New Benchmarks for Sustainability
MONDAY MARCH 17, 2014
New Benchmarks for Sustainability
With sustainability being a cornerstone of key national projects and government policy, Dubai will play host to the Middle East Smart Landscape Summit 2014. This takes place on 6th and 7th of May 2014 at Sofitel Dubai Palm Resort & Spa. The Summit will once again attract over 400 senior landscape architects, government authorities, urban planners, developers, environmental specialists and contractors from across the GCC.
High on the agenda at this years’ Summit will be the new mega landscaping projects that are being undertaken by both the public and private sectors. As the host city of the World Expo 2020, Dubai is aiming to set new benchmarks for sustainability through a range of innovative initiatives, with the event expecting to attract over 25 million visitors. Deutsche Bank have estimated that as much as Dh157 billion in infrastructure projects will need to be developed in preparation for the Expo.
Dh17 million worth of new parks
Dubai Municipality last year announced the development of Dh17 million worth of new parks including a rebuild of Satwa Park which will become the first in the Emirate to run without electrical power. The city also initiated the use of solar energy to irrigate landscaped roundabouts using a solar pumping system aimed at reducing carbon emissions and cost. Work on the Dh2 billion Dubai Canal project is now underway, and major private developments like the Dubai Pearl and Sustainable City by Diamond Developers are all incorporating sustainable landscaping design and technology. This includes energy-efficient lighting, water and waste management systems into plans to minimize the environmental impact.
Learning from the experience of international experts will be key to the success of many of the major projects planned. Award-winning landscape architect Professor Jie Hu (China) will be one of the keynote presenters at the Middle East Smart Landscaping Summit 2014, showcasing his work as the Lead Designer of the Olympic Forest Park built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Now the Vice President of Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute and Director/Chief Designer of the Research Center for Landscape Architecture, Professor Hu focuses on promoting environmentally sound development and merging historical and contemporary design into large scale projects in China.
Innovative Landscape Design
Providing an exclusive platform to network and create lucrative business opportunities, event organizer Expotrade Middle East and representatives from Dubai Municipality are looking forward to meeting senior professionals committed to the growth of the landscape industry at the Summit. “We welcome local and international experts to the Summit to discuss innovative landscape design principles, present case-studies and evaluate the tools and technology to drive best practice in the Middle East region”, says Charlene Corrin, Conference Producer at Expotrade Middle East.
Also speaking at the Summit, Gold Sponsor Al Yousuf Agricultural & Landscaping will share its smart solutions for eye-catching yet eco-friendly landscaping. The conference will showcase the latest technology and trends from local and international leaders including Nakheel Landscapes, Thorn Lighting, Zeoplant, Ithara Group, Mirak , Groupe Botanica, Gulf Perlite, Al Wasail, Bluestream, Akar, Cape Reed and many more.
Source: planteria.eu
