It’s no secret that the government in Dubai is constantly trying to do everything in its power to ensure people can live a great life, one where they get easy access to a multitude of amenities. Keeping this ideology in mind, two crucial projects that would turn Dubai into a pedestrian-friendly city were recently approved. Yes, this was approved by his highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister of the UAE, and the Ruler of Dubai. The approval of the Dubai Walk Master Plan is bound to make the city into a pedestrian-friendly city, and we are here to tell you all about this development.
What Is Dubai Walk Master Plan?
With the Dubai Walk Master Plan, an integrated network of walkways will be established that will focus on accessibility, safety, and an overall comfortable walking experience. With continuous pathways and expansive green spaces, this will include a 6,500 km of modern walkway network. Yes, covering 160 areas across the city, the plan is to include the construction of 3,300 km of new walkways. Not to mention, 2,300 km of existing ones will also be rehabilitated by 2040. This will be in addition to more than 900 km of walkways that have been planned beyond 2040. As it happens, the master plan also involves developing 110 pedestrian bridges and underpasses that will make connectivity even better.
Reviewed by his highness, it will follow a set design standard that will make sure that can seamlessly be integrated with the distinctive characters of every area. It’s worth mentioning that these plans align with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plans, 20 minutes city. For those who are not aware, the goal is to enable 80% of the residents to access essential services that would be just a 20-minute commute.
To Be Implemented In 3 Phases
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the plan is to complete the construction in three stages. The pilot phase will be running from 2025 to 2027 and the complete implementation will take place in three stages, which will be from 2027 to 2040. The plan is to develop 110 pedestrian bridges and underpasses. This will make connectivity across the urban areas better and includes the construction of bridges connecting the following locations –
- Al Ittihad Road will be connected to Al Nahda and Al Mamzar
- Tripoli Street will be linked to Al Warqa and Mirdif
- Al Khawaneej Street will link Mushrif and Al Khawaneej
- Dubai-Al Ain Road will be connected to Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubailand
Linking major landmarks, such as the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lake Towers, and Dubai International Financial Centre, each of these routes has a distinctive design, lighting, colour, and landscaping, which will reflect the unique identity of its area.
Several Plans Were Also Reviewed
As it happens, he reviewed the plans for the 17 km first phase of pedestrian walkways. This will include two key routes, which are the 15 km Al Ras Historical Route in Al Ras and Al Souk Al Kabeer. Not to mention, Sheikh Mohammad also reviewed The Future Loop project that will be coming up in the Museum of Future area. Featuring an iconic elevated walkaway, it will span 2 km and the width will range anywhere between 6 to 15 m. It will connect important landmarks, such as the Museum of Future, Emirates Towers, Dubai World Trade Centre, and Dubai International Financial Centre. As it happens, nearby metro stations will also be connected.
For those who are not aware, The Future Loop model highlights the connection of 10 key locations. Featuring 30,000 m² of air-conditioned level for a year-round walking experience, it will have an additional 30,000 m² of shaded and green open spaces. As it happens, models for three types of pedestrian walkways were also reviewed by his highness. They are as follows –
- The Scenic-Leisure Walkways will include 112 km of waterfront paths, 124 km of green paths, 64 km in urban areas, and 150 km of rural and mountain trails
- The City Connectivity Walkways in 30 areas will focus on both first- and last-mile connections to public transport.
- The Community Walkways will connect residential areas to nearby attractions in 50 areas.
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Three Urban Spaces Reviewed
In fact, three models for urban spaces were also reviewed. These include the following.
Coming to the roar infrastructure, for The Future Loop, the project will involve the construction of 6200 m of vehicle bridges and tunnels. Not to mention, it will benefit about 500,000 residents and visitors. With this development, road capacity will be increased by 30%, thereby reducing travel time from eight minutes to just about three. Not only this, a smart application will also be launched to promote walking. This will allow the users to track and share their walking data and will also provide information on walkway features. Additionally, facilities like saving favourite routes and even user reviews will also be available.
With this comprehensive plan, it’s not wrong to say that the city is bound to become pedestrian-friendly.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/DXBMediaOffice
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