Huda Shaka. She is an environmentalist and urban planner who has been working on Arab Cities for over 15 years. In her work, Huda tries to make sure cities are people and planet focused. This means that cities should be healthy, resilient and sustainable.  Huda holds master degrees in Analytical chemistry and international urban planning. She is currently working in Abu Dhabi as advisor for the department of municipalities and transport.  Huda is also known and perhaps better known as the Green Urbanista. For many years she has been sharing her thoughts and challenges on building better cities and spaces on her blog and social media. We discuss the challenges of building sustainably in Dubai, a rapidly developing environment. Differences in how the west and middle east view green spaces and how to build cities that promote health.