The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have teamed up to share expertise on issues linked to sustainable urban planning and economic recovery.

The World Sustainable Capitals (WSC) initiative was launched at the recently held “Summer Davos” meeting of the WEF in Dalian, China.

The initiative will consist of a global and regional alliance of World Sustainable Capitals and a network of leading experts, economists and industry representatives in the field of urban planning and sustainability.

The network will identify strategies and policy recommendations that can guide cities to better resolve the challenges of urban planning and economic diversified growth.

The UPC and the WEF also forged a new partnership which includes the participation of key UPC representatives to important platforms of the WEF, including its annual meeting in Davos in January 2010 and its Middle East Forum in Morocco in October 2010.

“The upcoming challenges for sustainable economic development will now be even more originated and decided in cities,” said Falah Mohammed Al Ahbabi, general manager, Abu Dhabi UPC.

“The World Sustainable Capitals initiative will galvanise global capitals and mega-cities as well as cities across the Mena in the adoption of successful urban planning decisions that favour sustainable economic growth.”

The collaboration will tie into Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 urban structure framework plan of the UPC and Economic Vision 2030 and will include the study of a concrete example provided by the “Strategic Environmental Assessment” report developed by the UPC for its Capital City District masterplan.

The three parties will explore through various platforms and for one year the link between urban planning and sustainable economic development in the context of fast-growing global capitals with a special focus on experiences and future projects in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, deputy director general of the ADCED, said: "In the next two decades an increasing part of the population will be concentrated in mega-cities around the world. Sustainable development and urban planning are at the very heart of the upcoming challenges.”

“The World Sustainable Capitals initiative offers a great opportunity to work together, share and discuss solutions to tackle these important issues. This inclusive and cooperative approach was at the foundation of The Abu Dhabi Vision 2030,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service