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CHALLENGE
Steering a New Government Urban Innovation Lab
Madinah is growing quickly, shaped by tourism and rapid development, with a still-nascent urban innovation ecosystem and no platform for exchange with international research communities. The Madinah Development Authority's Smart City program wanted a lab that could take on the city's urban challenges through action research. My team at Gehl, with MIT as a research collaborator, created a comprehensive strategic plan for the Lab and implemented a digital and place-based pilot project as a proof of concept.
Client
Smart City Program, Madinah Development Authority
Location
Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Year
2025
I co-authored the strategic plan - a foundational document to guide the Lab and procure federal funding for its launch - and supported stakeholder engagement in Madinah Drawing on my experience with complex organizational structures, I created preliminary governance and operating models for the Lab. I also organized a study tour to NYC that included speakers from the U.S. and Canada and a workshop at Gehl's office. These activities helped shape the Lab's mission and network
THEMES
organizational strategy · stakeholder mapping · workshop design and production · cultural heritage · economic value capture · active mobility · climate resilience · urban innovation · academic partnerships · immersion tours
HIGHLIGHTS
01
Madinah Government Stakeholder Meetings and Presentation to the Mayor
In Madinah, we tested initial thinking about the Lab and its initiatives with government stakeholders and revised against their feedback before the final presentation to the Mayor, who gave the green light to proceed
02
Client Study Visits to NYC and MIT
Gehl and MIT co-led study visits to MIT’s Media Lab and Gehl, for a few days of intention setting, inspiration, and network cultivation. Discussions with leading academics at MIT and invited urban experts at Gehl helped the team refine the Lab’s broader goals and initiatives
03
Strategic Plan Development
Following immersive research and stakeholder engagement, the Strategic Plan set out the Lab's mission and goals, core research focuses, key initiatives, governance and operations, and a three-year implementation plan, delivered alongside a digital and place-based pilot as proof of concept
Testimonial
This collaboration represents the start of a richer exchange, blending local and global expertise, with Madinah serving as a living laboratory to experiment with modern, technology-driven approaches to urban planning.
Say hello. Let's make magic ↗
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