BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The International Urban Planning Forum (IUPF) aims to build a more inclusive and global platform for discussing urban issues, with an emphasis on young professionals and local communities, Ali Alraouf, a board member of IUPF, said during a panel discussion titled "Bridging Grassroots Communities and Global Urban Expertise" held within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Trend reports.
"This is a forum for the people who will be making decisions in the future. Young professionals and young urban planners are a crucial part of this platform," he said.
According to Alraouf, IUPF seeks to move away from the traditional hierarchical model of interaction and create a platform based on the principles of equal dialogue and community participation.
"We want to transition from a classic top-down vertical system to a grassroots approach, where the opinion of the participants becomes a key factor in the viability and development of the institution," he noted.
He also emphasized the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to urban planning issues.
"We do not want urbanists talking only to each other. We need economists, sociologists, politicians, and representatives of other professions. That is precisely why we speak about urban development specialists, and not just urban planners," Alraouf said.
According to him, the forum strives to become a truly global platform, not limited to the European or American context.
"We are proud that the majority of our participants today represent Africa rather than Europe. We also want to expand our presence in Latin America and Asia," he stressed.
Alraouf noted that one of the forum's key objectives is to change the approach toward interacting with local communities.
"We must not arrive in countries of Asia, Africa, or Latin America to impose our solutions. These societies already possess their own knowledge, wisdom, and historical experience," he stated.
He also compared urban identity to a novel consisting of different chapters.
"Heritage and local culture are an important part of urban identity, but modern aspirations and the ability to respond to new challenges must also become a part of this story," Alraouf added.
