Cityscape is back, if only for a day

Looking around Cityscape yesterday afternoon, a rush of nostalgia washed over me. In an instant, I was transplanted back to pre-credit-crunch Cityscape.

After a sleepy Day One, all of a sudden the exhibition centre was buzzing, the architecture conference was producing intelligent debate, there was no food left at the little cafes and people were queuing to get inside.

Those have come to be the street-level symbols of success for this event and, for a moment, things looked quite promising.

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Its 11:00am, which means Day Three has officially kicked off, and as I sit in the press room I cannot help but wonder whether Cityscape Dubai is back. On Day One, people seemed timid. It seemed as though exhibitors—driven by either commiseration or kinship—put on a collective brave face to justify their presence at the event.

Yesterday was different though. Yesterday felt different. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that I witnessed anything that could reasonably be considered a light at the end of the tunnel.

The figures haven’t been released—and won’t be released until after Cityscape finishes—but I’d be willing to bet that the optimism that I saw and felt,  will be carried over into the business side of things.

Today’s main conference is about using the examples from other markets to gauge the Middle East’s post-crisis potential to survive and flourish. Italy, France, Germany, USA, Japan and the UK will all be profiled throughout the day.

In fact, Cityscape Connect—a new series of exclusive roundtables designed to ‘unite global cities in open dialogue’—begins today and features a lineup of speakers that represent a virtual 'who’s who' of the world’s CEOs and managing directors.

The bell has chimed and it’s time for me to get down on the floor. From what I can hear from the press room, things sound a bit quiet again. Did Day Two represent the lion’s share of business? Was it an anomaly? Were Day Two’s visitors simply a slew of curious onlookers bent on rubber-necking their way through an industry car wreck?

My honest answer is: I don’t think so. I cannot be sure but I’m hoping that Day Three builds on yesterday’s momentum. I’m hoping that Cityscape Dubai becomes the spark that ignites the fire of creativity beneath the region’s building industry.

I’m hoping today becomes a day of industry-wide perspective-taking and wound-licking. If it is, maybe tomorrow we can get back to the business of building buildings again. Whatever happens, I’ll keep you posted….