From Pollution to Prosperity: Integrating Filtration into Sustainable Urban Design
Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
Strategic Director, WFI, CA
Visiting Academic Fellow
Cranfield Univ., UK
Speaker Bio
Dr. Al-Attar, Strategic Director of World Filtration Institute, is a Visiting Academic Fellow in the School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing at Cranfield University, UK. He is a globally recognized air filtration consultant. Dr. Al-Attar received his engineering degrees (BSc, MSc, Ph.D.) from the University of Toronto (Canada), Kuwait University, and Loughborough University (UK), respectively. He has been doing his research in recent years at Oxford University in sustainable urban air quality. Dr. Al-Attar’s area of expertise focuses on designing and performing high-efficiency filters for HVAC and land-based gas turbine applications, particularly on the chemical and physical characterization of airborne particles.
Dr. Al-Attar is a columnist in the EUROVENT Middle East newsletter, Climate Control Middle East Magazine, ES Engineering, USA, Caloryfrio Magazine, Spain, and Filtration News, USA. He has authored many articles on air quality, filter design, performance, particle characterization, and climate change, which were translated into Arabic and Spanish. Dr. Al-Attar is an editorial member/referee in the Filtration Society (UK) and the Journal of Cleaner Production.
Presentation time
December 2, 2025
8:10 am - 8:25am EST
Abstract
While urbanization drives economic prosperity, it comes with a high cost: intensifying air pollution that compromises public health and our quality of life. Traditional urban planning has largely neglected to incorporate effective natural and technological solutions, leaving cities vulnerable. This presentation offers a modern perspective for integrating filtration systems into sustainable urban design, turning our most polluted environments into thriving, resilient communities.
The presentation explores how cities can successfully embed filtration technologies into the very fabric of their urban landscapes. Drawing on real-world case studies, the presentation will demonstrate that the focus should extend beyond just cleaning the air to include protecting our shared environment, creating healthy economic opportunities, boosting biodiversity, and enhancing the well-being of residents. This lecture serves as a practical guide for a fundamental shift in urban development—a move from a legacy of pollution to a future of prosperity by placing ecological health at the core of our city planning, where filtration technologies can play a pivotal and responsible role.