HOPE
Housing People and Environment

About Us

Housing, People and Environment (HOPE) is a platform to promote a people-centered development approach in planning and urban design. It focuses on open public spaces to improve quality of life and well-being and examines their interplay with the urban environment. Launched on 30 January 2023 under the auspices of HH Sayyed Bilarab bin Haitham Al Said, HOPE seeks to nurture dialogue between scholars, planners and decision-makers with civil society and industry in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda beginning in Oman.

Background

Since its launch in 2023 at the National Museum of Oman, HOPE (Housing, People and Environment) has evolved into a regional platform for advancing people-centered urbanism. It was initiated through the collaboration between the Where Oman Walks project at GUtech and the Healthy Cities Program led by the Ministry of Health’s Community-Based Initiatives department.

HOPE 2023 introduced the Physical Activity and Built Environment (PABE) project, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. This pilot initiative tested strategies to reshape residential neighborhoods to promote more active, healthier lifestyles.

Following that, HOPE 2024 focused on sharing lessons from the implementation of PABE in two Healthy Cities — Nizwa, Barka and Muscat — and explored how evidence-based urban design can inform public policy.

HOPE 2026 marks a new phase — one of Growth.

The symposium will reflect on how healthy city principles can be scaled up across Oman and the wider MENA region. It will explore strategies to combine population growth with increasing health outcomes (Panel 1), economic development (Panel 2), and technological advancement (Panel 3).

This year’s edition will bring together national and international speakers, decision-makers, and urban professionals to examine how growth can be managed responsibly and inclusively, turning research into long-term impact on the ground.

HOPE Steering Committee

  • Joleza Koka
  • Dr. Gustavo De Siqueira
  • Dr. Huda Al-Siyabi
  • Dr. Ruth Mabry
  • Dr. Amal Al-Siyabi

HOPE Organization Committee

  • Dr. Yasmine Souissi
  • Danijela Ciberlin
  • Maathir Al-Balushi
  • Noorayn Al-Busaidi
  • Razan Al-Balushi