FutureTales Lab and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) hosted “Design Our City Toward Inclusive Futures”, an online forum on Facebook Live, led by Dr. Karndee Leopairote, Executive Vice President of FutureTales Lab by MQDC.
The webinar gathered diverse groups to propose ideas, policy recommendations, and reforms to design a city that leaves nobody behind, embracing vulnerable groups, LGBTQ people, and ethnic minorities. Highlights included urban development ideas from students and fascinating insights from experts across civil society and the private sector as well as representatives of vulnerable groups.
The forum aims to spark ideas among the new generation who will mould our future. Participants will share creative ideas by forecasting the future and exploring key rights to visualise the city of the future in all dimensions. Their insights will help policymakers, urban planners, developers, and civil society enhance cities accommodate everyone. Students attending for futurology research and to spread new ideas visualised future urban development, including tackling challenges with a crucial sample group for future city expansion.
“MQDC aims to be an innovative leader in real estate and associated businesses and services under its principle of ‘For All Well-Being’, to enhance well-being for all life through its projects,” comments Mr. Visit Malaisirirat, CEO of MQDC. “The FutureTales Lab is a futurology centre set up by MQDC to help organisations and businesses prepare for coming changes and challenges.”
“This online seminar was organised through great collaboration with partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). For the second year in a row, we are addressing social and economic changes by exchanging information and engaging government, civil society, and the private sector to forecast and prepare for coming changes including ways to enhance life and move forward together, leaving nobody behind. MQDC has a 40-year, long-term strategic plan to meet each future change, especially in demographics. We have developed master plans for Resilient Cities and Digitalisation and are open to new ideas that will emerge in Thai and global society.”
Dr. Asa Torkelsson, Country Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Thailand, added that, “UNFPA Thailand Country Office and the Future Tales Lab by MQDC have established meaningful cooperation to advance the sustainable development agenda, specifically on population change and related issues. The collaboration focuses on providing meaningful technical exchange toward an intergenerational approach for a future inclusive aging society, while contributing to the ultimate Sustainable Development Goals and ‘leaving no one behind’.”
"Design Our City Toward Inclusive Futures" is a unique comprehensive programme that supports the full engagement of young people. Moreover, the young innovators were inspired with evidence, models, and scenarios told through narratives that reflect inclusivity and quality of life of those who are still left behind. They were supported to think further on what the creative innovations would be to support the reintegration of those from vulnerable groups as valued contributors to the future city in the context of ageing society.
"By exchanging knowledge and ideas, everyone will help highlight vulnerable and underprivileged groups such as LGBTQ and ethnic minorities,” Dr. Karndee concluded. “Through future analysis we can develop a desirable scenario, applying the strengths and potential of this group effectively. We hope to help build a better future for Thai society to coexist sustainably.”
