The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims to provide, by 2030, universal access to safe, inclusive and green public spaces – in particular, for the benefit of women and children, the elderly and people with disabilities. There is a lot of evidence showing a clear link between access to such spaces and how a city’s inhabitants perceive their individual standard of living and quality of life. As a result, public green spaces are becoming a key part of urban development policymaking as countries, such as the UAE, work to improve the happiness of their populations. To support this trend, Abu Dhabi's clean energy company Masdar has appointed a study, in partnership with<em> The National</em>, to highlight the role of green civic spaces in cultivating innovation, sustainability, health and well-being in our cities. You can contribute to this important research – which will be published to coincide with Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week – by taking part in a short survey: <em>If you would like to provide additional commentary please email </em><a href="mailto:malrawi@thenational.ae" target="_blank"><em>malrawi@thenational.ae</em></a>
