DUBAI – How can we build in harmony with nature? Expo City Dubai’s next Connecting Minds Book Club invites everyone to join Dr Sandra Piesik, award-winning architect and scientist and author of Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Climate for a discussion on sustainable urban development.

Taking place on 13 September at Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, the event is part of the ongoing book club series organised with the Emirates Literature Foundation and will be moderated by urbanists and curators Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib.

Dr Sandra Piesik said: “In the run-up to the UNFCCC COP28, I am excited to be visiting Expo City Dubai – a city that showcases examples of sustainable architecture – to share knowledge and ideas on bioregional collaboration, nature-based solutions and new forms of partnerships to help safeguard the future of our planet.

“Habitat: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet, was the culmination of years of specialist research into the traditions of vernacular architecture and explored how craftspeople around the world can teach us about creating a more sustainable future. I look forward to an interesting conversation with experts and enthusiasts on this crucial issue.”

Doors open at 1230, with the discussion running from 1330-1500, followed by book signings and networking opportunities. To register for the event, and to become a member of the Connecting Minds Book Club, please visit Expo City Dubai. Tickets are priced at AED 75 each.

A scientist who specialises in sustainable legislation, nature-based solutions, innovation, technology transfer, and contemporary adaptation of traditional knowledge, Dr Piesik is also an advisor and former senior consultant to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the multilateral organisation responsible for convening all COP climate summits. The UAE will host COP28 at Expo City Dubai from 30 November to 12 December.

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About Expo City Dubai

  • Expo City Dubai harnesses the unifying spirit of Expo 2020 Dubai and carries forward its legacy, continuing to demonstrate that by working together, we can propel human progress
  • Expo Dubai Group is a global initiative launched by Expo City Dubai and tasked with carrying forward the vast intangible legacy of the event
  • An innovation-driven, people-centric city of the future and one of five hubs in the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, it is designed as a blueprint for sustainable urban planning, galvanising action on its journey to carbon neutrality
  • Its ecosystem supports cross-sector collaboration and provides a springboard for businesses of all sizes to scale and grow, enhancing Dubai’s position as a global centre of trade and reinforcing the UAE’s development and diversification ambitions
  • Its residential communities redefine urban living, exemplifying best practice in innovative, environment-friendly design with a focus on wellbeing and happiness
  • Packed with educational, cultural and entertainment offerings and a go-to destination for globally significant events, it celebrates human creativity and ingenuity and inspires future generations
  • Expo City Dubai connects businesses, government, organisations, educational establishments, residents and visitors, enabling them to work together towards a better, more equitable, more sustainable future for all

For media enquiries, please contact press.office@expocitydubai.ae

About Emirates Literature Foundation

  • The Emirates Literature Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports and nurtures a love of literature in the United Arab Emirates and the region, through a programme of varied cultural initiatives. Established in 2013 by Royal Decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Foundation aims to foster a love for literature, with a focus on the Arabic language. 
  • In line with the National Reading Policy of the UAE, the Foundation has implemented several long-term projects including the First Chapter, the School Librarian of the Year Award, Kateb Maktub, and From the Inside Out, as well as conducting year-round student education programmes, book clubs and mentorship programmes. The Foundation’s previous initiatives included the 2020 International Literary Festivals Conference, the 2017 Dubai International Publishing Conference and the 2016 Dubai Translation Conference. 
  • The Foundation is also the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the UAE’s premier literary festival. 

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