THE EVOLUTION THE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIES LOOP

Dubai’s next ambitious project aims at connecting more than 3 million residents using a healthy mode of transport, to key services & locations by walking and cycling within minutes

THE LOOP is planned to connect more than 3 million residents using a healthy mode of transport, to key services & locations by walking and cycling within minutes. It will provide an enjoyable climate controlled all-year environment, to make walking & cycling the primary mode of transport for Dubai’s residents, in line with its new 20-minute city initiative. The aim is to make cycling & walking the primary mode of transport for daily commutes for more than 80% of Dubai’s residents by 2040.

The project is masterminded by URB, a global leader in developing sustainable cities. Kasun Illankoon spoke to the CEO of URB, Baharash Bagherian, to discuss this innovative and sustainable project.

Tell us about URB and what does it focus on?

URB is a highly experienced developer of Net Zero Sustainable Cities. Our mission is to accelerate the world’ transition towards sustainable developments. We also offer our expertise through urban planning, landscape & architectural consultancy. We also invest in urban-tech start-ups through our incubator program.

Rising population, urbanisation and impacts of climate change are increasing the need for cities to be sustainable, resilient, and smart. Thus, the creation of net zero sustainable cities is no longer a choice, it has become a necessity. This requires planners & developers with experience as well as technical know-how in designing and delivering such projects, which the market currently lacks.

Today we are also at the very early stages in the evolution of sustainable cities, thus the features of a sustainable city is rapidly evolving as urban challenges grow, lifestyle habits change, socio-economic challenges expand and new technologies emerge. The increase rate of climate change is also fuelling new thinking in the planning of the next generation of sustainable cities, for which URB are creating benchmark models for others to follow.

There is a true sense of entrepreneurial spirit in our approach to design. Each project is driven by a process of investigation, experimentation and always asking “what if?”. The outcomes of these studies coupled with our expertise in urban planning which embodies years of research, testing, and implementation of sustainable solutions, form the basis of the design. Each project thus presents an opportunity for a new way of thinking, to provide a higher quality of life whilst also protecting the environment.

Our sustainability DNA is also comprehensive and unique. It covers all aspects of sustainability to ensure our designs are holistic, resilient and smart. We implement and monitor our DNA to the highest of standards on each project, thus providing significant benefits to the social, environmental and economic sustainability of cities.

Our international experience, knowledge, and know-how of designing sustainable cities of various scales in different parts of the world is empowering our mission; to be the global and trusted leader in developing the next generation of sustainable cities, whilst educating people that such cities are commercially viable to construct and operate.

What was the vision behind THE LOOP project?

The project is in line with Dubai’s ambition of becoming a 20 minute city, where residents are able to access daily needs & destinations within 20 minutes by foot or bicycle. Active mobility is one of the critical components for creating healthy liveable cities. In the past few years, Dubai has strived to become the world’s most liveable city and launched the 2040 urban masterplan. As such Urban mobility has become a key priority.

The increasing challenges of rapid urban expansion and climate change, together with the need of providing a high quality of life, are also fueling new thinking in urban mobility to improve walkability & cycling in Dubai. Rapid urbanization has created many problems in the way we travel inside our dense cities. Congestion, safety, air pollution, noise emissions and high levels of CO2 are some of the key challenges that many cities are struggling to cope with. Whilst some cities stagnate in mobility, THE LOOP project in Dubai will provide the world’s smartest cycling & walking infrastructure, which will promote a higher quality of life.

Cycling is a major global trend & a daily source of mobility in some parts of the world. The key challenge in Dubai is that the infrastructure & existing urban fabric is engineered primarily for the use of cars. Thus swapping cars for bikes in an existing highly-developed car-oriented city, requires a seismic shift in urban planning as well as the infrastructure required to enable that shift.

With newly built mega highways & road infrastructures already shaping the way people move around, we need bold visions that will accelerate the transition towards cycling & walking between neighborhoods. Active mobility is more manageable to implement at a neighborhood level, yet at a city-wide level where there are major highways disconnecting communities and the primary mode of travel is on the road itself, opportunities for creative solutions that are safe, pollution-free, resilient & enjoyable to use 24/7 all year round are required.

THE LOOP will reduce car dependency by enabling urban residents to walk or cycle to essential amenities within a few minutes from their homes.

Tell us about the features of this project?

The multifunctionality of THE LOOP is one of its smartest features as it provides holistic solutions to mobility, resilience, social infrastructure & economic opportunities whilst also providing many environmental benefits. The project will feature pocket parks, wellness facilities, fitness stations & various other amenities for residents and visitors.

The technology integrated into the design is another smart feature. THE LOOP will generate electricity using one of the cleanest and most plentiful energy sources on the planet, footsteps. Human footsteps taken every day will no longer go to waste, as it will be transformed into renewable energy in THE LOOP project in Dubai. THE LOOP also generates additional renewable energy into the grid whilst also providing food security through the many vertical farms which are integrated throughout.

How will the architecture and design allow for THE LOOP to make Dubai more connected?

Beyond providing a 93km loop with running & cycling tracks that are accessible 24/7 in a climate controlled environment, THE LOOP will further connect Dubai through social spaces. The Architecture & design is integrated with various recreational & functional spaces for residents and visitors. The design is also resilient by being able to provide safe & accessible mobility in any event. The design of THE LOOP will provide integrated services across all of Dubai’s highest density districts while enhancing the use of sustainable means of urban transport, to make Dubai the most connected city.

How does the project fit into the Dubai Urban Masterplan 2040?

Mobility is one of the critical components of the 2040 masterplan as well as the recent 20-minute city initiative that was launched as part of the plan. THE LOOP looks to embrace the Dubai 2040 urban masterplan, by providing better connectivity, resilient infrastructures & shared facilities for neighborhoods. It will become the world’s largest urban sharing facility where multiple neighborhoods can share the same amenities, thus also promoting social, environmental, and economic sustainability.

THE LOOP will shift the primary mode of transport in Dubai away from cars & taxis. The aim is to make walking, running & cycling one of the primary modes of transports, whilst providing better social infrastructures & facilities for residents, to make Dubai the best place in the world for living.

The goal of the 2040 masterplan is to make Dubai the world’s most liveable city, which ultimately requires a new way of thinking in Urban Mobility.

Tell us what were the initial challenges that you faced in coming up with this innovative project?

Dubai is currently primarily built for car travel. It’s major road infrastructures & networks have disconnected communities by walking or cycling, thus we need an entrepreneurial mindset in reconnecting these neighborhoods, whilst making cycling or walking the primary mode of transport all year round to any part of the city.

Simultaneously, we also need to take a holistic approach to such infrastructures; to think them as much as spaces and utilities for people, where various leisure & community services can also be provided. These types of infrastructures should be an enjoyable mode of sustainable transport, no matter the weather conditions. Thus to achieve this, we need to re-engineer the future mobility infrastructure in Dubai to become more than sustainable transport systems

One of the biggest challenges is that there is currently a big gap in the connections between cycling & public urban transport. The more the two are integrated, the easier it will become for Dubai’s residents to combine cycling & public transport on their daily commutes over a long distance. Safety & yearround useability are some of the critical issues, which THE LOOP also provides. THE LOOP will also be connected to existing urban mobility networks.

With the UAE announcing 2023 as the year of sustainability - what initiatives and steps have URB taken to align with UAE’s sustainable initiative? As changemakers in sustainable developments, URB has developed various initiatives to promote sustainability within the industry. This includes the launch of the world’s first incubator for sustainable cities, an R&D programme focusing entirely on developing new solutions for the next generation of sustainable cities. The incubator was as an important step in the evolution of the company’s R&D programme, which aims to be more than a research platform. It will allow URB to transfer its sustainability know-how whilst engaging with the best minds in the world, to create an innovation hub centred around sustainable cities.

We are also investing in UrbanTechnology for the next generation of sustainable cities, whilst fostering a culture of innovation in urban planning. Our aim is to discover, support and mentor the next generation of innovators. These initiatives coupled with our ongoing projects will help us with our mission to accelerate the world’s transition towards sustainable developments.

Do you plan to do more projects like this in the near future?

Yes. Sustainability & innovation in urban planning is in our DNA. We are committed to pushing the boundaries in urban planning & sustainability. As such we will continue creating benchmarks & blueprints for sustainable cities, whilst investing in Urban Tech startups to empower a greener economy in the built environment.