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The Green Spine

The Green Spine
July 14, 2024 Hannah McNaul

Dubai has revealed plans to produce ‘the world’s greenest highway’. The ‘Dubai Green Spine’ will transform Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road into a sustainable corridor, 64km in length. [1]

green spine

Figure 1: Palm trees beside paved road.

URB, a Dubai-based urban planning and development firm, recently unveiled the ambitious project to align with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. [2]. This master plan aims to upgrade Dubai’s urban areas, improve the efficiency of resource utilisation, develop vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities and double green and leisure areas, provide a healthy environment to residents and visitors, and provide sustainable and flexible means of mobility. [3]

Sustainable Transport

The Green Spine will consist of an electric tram system connecting many of Dubai’s neighbourhoods and over a million trees spread over parks, gardens and urban farms that produce fruit and vegetables. A large solar array will be built to provide electricity to the tram system and power approximately 130,000 homes. If introduced, it is expected to reduce CO2 emissions in Dubai by 1 million tonnes annually. [4]

URB explains, ‘By integrating a comprehensive network of green pathways, pedestrian routes, and cycling tracks, the Green Spine enhances urban connectivity, making it feasible for residents to reach essential services and leisure areas quickly and conveniently […] This initiative not only promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle but also significantly reduces the need for vehicular travel, thus lowering urban traffic and its associated environmental impacts.’ 

Continued Innovation

Amongst plans for the Green Spine, URB have previously announced plans for ‘The Loop’. This project proposed 93km of air-conditioned walking and cycling track. Other propositions include the Dubai Reefs Project, a floating living lab for marine restoration and ecotourism, and Dubai Mangroves, a coastline with more than 100 million mangrove trees to protect coastal areas from erosion. If approved, these projects will create recreational spaces and ecological corridors that support the sustainability and biodiversity in Dubai. [5][6].

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References

[1] https://www.timeoutdubai.com/news/dubai-green-spine

[2] https://economymiddleeast.com/news/dubai-green-spine-plan-unveiled-to-transform-key-highway-e311-with-trams-cycling-paths/

[3] https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/transport-and-infrastructure/dubai-2040-urban-master-plan

[4] https://newatlas.com/architecture/urb-green-spine/

[5] https://www.designboom.com/architecture/urb-dubai-reefs-floating-living-lab-marine-restoration-ecotourism-uae-05-09-2023/

[6]https://www.designboom.com/architecture/urb-dubai-coast-100-million-mangroves-72-kilometers-04-30-2024/


Image accreditation: Nick Fewings (2020) from Unsplash.com. Last accessed on 14th July 2024. Available at:
https://unsplash.com/photos/palm-trees-beside-paved-road-oGLxW6lUBO0

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