Introduction

The increasing urbanization of many parts of the world coupled with other globally critical issues such as environmental pollution, energy consumption, and resources shortage are resulting in major urban crises in many parts of the world. A strong emphasis nowadays is placed upon improving the sustainability of the built environment "from cradle to cradle". This is attributed to the growing public awareness of the importance of "sustainable development" practices, which also enhances quality of life. Public governance and the construction industry are confronted by the push for sustainability. A fresh and holistic approach to designing, constructing and managing the built environment addressing building and the spatial environment is required, which will need to address buildings and he entire spatial environment. New sets of regulatory practices, indicators, measurements, and priorities are emerging with application at all scales - from individual buildings to the district and city-scale level.

Building on the successful international conference Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development held in Tripoli, Libya in 2009 and in order to explore and map the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development within the urban environment, The Center for the Study of Architecture in the Arab Region (CSAAR) and Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Jordan and the University of Dundee, School of Architecture, UK have joined together to organize the second edition for the international conference on Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development (SAUD ’10).

The conference aims to address the various aspects of urban development considering the implications of applying the principles of sustainability. Of particular interest for the conference is sustainability in the Arab world cities. These cities are undergoing one of the fastest rates of development in the world. However, this rapid, often erratic, and sometimes traumatic growth has not occurred without unwanted consequences in the built environment.

The theme of the conference is "Sustainable Architecture and Urban Development". It aims to provide a forum to examine and discuss solution-oriented, practical methods for implementing sustainable development, and to stimulate more ideas and useful insights regarding architecture and urban development within the context of sustainability. The conference welcomes papers that address issues related to best practice of sustainability in urban design, planning and development in the Arab region and elsewhere. In the interest of tackling these issues from multiple perspectives as well as disciplinary, we invite a wide array of research approaches, ranging from critical-theoretical interrogations to experimental-empirical studies that would encompass not only the spatial and physical aspects of the built environment, but also the social, economic, legislative, cultural and ecological contexts and consequences. The event will feature international prominent Key Speakers, Academic Sessions, Roundtable Discussions and other interactive discussions, to ensure that all participants will greatly benefit from this conference and its international format.