URB has released a study for “Dubai Cycle City 2040,” envisioning diverse cycling infrastructure in the Emirate. The initiative aims to revolutionize transportation in Dubai, allowing residents quick access to critical services and locations by cycling or walking. In a city where cars have reigned supreme as a transportation mode, plans are underway to transform urban mobility.
Dubai's population is expected to double to 8 million by 2040, and because of the city's growth and aspirations for a particular way of life, cars have become essential. Changing the attitude of mobility in the city requires a very specific approach. At the forefront of this movement is URB’s recently announced “The LOOP.” The 93-kilometer-long highway aims to encourage Dubai’s residents for a healthier mode of transportation.
Our role as urban planners has transformed into being catalysts for change. It's not just about envisioning sustainable cities but purposefully creating assets for existing cities, driving sustainability and change. The Dubai Cycle City 2040 embodies this entrepreneurial drive. –Baharash Baherian, CEO of URB.
After "The LOOP" was unveiled, URB suggested creating a thoroughfare system for cyclists in Dubai to surpass cycling hotspots like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The initiative, which is still in the research stage, aims to create the most sophisticated and networked bicycle infrastructure in the world. In addition to encouraging walking and bicycling as the primary forms of transportation, "The Dubai Cycle City 2040" seeks to improve neighborhoods by incorporating extra features like sports facilities, public spaces, and urban agriculture. The study advances the development of the city by being in line with the objectives of the 2040 master plan and Dubai's 20-minute city project.
In February, URB unveiled the LOOP, hoping to see 80% of Dubai’s residents commute to work by walking or cycling. Currently, in the research and development phase, the project is outlaid in the 2040 Dubai urban master plan. Recently, URB also unveiled plans to develop the largest agrotourism destination in Dubai, a master plan providing food security and restoring polluted land. Finally, their latest project, “Dubai Reefs,” outlines a floating living lab design to restore marine ecosystems and promote ecotourism. The project aims to generate over 30,000 employment opportunities within the green economy.
