Vision Magazine Online Issue 1

Quality Streets
The UPC has launched the new Urban Street Design Manual to
improve the streets and pavements of Abu Dhabi for all users
Cities are often defined by their buildings. But while an
urban skyline may attract all the attention, it is what
happens at street level that makes a city a great place
to live.
To maximise the investment in the development of
iconic office towers, inspiring museums and attractive
shopping malls, these buildings need to be wellconnected
and easily accessible by all.
The Urban Planning Council (UPC) has identified that
an efficient network of streets and pavements is
critical to the growth of Abu Dhabi and to creating a
world-class Arab city. In response it has launched the
new ’Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual’, which
will become an essential tool in creating vibrant, wellconnected
and safer streets and will provide Abu Dhabi
with a better streetscape.
The Urban Street Design Manual is the culmination
of 12 months work between the UPC, Abu Dhabi
Municipality, Abu Dhabi Police and the Abu Dhabi
Department of Transport in conjunction with a
number of specialist consultants who have researched
international best practice to create a practical guide to
develop Abu Dhabi’s roads and pathways.
Cars are currently the main form of transport in
Abu Dhabi. The hot and humid weather during the
summer months means people prefer to travel in airconditioned
comfort rather than walk on pavements
that have little shade. To add to the appeal of driving,
people are often confronted with streets that are not
pedestrian-friendly and make it difficult to walk from
one place to another. Illegal and badly parked cars
often create further barriers to pedestrians and act as
another disincentive to walk.
Ibrahim Al Hmoudi, Senior Associate Planner at the
UPC, who has been heavily involved in the creation of
the manual, explains that the aim of the Urban Street
Design Manual is to promote the development of a
‘balanced street network’.
“This will ensure that streets are designed to be
efficient, safe and usable for all users – pedestrians,
cyclists and drivers,” says Al Hmoudi.
The manual will also contain strategies to improve the
ability to drive around the city by reducing congestion
and improving parking provisions. But, as Al Hmoudi
reiterates, “The emphasis of the Urban Street Design
Manual will be on making streets safer and more
comfortable for pedestrians – their safety must be
paramount”.
The UPC is keen to create safer streets to encourage
walking, which is environmentally-friendly, promotes
a healthy lifestyle and reduces congestion. But
pedestrians are the most vulnerable of all street users
and, therefore, require special care and consideration.
Emirati children also like to play together in their local
streets, so designing safer streets is important for
Emirati families as well as pedestrians.
To improve the safety of Abu Dhabi’s streets, the UPC
aims to construct new pedestrian crossings on all
streets to enable people, particularly children, to safely
move from block to block. The crossings will be in the
form of a number of designs, which are outlined in
26 VISION MAGAZINE - ISSUE ONE