Dubai's eco-friendly master plan revealed

The developers of Dubai mega ecological project, the Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, have revealed the master plan for the $60 billion project.

Designed by architect Eric Kuhne of London-based CivicArts, the urban development will include educational, financial and commercial facilities, iconic civic buildings and more than 150 km of waterfront and wetlands.

The project will be linked by a network of canals, pools and waterways, Kuhne said in a statement.

“The canal system, which will be navigable, will…provide wildlife habitats and provide numerous opportunities for leisure and recreation as well as a unique backdrop for the urban development proposals,” he said.

The project’s core design feature is the ‘Grand Canal’ that will wind its way from Dubai Creek and Business Bay into the Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens.

The water and power strategies at Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens will be supported by low water usage and energy efficient buildings, while building control system will minimise energy demand, he said.

“The parks, canals and ponds will create habitats and attract migratory birds, enhancing local and global biodiversity. Green spaces will release oxygen and capture carbon dioxide, improving local air quality and offsetting the city’s carbon footprint,” he added.

Kuhne said the project will support a city of over a quarter of a million people, and its system of waterways, parks and gardens representing the “largest formal urban master plan in the Southern Arabian Gulf”.

Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens, announced in April, will be spread over 82-square kilometres between Al Khail and Emirates Road and includes four built-up clusters.

Dubai Properties, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai Holding, is overseeing the project, which will be carried out in six stages. Initial work on the project has already begun.

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