Dubai is raising the stakes in urban innovation through a significant collaboration with architectural giants Santiago Calatrava and Kengo Kuma. Announced on February 6, 2026, during the World Governments Summit, the partnership sees the world-renowned firms—Calatrava International and Kengo Kuma & Associates—join the Dubai Municipality’s Urban Planning and Design Lab (D.M-ULab). Backed by Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, this alliance aims to develop practical, high-impact urban solutions that prioritize human well-being, sustainability, and local cultural identity in the emirate’s future development.
This strategic move embeds participatory design at the heart of Dubai’s city-making process, positioning the D.M-ULab as a crucial platform for applied urban experimentation.
Elevating the Urban Planning Lab
His Excellency Eng. Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director General of Dubai Municipality, underscored the partnership’s importance in strengthening the D.M-ULab’s mission. He emphasized that by attracting premier global expertise, the lab can effectively advance dialogue, foster participatory design, and generate pioneering urban solutions. The underlying goal is to strengthen innovation practices and pilot new technologies, ensuring that all public spaces and neighborhoods are designed with a focus on enhancing residents’ quality of life.
The memorandum of cooperation formalizes an exchange across three key areas: urban dialogue, advanced design-thinking methodologies, and the transfer of international expertise. This engagement will involve structured knowledge exchange with local universities and government bodies, design critiques on real-world urban challenges, and capability-building programs for young professionals.
According to the Municipality, this initiative marks a substantial step in urban experimentation, enabling Dubai to develop globally replicable urban models that seamlessly integrate contemporary architectural thought with cultural sensitivity and environmental performance.
A Focus on Collaboration and Place
The collaboration establishes a platform for design review, innovation sessions, and strategic consultancy in areas ranging from integrated urban planning to comprehensive urban regeneration.
Santiago Calatrava, speaking on the agreement, highlighted the shared commitment to collaborative city shaping. He described the partnership as creating “a lasting platform for knowledge exchange and world-class urban design” in the UAE, bridging institutions, design expertise, and future generations of designers.
For Kengo Kuma, the partnership begins with an intent to listen—to “place, climate, and everyday life.” Kuma & Associates’ immediate focus will include collaborating with Dubai Municipality on the design of a new public park, marking their first joint project in the emirate. This park is envisioned as a “living laboratory for human-scale design where nature, architecture, and young designers come together.” This commitment reflects the Municipality’s dedication to designing high-quality public infrastructure—specifically parks—that boost urban attractiveness and enhance accessibility for residents.
Designing the City of Tomorrow
This partnership is designed to transform conceptual ideas into tangible, integrated urban solutions and flagship development projects. The inclusion of Calatrava and Kuma, known for their distinct yet complementary approaches—Calatrava often focusing on dynamic structural expression and Kuma on localized, material-driven integration—provides the D.M-ULab with diverse architectural philosophies.
By placing people at the center of planning, Dubai aims to create neighborhoods and public spaces that are not only sustainable and resilient but deeply connected to their local identity. The outcomes of this collaboration are expected to inform future global urban blueprints, setting a new standard for how major cities can effectively leverage international expertise to improve measurable quality-of-life indicators for their citizens.