Technology

AtkinsRéalis, a leading global design and engineering consultancy, has announced a strategic partnership with Futurecity, the international cultural placemaking agency, to embed culture and creativity at the core of urban development across the Middle East.

The new partnership, set to officially launch at MIPIM Cannes 2026, will focus on integrating cultural strategy, placemaking, and identity as central components of the region’s evolving urban landscape. The collaboration reflects a growing trend among Middle Eastern governments and developers to prioritize cultural identity, liveability, and social value in shaping future cities.

Building on years of collaboration between the two organizations, this partnership marks a new phase in advancing human-centric, culturally intelligent urban design. AtkinsRéalis and Futurecity will work with governments, master developers, and city leaders to integrate cultural value, social impact, and placemaking principles from the earliest stages of planning and design.

A central element of the partnership is the launch of the Futurecity Lab, an innovative platform dedicated to cultural foresight, creative economic insight, and people-centered design. The Lab has already initiated pilot projects, and both organizations plan to present the first outcomes and the next phase of collaboration during MIPIM 2026.

Matthew Tribe, Senior Vice President of Buildings and Places at AtkinsRéalis, highlighted the importance of culture in shaping the next era of urban development:

“Across the Middle East, cities are undergoing profound transformation, with culture emerging as a defining catalyst of change. This partnership embodies our shared conviction that cultural intelligence is essential to shaping the next generation of urban environments.”

He added:

“By uniting AtkinsRéalis’ design and engineering excellence with Futurecity’s cultural strategy, we give governments and developers the strategic foundation to create places with clear identity, enduring value, and purpose.”

Mark Davy, CEO and Founder of Futurecity, emphasized the transformative potential of integrating arts and culture into the early stages of urban masterplanning:

“I have seen at first-hand how arts and culture have become essential placemaking tools for the development and regeneration of cities across the world. This unique partnership with AtkinsRéalis offers an unprecedented opportunity to ensure cultural thinking is integrated from the very beginning of the masterplanning process as a critical element of urban infrastructure.”

He further noted:

“We will bring our experience of working on over 400 placemaking and cultural projects, spanning diverse property types, to provide expertise in cultural masterplanning, place-narrative development, public art strategies, cultural brokering, cultural trends research, and destination strategies for emerging destinations.”

As part of their collaboration, AtkinsRéalis and Futurecity will jointly engage with major real estate and urban development platforms, including Cityscape Global, MIPIM, MIPIM Middle East, and the Future Investment Initiative (FII), as well as other leading global forums.

The partnership positions both organizations as pioneers in culturally led, human-centric urban development, reinforcing the role of creative placemaking as a cornerstone of future city planning in the Middle East and beyond.

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