Focus on waterfronts at international event

The 4th International Ajman Urban Planning Conference will take place from Monday, March 29 to Wednesday, March, 31 2010 at Ajman University, Ajman, in the United Arab Emirates.

The event will look at architecture and urban planning around the world, and aims to address various trends in the development of the waterfront. A total of 57 world-leading architects, urban planners and academics from 18 countries will participate in the conference through research papers and architectural presentations.

Professor Sabah Mushatat, Chair of the Technical and Scientific Committee, at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “The University is delighted to be co-hosting this conference in partnership with the Ajman Municipality in the UAE.

“Waterfronts, the unique places where land and water meet, embody the special history and character of each community. The last years have witnessed profound changes along abandoned or underused urban waterfronts. The trend is accelerating in cities around the globe and applies to canals, lakes and rivers as well as coasts.

“With this growing popularity comes a tendency by some to look for the quick solution, to adopt a formula that may have worked somewhere else. But waterfronts give each community a chance to express its individuality and help distinguish it from others.”

Professor Sir Geoff Hampton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, will present one of the opening speeches. The conference is organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Ajman.

The event, titled Waterfront: New Trends in Urbanism and Architecture, is co-hosted by the University and Ajman Municipality in the UAE. Topics will include the waterfront of the city and its repercussions on the economy, environment, architecture, urban design and landscape. The conference will also address social, aesthetical, psychological and environmental issues connected to waterfronts and will focus on international experiences.

For more details, visit http://www.aupc.ae

Further information

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736