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| Atkins’ CEO interviewed on CNBC about innovation in cities Atkins' chief executive officer Prof Dr Uwe Krueger appeared on CNBC Europe's Squawkbox programme this morning in the culmination of a week's special programming around the theme of innovation in cities. He was interviewed by lead anchors Geoff Cutmore, Steve Sedgwick and Karen Tso. Uwe set the context for the interview by talking about the rapid drive towards urbanisation, with 75 per cent of the global population expected to live in a city by 2050. This trend was driving an urgent need for cities to protect themselves going forward, he said, ensuring sustainable growth through holistic plans that addressed all key infrastructure and social needs. Karen Tso asked about China and the challenge it was facing as vast swathes of people relocated from the countryside to the city. She questioned whether there was a danger that the pace of change could threaten the sustainability of some of its cities. As an illustration of what can be achieved Uwe gave the example of Karamay city in the far west of China which is set to double the size of its population by 2050. He talked about how the city was dealing with this by adopting a centralised plan which simultaneously dealt with all of the necessary infrastructure needs. This was based on a masterplan produced by Atkins in 2011 and the company is remaining involved through a commission to design a new leisure area for the city based around a lake in the heart of the new city district. Uwe also went on to talk about the experience Atkins was gaining in Qatar where Atkins has set up and is helping to run the Central Planning Office (CPO). The CPO is helping to coordinate infrastructure works set out in Qatar's National Infrastructure Plan which is set to deliver around $65 billion of investment by 2016. The works include new road, rail and support systems such as drainage and will underpin the Emir's wish to significantly raise living standards. The CPO will act as an anchor point for all projects ensuing the work is carried out in an integrated way that minimises disruption and maximising cost efficiency. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |