Professor Ya Ping Wang and Professor Cliff Hague, Chair of the SHLC Advisory Committee, recently had the pleasure of meeting Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
Madame Sharif was visiting the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, following an earlier meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Charles at Dumfries House.
Professor Wang presented the aims and scope of the GCRF Centre for Sustainable, Healthy, Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC) at the meeting. Madame Sharif showed great interests in SHLC’s work on fast-growing cities and neighbourhoods in developing countries.
Ya Ping Wang said:
“It was a privilege to meet UN Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif and I was very pleased she welcomed our intention to keep the UN Habitat informed of our project progress and findings. By developing a full understanding the structure of urban neighbourhoods, the SHLC international research team is showing the importance of neighbourhood research in tackling urban, health and education challenges and support sustainable development in fast-growing cities.”
Cliff Hague said:
“It was a truly valuable opportunity to meet with Maimunah Mohd Sharif of UN Habitat. We had a fruitful conversation emphasising how to take important key messages of the New Urban Agenda and ensure these messages drive the conversation at the forthcoming World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi in February and onwards to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in June.”
During the meeting Madame Sharif was also able to meet with and discuss urban challenges with members of the Executive of the Architects’ Council of Europe.