The Middle East

Following on from the recent issue of Urban Designon this topic, this event will look at the latest developments in urban design in the Middle East.

Speakers include:

• Farnaz Arefian - academic based at UCL, topic editor of issue 124 on The Middle East and convenor of recent International Conference at UCL on Urban Change in Iran. Farnaz will provide an introduction to the event plus an overview of Iranian urbanism including its origins, the influences of culture, climate and place and the challenges of the twenty-first century global economy.

• Steven Hancock & Daniel Horner, Urban Designers from Dar Al Handasah, on the experiences of working in the Middle East, drawing comparisons with the UK and Europe

• Samar Héchaimé, Lead Factorisor at Factors, discussing the human factor in design. Samar will look at how we can redefine the design process through an understanding of human behaviour, with specific examples from the Middle Eastern context.