Event

Designing for Belonging: How to Transform Urban Spaces & Enhance Community Engagement

Date

February 06, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (CET)

Type

Audience

Open To Public

Format

Online

How can we design urban spaces that truly reflect the needs of their communities, fostering connection, inclusion, and belonging?

Moderated by Güray Oskay, Director of Architecture at ATÖLYE, this session brings together visionary leaders in urban design to explore the transformative potential of community-driven approaches. By placing people at the heart of design, we can create vibrant, equitable environments that empower communities and drive meaningful change.

This panel features:

Dr. Alamira Reem Al Hashimi, General Manager of M_39. The first Emirati woman with a Ph.D. in urban planning, she is an acclaimed author and expert in placemaking, urban strategy, and cultural development. Having led major government projects and contributed to the UAE National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, she is recognized as one of 150 Inspiring Emirati Women and a leading voice in urbanism and heritage preservation.

Dr. Sumayah Al-Solaiman, CEO of the Architecture and Design Commission at the Ministry of Culture, KSA. With a Ph.D. in Architecture and leadership roles in academia and governance, Dr. Al-Solaiman has led transformative projects and represented Saudi Arabia at global forums. She is also a published author and a former curator of the Saudi National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Fatma Al Khayat, Co-Founder and CEO of Arkat, an urban planning and design firm in the UAE. With a Master’s in City Design from the Royal College of Art and a decade of experience in cities like Hong Kong, Dubai, and London, Fatma specializes in sustainable, human-centered urban strategies. She integrates environmental psychology and biophilic research to tackle complex urban challenges.

This session will delve into:

Strategies for designing urban spaces that prioritize community engagement

Co-creating inclusive and equitable public spaces with diverse stakeholders

Measuring the impact of community-driven urban interventions

Building connected, self-sustaining ecosystems through intentional design

Join us to discover how applying community-powered design principles can transform urban spaces into thriving hubs of connection and belonging.

Discover the full lineup of sessions and speakers here: www.atolye.io/dialogues