Abu Dhabi's transition from a fishing village to a contemporary capital city in less than 50 years is more than remarkable. Its rapid growth, fueled by oil revenues and combined with a real estate frenzy and an overmanaged public space is reflected into the main characteristic of Abu Dhabi's urban morphology: the Superblocks. This paper is part of a wider Research program regarding the Urban Regeneration initiative for the Superblocks as it derives from Abu Dhabi's Strategic "2030 Plan". It examines their origins and evolution that swings between raw pragmatism and specific modernist influences. It also argues in favor of an alternative regeneration approach that could be based on this modernist heritage and furthermore apply bottom-up participatory procedures to reinforce the city's shallow collective memory. To the support of that argument, a case study of a specific Superblock will be presented. The analysis of its morphological properties, their drawbacks and opportunities may forge a new regeneration pathway. One that rises from the individual plot to the urban scale, actively engages the end users and leads to more flexible/less formal urban action. A potential success may function as a pilot for other Superblocks to follow and also as a regeneration paradigm for other GCC cities to activate their social, historic and cultural capital.

In a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cities worldwide became the epicentre of the unfolding health drama. Questions related to the contemporary human condition, rate of urbanization and alternative socioeconomic frameworks that started to emerge over the course of the past decade, now seem to be more relevant than ever. Urban typologies such as public spaces are under pressure, as the measure of "social distancing" rapidly became a novel narrative. Within this narrative, children-while seemingly less affected medically-may actually be influenced more than expected, both physically and mentally, since their social and spatial developmental needs are different to those of adults. The Urban Health Community of Practice of ISOCARP offers a series of questions and critical reflections accompanied by a wide geographical, cultural and disciplinary array of examples from around the world regarding the spatial, social and physical effects of the current crisis on children and how this could provide valuable feedback on updating future urban planning policies. This is a first step towards a commonly expressed paradigm shift that embraces human and planetary health resilience, a new equilibrium for cities and natural systems and a new, more inclusive social model.

There are many kinds of war. They span from typical military conflicts to socially and politically charged environments, from fiscal colonization to ghostly wars about information and the internet. But what about the fear of a possible war? Could housing initiatives be connected to that? What kind of design methods and standards as well as processes would that specific case entail? What other factors would add pressure to studying and implementing housing projects in this context? What could be the possible measure of such projects’ eventual assessment? This paper is based on the assumption that fear of a spreading of the Arab Spring in the Saudi Kingdom triggered a massive state-funded housing project. The ambitious case of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing (MoH) will be discussed and gradually unfolded within its social, cultural, economic, and technical-design conditions. The project’s development is discussed both before its launch-conceptualization and throughout its implementation. The original insight given stems from the authors’ participation as lead urban planners in one of the major companies awarded the project.

While the study of quotidian practices and daily experiences is now fully appreciated in western urbanism, it is still at an embryonic stage in the emerging new cities of the Middle East. This paper presents an ongoing research project of social-behavioral mapping of Abu Dhabi’s public spaces and its correlation with the existing urban morphology, in an attempt to shed empirical light and update the local public space design guidelines. Photography is one of the observation tools used. However, due to sociocultural conditions, special techniques had to be used. Timelapse, high-contrasted, undirected street photography was key to visualize both formal and informal activities in the realm of the private.

A “wakf” is an “Islamic trust” that helped the Ottoman Administration to provide essential social services to citizens, also crucial for regulating urban communities. This paper focuses on the case of the Muhammad Ali Pasha wakf in Kavala, Greece, and covers a variety of its dimensions: planning legislation, architectural heritage, and urban renewal. It is based on a previous article of the authors, which is updated, revised, and modified here, by giving emphasis to the architectural elements of the main building of the Kavala wakf, Imaret, the techniques and processes of its restoration, and even more, to its integration to the functions of its host city of Kavala. The original research was based on bibliographical research, interviews, on site visits, and the personal experiences of the authors. Bibliographical research included historical references, articles relating Imaret to urban regeneration and architectural renewal, and articles about the research projects of MOHA – the cultural organization of Imaret. Interviews were taken from the directorial team of Imaret, from city administrators of the Municipality of Kavala, the architects involved in the restoration process, and from the local community. Visits and photographic data covered the periods of Imaret before, during, and after its restoration.