Richard Florida will discuss economic competitiveness, demographic trends, and cultural innovation at the Global City Forum in Abu Dhabi on April 7. Over 1,000 urban decision-makers from 250 cities will be gathered at this event.
Global City is the only international forum where public and private leaders exchange best practices and share sustainable urban strategies. This unique networking platform dedicated to mayors, urban planners, decision-makers and leaders, will be held in Abu Dhabi in April 2009 – for the first time in the Middle East.
What do you consider the greatest challenges of globalization and sustainability that face your city?
Rana and Richard Florida and event organizers, Reed Exhibitions
Global City, Abu Dhabi - Emrites Palace
Richard's representative from Abu Dhabi
Richard giving the morning keynote
Mr. Eid AlMazroi advisor to the chairman of the Department of Planning and Economy, Rana & Richard Florida
April 6th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I consider the greatest challenge of sustainability within my city to be a problem of infrastructure. Toronto is continually pushing outward, and growing from within, but the necessary public infrastructure has just not kept pace. In terms of tranpsortation, the roads are crumbling after years of maintenance deferrals, and the public transit system has not seen major expansion for over a decade. Much of this problem stems from a lack of municipal funds, and the disconnect that individuals have between how much their public services actually cost.
To move past this challenge, cities need to be smarter about growth. They need to tie together public and private space – requiring large office tower development plans to include considerations of parks, transportation links and public access. We also have to attach subsidies to the right items, perhaps increasing road tolls but decreasing public transportation fees. The status quo doesn’t work anymore, and the most properous cities will be those that are innovative and open to change in both the short and long term.