People movers

Easy access is key to a development's success, so why not start the planning with transport? Michele Howe looks at the benefits of transport oriented development.

Ken Livingstone's recent appraisal of Dubai's transport system may have struck a nerve, but it is hard to deny that the city's transport system is in dire need of an overhaul.

Speaking at a real estate event in Dubai last month, the former London mayor urged Dubai to take on board the fact that its success in becoming a major financial centre depends, in large part, on adopting an efficient public transport system.

"Dubai must recognise a modern financial district requires the vast majority of workers to use public transport," Livingstone said.

With the population of Dubai expected to reach three million by 2017, up from approximately 1.67 million at present, and Abu Dhabi to top three million by 2030, up from approximately 930,000 at present, there is no doubt that the UAE's transport systems need to be addressed urgently.

As more and more people set up home in the UAE, the region has got increasingly congested.

The problem affects both drivers and non-drivers. For drivers, other than endless traffic jams the major bugbear is lack of parking, while non-drivers, deprived of an adequate public transport system, are dependent on a finite number of taxis.

Addressing the problem

The good news is that authorities have stated their commitment to alleviating the situation.

Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) - established in 2005 specifically to address the provision of an advanced transport network - has begun a comprehensive programme aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in Dubai.

The plan is multi-faceted, covering road, rail, and water. Road infrastructure is being developed, more buses are being supplied and the Creek's waterbus service was recently extended. A number of monorails are also under development.

The jewel in the transport crown, however, is the new metro. Costing AED 15.5 billion to build, two lines are currently under construction with further lines planned. It is expected to be partially operational by 2009 and fully operational by 2012.

Over in Abu Dhabi, the Urban Planning Council is also committed to improving transportation. Its measures include promoting shorter streets and bicycle circulation systems.

"We are encouraging the use of public transportation. We are looking at ways of encouraging streets to be more pedestrian-oriented. The biggest problem we face here is the culture of the car and owning a car. We are looking at different ways of shifting the culture to a more pedestrian environment," said Salem Al Qassimi, associate planner of the UPC.Changes are afoot in the other Emirates as well. Sharjah has announced plans to establish a modern public transport system focusing on a wider bus network, while Ras Al Khaimah has said it plans to overhaul its public transport system.

In the wider GCC region, there are also plans to upgrade transport. Kuwait, for example, is looking to introduce a rapid transit metro system.

Transit Oriented Development

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) - the planning of developments around transport encouraging independence from personal transportation - is not a new concept, but is one that is still relatively unknown in the Middle East.

There is now more recognition of TOD in the region, says Ayad Habboush, regional development director at design, engineering and management consultancy WSP. In addition to upgrading public transport, authorities are now putting more pressure on developers to ensure both that transportation needs are addressed within individual developments and that individual developments are connected to the overall network, he says.

"The government of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have taken advanced steps in recognition of the importance of transport planning for their regional developments," he comments. "Developers are now legally responsible for carrying out traffic studies and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities prior to commencement with the construction of their projects. Developers in Dubai, for example, must consider, at a very early stage in the planning process, the transport planning studies and obtain approval of the RTA before they can advance through the detailed design."

Reasons for TOD

At a certain point in the development of a city, transit has to move beyond car-based private transport to be sustainable, say transit experts. The exact point at which this happens is generally put at over a million people.

"Cities that are growing without effective transit services are unsustainable," says Dan Burden, principal and senior urban designer with US design firm Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, which offers transportation planning and engineering as one of its services.

"Eventually, a growing city that doesn't offer its residents, workers and students efficient transit will see an increase in automobile dependence and resulting land-use patterns and behavior. This is detrimental to the city's economy, social well-being, physical health and ecology."

The consequences of an inadequate public transport system are multiple, notes Burden. For motorists, it creates isolation as well as fuel and maintenance costs although, given the low price of fuel in the Middle East, this is less of a problem than elsewhere. For non-motorists, their access, mobility and travel are limited.

A large number of vehicles also means authorities have to invest in additional infrastructure to accommodate the greater number of cars such as roadways, parking spaces and tolls.

The devotion of public space to more automobiles also makes cities less interesting, he adds. "Downtowns tend to spread out, neighbourhoods aren't built to a human scale and even houses become lined with large driveways and auto-centricity," he notes.Successful developments have to reconcile transport-planning requirements from the onset of the project with various integrated modes of transport, says Habboush.

"It could well be disastrous, if developments are planned without studying transport requirements from the onset. Any masterplan is not just about a pretty picture, but about a combination of transport, social and other aspects where the right balance has to be struck," he says.

Advantages of TOD

The advantages of developments based around transit, on the other hand, are obvious - not just easier accessibility, but better social connections, and less harm to the environment.

This is something very much acknowledged by developers, says Burden. "Certainly, in the last few years there has been more interaction between developers and authorities.

Developers do recognise the urgency and the need to take transportation planning at a very early stage from concept masterplanning. They are recognising that developments become more attractive when they see people can return home with a minimum of stress and safely."

The key to good transit-oriented development is an understanding that the scale and design of communities should be set by the human foot and the length of the average stride, and the classic five to 10 minute walk, notes Burden.

"People are generally comfortable walking about five to 10 minutes to access their urban services or to get to work or school. Any longer, and it becomes more efficient and desirable to use another mode of transportation," he says, before adding that specific developments based around transit should have three key elements - connectivity; well-placed buildings and land uses; and open space through the inclusion of plazas, streets, parks and other public spaces.

Models of TOD

When it comes to holding up models of TOD, cities such as New York and Vancouver are most often cited by transit experts.

The transportation system in New York City is multi-layered and includes the largest subway system in the world and an aerial tramway.

The most successful transit models are generally those located in compact, dense cities where people can reach their destinations within a five or 10 minute walk from wherever their starting point may be, notes Burden.

While, at present, the GCC often comes in for a lot of criticism for its inadequate transport system, with the right investment and intent, authorities could still turn this around, say experts.

"In Abu Dhabi, you have got this enormous growth and this enormous opportunity to shape that growth... in many ways it can become a significant model for how developments can occur in these rapidly emerging regions," said Jim Heid, founder of real estate development and advisory service provider Urban Green.

The crucial point, he adds, is to ensure that transit is firmly locked into all future development plans.

"An important part of the 2030 plan is to make sure you didn't end up with a tale of two cities, the really cool new stuff and then the old city. They should figure out a way to make people focus on the core and redevelop the core concurrently while they work on the edges and transit becomes the linkage between those two."