AJMAN // Problems associated with the rapid growth of the city are to be tackled by planners, architects, engineers and intellectuals being held this week.
The fifth Ajman International Urban Planning Conference (AIUPC) kicked off yesterday at the Ajman University of Science and Technology and will run until March 25.
The annual event, organised in co-operation with the University of Wolverhampton in the UK, is themed "City Identity in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities".
Ajman faces challenges based on development sprawl and a reliance on private cars because of the absence of a public transport system, according to Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid, the chairman of the municipality's planning directorate.
Other infrastructure problems to be addressed include waste management, sewage and sanitation.
Topics on the agenda will include: cultural activities and their impact on urban growth; urban aesthetics and architecture; globalisation; urban culture and codes, and civic management.
