Dec 11, 2024, 12:37 PM ETConference Presentation, Panel

Global Cities in a New Light | Middle East and Africa Summit 2024

Launch Timeline: Archer Aviation targets the first commercial launch of its "Midnight" electric air taxi in Abu Dhabi by the end of next year, aiming to be the first in the world.
Regulatory Strategy: The company has carved out a unique regulatory pathway in the UAE with strong government support, including a public-private consortium formed by Sheikh Hamdan to assist with infrastructure and funding.
U.S. Progress: Archer is in the final stages of securing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for operations in the United States.
Financials & Scale: The company has raised nearly $1.5 billion to date and operates a nearly 1,000-person team; a high-volume manufacturing facility in Georgia is scheduled to open later this year.
Technology Specs: The "Midnight" aircraft is a 4-passenger, all-electric VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) plane capable of transitioning to fixed-wing flight, traveling at speeds up to 150 mph.
Forward-Looking Statement: Nikhil Goel notes that ambitious, greenfield projects like NEOM are necessary to bypass entrenched urban constraints (NIMBYism) and design cities for future transportation modes (e.g., air taxis, autonomous buses) that established cities cannot easily retrofit.

C40 Collaboration: As former chair of C40, Garcetti highlights that cities often react faster than national governments to crises, citing drive-thru testing (Seoul) and hospital space management (Milan) during the pandemic.
Housing Supply Crisis: Despite tripling housing starts in LA (from 8,000 to 24,000 annually) and tripling homeless housing, the city still faces shortages because supply growth lags behind population and job growth.
Infrastructure Strategy: Garcetti advocates for "urban acupuncture" (small interventions like adding parks) and dense zoning along new rail lines (15 new lines planned) to prevent cities from becoming playgrounds for the wealthy.
Historical Context: He attributes LA's current housing and mobility struggles to 20–30 years of "preservationist" policies that prioritized single-family homes over density and public transit.
Comparative Lesson: Garcetti contrasts LA's laissez-faire approach with Hong Kong and Singapore, noting that hyper-capitalist governments in Asia often play a more direct role in providing social housing to ensure livability.
Civic Engagement: He urges citizens to move from passive "Not In My Backyard" opposition to active engagement in city building, citing a 75% vote for a permanent tax measure in California despite its difficulty.

Investment Thesis: GA Capital seeks "historical white elephants"—dilapidated projects with a "patina of time"—to redevelop them into communities with authentic stories and souls.
Hong Kong Case Study: The firm purchased 27 government-subsidized shopping podiums in Hong Kong serving 1 million people and revitalized them by installing community sports courts.
Community Building: A basketball league was launched with 28 teams (14 boys, 14 girls), sponsored by corporations, to foster community spirit and create a sense of home in high-density areas.
AI & Data Center Sustainability: To address the energy demands of AI training, Gaw suggests splitting infrastructure: training data centers should locate in remote green-energy hubs (e.g., South America, Nordic), while inference layers remain near population centers.
Transportation Innovation: He proposes converting highway lanes in cities like LA into autonomous "drone bus" corridors to create train-like efficiency without new rail infrastructure.

Badia Project Overview: Mansour details Badia, a 12.6 million sq. meter city west of Cairo (near the Pyramids) designed for 270,000 residents and 140,000 workers to alleviate Cairo's overcrowding.
5-10-15 Planning Model: The city utilizes a "5-10-15" framework where daily, weekly, and monthly needs are accessible within 5, 10, and 15 minutes of walking or biking.
Sustainability Metrics: Palm Hills promises a 30–35% reduction in monthly operating costs for residents through:
- Gray water recycling for flushing (27% water reduction).
- 160 courtyards creating air corridors to lower ambient temperatures by 3°C, reducing AC usage.
- AI-driven facility management to optimize garbage collection and energy use.
Organic Growth Strategy: To avoid "white elephant" status, the development focuses on organic growth where residents move in as construction completes, citing the "6th of October" and "Sheikh Zayed" city models as precedents.
Affordable Housing Model: Mansour argues against building low-income housing in remote areas (80km away), as high commuting costs render them unsustainable; instead, he advocates for vertical, mixed-income construction within working-class districts.

NEOM Scale: The project spans the size of Belgium, featuring the "Line" (170km linear city) and other futuristic components, though reports suggest potential cutbacks and delays.
Sustainability Paradox: Critics note that NEOM's construction currently consumes one-fifth of the world's steel supply, with estimates suggesting it could generate 1.8 gigatons of CO2, questioning the feasibility of its "100% renewable" branding during the build phase.
Strategic Vision: Panelists agree that projects like NEOM serve as necessary "branding" and risk-taking experiments to push the boundaries of urban planning, even if specific elements (e.g., the full 170km line) may evolve or scale back over time.
Economic Reality: Yassin Mansour emphasizes that regardless of the vision, real estate development requires steady cash flow and cannot rely on "build and wait" models without immediate returns.