Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council Magazine Issue 6 April 2012

Designs for
Al Gharbia
The Western Region spans over a 60,000 square
kilometre area and accounts for 83% of Abu Dhabi
Emirate’s landmass, but with a low population
density spread across the seven settlements
of Madinat Yazed, Liwa, Mirfa, Ruwais, Delma,
Ghayathi and Sila’a. Al Gharbia was paid particular
attention by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, who wanted to raise the quality of life
for Al Gharbia’s people. It is with this wish in mind
that the UPC has created plans address feedback
received from Al Gharbia’s residents.
In Summer of 2010, the UPC’s team of planners
went and presented concept plans to residents
to gain get an insight on their current and future
needs and their ideas for the development of
their communities. Held under the patronage of
HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s
Representative in the Western Region, and in
close collaboration with the Western Region
Development Council (WRDC) and Western Region
Municipality (WRM), the sessions were attended
by residents and local Government authority
representatives.
The previous community sessions, held in all
seven settlements, enabled an open dialogue
between UPC planners, local community
members and local Government representatives.
The feedback received resulted in plans that
balance the preservation of the each settlement’s
identity with high-quality community facilities
and opportunities for employment and industry.
In November last year, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the
western Region, was presented with the urban
plans and work progress for Sila’a, Ghayathi and
Delma in the Western Region. They highlighted
general plan of developments for each settlement
and implementation phases, as well as design
regulations and development requirements. The
plans stress the need to preserve the cultural
and environmental assets of the Western Region
whilst highlighting its role as the nexus of
traditional and modern Emirati society and also
the nerve of Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry.
The plans have been designed to reflect the
creative contribution of Al Gharbia’s residents
by managing and meeting their immediate needs
without compromising the assets and potential of
the Emirati’s future generation, in line with the
UPC’s Estidama principles of sustainability.
These plans were then presented back to the
residents of Sila’a and Ghayathi during two
charrettes held recently on February 12 - 14. The
planners explained where the residents’ feedback
had been incorporated and how the plans had
evolved since the initial sessions. These sessions
are equally as important as they enable residents
to see how the UPC has taken onboard their
feedback. “Feeding back our finalised plans to
the citizens of the settlements is the final stage
in the community engagement initiative adopted
by the UPC. The planning process has attempted
to integrate most of the views and feedback
voiced by the residents during the initial sessions
and through our presentations, we have been
able to demonstrate how their feedback has been
30 VISION MAGAZINE ISSUE SIX