IE School of Architecture and Design organizes the lecture by Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam from 2009 to 2024, as part of the RE_SOLUTION public series, followed by a conversation with Cornelia Forsthuber-Aumayr, Young Leaders & Volunteers Coordinator and Partnership Manager at Urban Future, and Editor-in-Chief of Citychangers.org.

Aboutaleb has been a key figure in the transformation and development of Rotterdam. He has stood out particularly for his approach to managing the city's relationship with water, a crucial challenge for this city located at the confluence of three rivers and home to an extensive artificial port. Aboutaleb adopted an innovative strategy, promoting the use, reuse, and creation of spaces for water management while involving all key stakeholders to ensure the safety of residents. The transformation of the city under his leadership has not only changed its physical appearance but has also had a positive impact on social integration and cohesion in a city known for its multiculturalism.

RE_SOLUTION: A conversation with city leaders who made a change

Re_Solution is a series organized by IE School of Architecture and Design with the objective of leading a conversation about the complex field of city-making. The series will include recent mayors of cities that have ensured particular crises, such as Athens, Stockholm, Helsinki, Toronto and Lisbon.

Each of these cities has faced challenges and mobilized all available resources to keep their cities afloat, drawing from the power of public infrastructure and transformative urban projects including museums, festivals, markets and more. Re Solution seeks to demonstrate how city challenges have been addressed in collaboration with different sectors involved in city-making: the academic world and members of the public and private institutions.

IEunderstand cities holistically, as sites of transformation in the built, natural and digital world. As an educational institution, IE wants to generate knowledge and research, and welcome discussions that lead to transformation towards building sustainable cities for the future.

The lecture will be on February 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at IE University, Paseo de la Castellana 259E, 24th floor (IE Tower). Access is free, prior registration: here