Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council unveils waterfront design ...

Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council unveils waterfront designguidelines for Al Bateen• United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, April 06 - 2010 at 16:32• PRESS RELEASEIn its incessant efforts to safeguard the natural resources and the cultural heritage of AbuDhabi, as it realises the key elements of Plan Capital 2030, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council(UPC), the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi's urban environment, has todayunveiled the waterfront design guidelines for the Al Bateen area in Abu Dhabi.The key objective for the development of Bateen waterfront guidelines is to provide allproperty owners and developers along the waterfront with a framework to contribute to theachievement of Plan Capital 2030 goals with regards to providing public access to the water’sedge. This will be achieved through dedication of land for the design of community access andamenities along the entire waterfront.“The newly unveiled Bateen waterfront guidelines, which embody the key elements of PlanCapital 2030, will preserve public connectivity from the waterfront to the primary public accessroutes of the city and will also provide continuous open public access at the water’s edge forpeople of all ages and abilities,” said H.E Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager Abu Dhabi UrbanPlanning Council.“The Bateen waterfront has a special place in the history and development of Abu Dhabi as awaterfront location as it offers residents and visitors the opportunity to experience theimportance of Abu Dhabi’s rich seafaring history in the development of Emirati culture,” addedAl Ahbabi.As per the new guidelines, the waterfront is to be connected physically and visually to thecirculation routes of the city. Primary pedestrian connections perpendicular to the waterfrontand linking Bainunah Boulevard and the surrounding neighbourhoods will be identified in theBateen Waterfront Framework Plan and preserved for public use.These identified routes will provide minimum corridor widths free of built vertical andhorizontal constructions to maintain unobstructed and sweeping views to open water. Theseroutes will integrate landscaping, pedestrian scaled lighting, public art and street furniture,way-finding tools and multi-modal transportation uses.One of the key components of the Bateen Waterfront guidelines is the development of thewaterfront promenade. The Promenade shall provide the Bateen Area with a unique identityand focus.The waterfront will eventually become a destination which will not only be well connected withfuture public transit options, but will also be a place where all the members of the communitycan walk or bike, enjoy the scenic beauty and relate to the cultural importance of the ArabianGulf to the history of Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the community will have the opportunity toparticipate in diverse retail, cultural as well as noncommercial activities while capitalising onthe tourism market.

“The conservation initiative for the Bateen Waterfront adheres to the principles of Estidama,the sustainability initiative managed by UPC. All elements composing the promenade shall beconstructed according to the 2006 International Building Code and the Estidama GreenBuilding guidelines,” added Al Ahbabi.Besides introducing the Bateen waterfront guidelines, the UPC has in the recent past alsounveiled the Coastal Development guidelines which provide direction for development in themajor coastal basins extending from the Al Dhabiya Island to the boundary with DubaiEmirate. The assigned goal for these development guidelines is to improve the environmentalperformance of coastal development by incorporating key environmental considerations at theconceptual stage.The newly introduced Bateen waterfront guidelines will complement the waterfrontinfrastructure aspect of Plan Capital 2030 that aims to introduce key lifestyle enhancementsfor the residents of Abu Dhabi. Similar lifestyle enhancement themes will also be applicable tomulti modal transport, mixed use and community development, sporting venues, naturalenvironment, revitalisation strategies and cultural heritage aspects of UPC’s other key urbandevelopment projects.