/?post_type=news&p=53378"},"modified":"2019-12-01T10:10:50","modified_gmt":"2019-12-01T10:10:50","slug":"worldcitiesday2019-better-city-better-life","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/news\/worldcitiesday2019-better-city-better-life\/","title":{"rendered":"#WorldCitiesDay2019 – Better City, Better Life."},"content":{"rendered":"

Rapid urbanization is one of the major forces shaping our global economic future. \u00a0Cities are the essence of a country\u2019s economy, market and identity. \u00a0They generate wealth and improve living standards while providing the density, interaction and networks that make us more creative and productive.<\/p>\n

World Cities Day<\/a> was established on December 27, 2013, by the United Nations<\/a> General Assembly in its resolution, in which the General Assembly \u201cinvites States, the United Nations system, in particular, UN-Habitat, relevant international organizations, civil society and all relevant stakeholders to observe and raise awareness of the day.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

In the 1930s, New York City was named the first \u2018megacity\u2019 when its population officially exceeded 10 million people. \u00a0Fast forward to today, and there are now 33 \u2018megacities\u2019, and this number is increasing at a rapid rate \u2013 with 6 more expected by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By 2030, it is predicted that megacities will house 9% of the global population and contribute 15% of the world\u2019s GDP[1]<\/a>. \u00a0By then, more than 60% of the world\u2019s population \u2013 5 billion people \u2013 will live in cities.<\/p>\n

\"Megacities
The world’s new megacities. Source: https:\/\/www.visualcapitalist.com\/mapping-the-worlds-new-megacities-in-2030\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the Middle East, ambitious plans are underway to build cities from scratch with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates working on multibillion-dollar projects to construct new city hubs. \u00a0These ground-up projects provide governments with an unprecedented opportunity to make these cities sustainable and to fill them with cutting- and tech-driven global economy edge smart technologies, giving the region a leading position in an increasingly connected.<\/p>\n

\"\"In October 2017, Saudi Arabia announced NEOM<\/a>, a futuristic megacity that will be 33 times the size of New York City, spanning an area of 26,500 square kilometers across Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, at the northern end of the Red Sea. \u00a0NEOM, named as a portmanteau of the Greek word \u2018neos\u2019, meaning \u2018new\u2019, and \u2018mustaqbal\u2019, the Arabic word for \u2018future\u2019, will be developed in its own free zone, giving it the power to set and regulate its own taxation, customs, and labor laws independently of the rest of Saudi Arabia.\u00a0 The city is a bold demonstration of Saudi Arabia\u2019s commitment to its Saudi Vision 2030: an ambitious plan to revolutionize the country\u2019s society, diversify the economy and become a global hub for technology.<\/p>\n

This model has been successfully implemented elsewhere in the Middle East, and when the project completes in 2025, NEOM will quickly become the largest such zone in the region. \u00a0<\/p>\n

With average wind speeds of 10.3 meters per second<\/a> and abundant solar resources, NEOM will be a city powered entirely by renewable energy. \u00a0Its transport systems will also be \u201c100% green\u201d and \u201cautomated[2]<\/a><\/em>\u201d while the city\u2019s commitment to developing a world-class quality of life will spread to its education, housing and healthcare provision.<\/p>\n

As emphasized by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, there will also be an emphasis on artificial intelligence, robotics and drones, while even supermarkets will not exist in their familiar form. \u00a0Instead, automation will deliver items direct to people\u2019s homes when they need them.\u00a0 All of these ambitions perhaps explain why leading tech analysts are already dubbing NEOM as \u201ca smart city on steroids[3]<\/a><\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"MasdarThe UAE is no stranger to rapid urbanization, having built Dubai from little more than a fishing town to a substantial tourist metropolis in just over 60 years. \u00a0In 2008, Masdar City<\/a> in Abu Dhabi was announced with an aim to be the world\u2019s most sustainable low-carbon city and a hub for clean-tech companies. \u00a0The total site area is about 6,000,000m\u00b2, while the gross floor area of Masdar City alone comprises of 4,000,000m\u00b2. \u00a0Situated in a strategic location, Masdar City is only 5 minutes from Abu Dhabi International Airport, and 40-minute drive from Dubai. \u00a0Masdar City is in part powered by clean energy generated from a 10 MW solar power plant on site and 1 MW solar rooftop system[4]<\/a>. \u00a0Harnessing the sun\u2019s rays, the plant produces 17,500 MWh of clean electricity annually and diverts 7,350 tonnes of carbon emissions per year[5]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, Masdar City is open, with people already living and working there and enjoying its collaborative environment, which \u201cencourages people to live, work and play sustainably\u201d. \u00a0Masdar City continues to add new businesses, schools, restaurants and, when complete, will house 50,000 people in addition to a further 40,000 people who will visit each day to work or study.<\/p>\n

NewCities Foundation<\/a>, a global non-profit organization, is collaborating with governments and civil societies across the globe to incubate, promote and scale urban innovations to ultimately make cities more\u00a0inclusive, connected, healthy and vibrant. From its outset, NewCities has placed wellbeing<\/em> at the heart of how cities should be planned in order for their residents to thrive and for the cities to sustain.<\/p>\n

A recent report from Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS<\/a>): \u2018Cities, health and wellbeing\u2019 <\/em>supports this, advocating that: \u201cthe economic, social and governance opportunities of cities can promote healthier living\u201d<\/em>, but also points out that \u201cthis has to be actively created and maintained\u201d.<\/em> \u00a0Many factors can affect health and well-being, and these need to be considered, understood and influenced when developing cities in order to build healthy urban environments. \u00a0These include water, waste and sanitation infrastructure, mixed land use, connectivity, and access to food, water, heat and electricity.<\/p>\n