WHY PLANNED CITIES MATTER IN AND OUT OF THE

MIDDLE EASTEhsan Bayat

Why Planned Cities Matter In and Out of the Middle East• Planned cities have gained momentum as one of the leading

trends in the global real estate industry, and the Middle East is home to many of these large-scale projects. Some involve developing existing plots of land, and others, such as Palm Jumeirah in the UAE, sit on man-made islands.

• The innovators behind these master-planned communities have gone a step further to incorporate the latest in sustainable design and practices. As a result, a unique economic model has arrived.

Planned sustainable cities and systemic management• Philippe Bouvier, founder of Urban Value Creation Consulting in Dubai, has

observed that value is often lost in the traditional real estate model because of the division between markets. The owner sells the land to the master developer, who designs and builds the infrastructure from the ground up; sub-developers further develop the individual plots and create assets; and finally, other organizations manage or sell the assets to end consumers. In this chain, however, the ownership shifts from one entity to the next, resulting in a loss of opportunities for creating and sustaining value.

• In many cases, the master-planned sustainable city model simplifies and streamlines the conventional real estate development model. These new cities benefit from having the same organization involved in each link of the value chain. Systemic management, as Bouvier calls it, achieves sustainability both in the process and in the end product.

Key components of sustainable cities• The whole purpose of a sustainable city is to improve quality of life and to decrease the

environmental impact of development. Five key components contribute to a sustainable, well-managed city: sustainable development, mobility, energy, water management, and green buildings.

• Sustainable development involves strategically strengthening the basic infrastructure that a city relies on. This takes into consideration the demands of sporting events, public security, and healthcare availability in urban areas.

• Mobility refers to a focus on optimizing transportation routes. Infrastructure plays a strong role in this category, because environmentally friendly transportation requires strong, well-designed public transportation networks.

• In terms of energy supply, sustainable cities are built with a plan for balancing the safety, supply, affordability, and environmental impact of power generation. Managing total greenhouse emissions is a major concern.

• For a city to be truly sustainable, its water resources must also be managed efficiently, in order to maintain a consistent supply of clean, potable water for residents, businesses, and industry over the long term. Sustainable cities also need to meet the demands of adequate wastewater treatment.

• Green buildings are the final element in a sustainable city. By employing green construction methods, design principles, and advanced technologies, architects and construction firms can create buildings that use less energy and water.

Examples in the Middle East• For a few real-world examples, here are four planned sustainable

cities at various levels of completion in the Middle East.

Masdar City• Masdar, a subsidiary of the Mubadala Development

Company, was established in 2006, and two years later, the group launched the Masdar City project in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The city features traditional Arabic architecture styles supported by the latest in sustainable development practices.

• Solar energy technology is in place to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and water conservation provisions, such as low-flow showers and smart water meters, also contribute to the efficiency of the low-carbon development. The finished product will accommodate roughly 40,000 residents, as well as an additional influx of 50,000 people each day.

Image courtesy Inhabitat | Flickr

The Sustainable City – Dubai• Designed as the first net zero energy city in Dubai,

The Sustainable City will exceed sustainability standards and create a model for international developers. The city will include 500 residential properties, a variety of tourist attractions, healthcare facilities, places of business, and centers for worship.

• Powered in part by 10 MW of solar power, the community is also unique because it will recycle 100% of its wastewater for reuse as irrigation. All construction in the city will feature sustainable engineering, and the local environment will support 10,000 trees and an organic farm. The Sustainable City covers 5 million square feet of land, and will accommodate 2,700 residents.

Image courtesy Defence Images | Flickr

Lusail City• The premier sustainable city in Qatar, Lusail

City comprises 38 square kilometers of land, including four islands. The city will offer housing for 200,000 residents, and it will accommodate a capacity of 450,000 people when accounting for daily workers and visitors.

• Lusail City will operate with a number of eco-friendly provisions implemented to preserve land, water, and natural habitats. Wastewater will be recycled for irrigation, and a light rail network with 38 stations will provide clean transport around the city. Other sustainable infrastructure features will also contribute to the efficiency of the city, which will play a major part in hosting the 2022 World Cup.

Image courtesy arwcheek | Flickr

King Abdullah Economic City• Emaar serves as the master developer of the King Abdullah

Economic City (KAEC), located north of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The organization upholds a commitment to three forms of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental.

• In terms of environmental sustainability, plans are in place to reduce pollution and minimize carbon emissions and energy use. Additional provisions include measures to promote biodiversity and support the local ecology, especially during the construction phases.

• KAEC spans 70 square miles, and the total project will cost roughly $100 billion U.S. dollars, according to the BBC.