Dubai: Areas close to Dubai Metro stations are to be developed, or redesigned where possible, to attract mixed-use projects while promoting transit ridership, a senior official said on Tuesday.
The proposal promotes the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model used in leading North American cities such as Vancouver and San Francisco Bay Area that encourages public transport use by developing projects close to metro or bus stations.
Muna Al Osaimi, director, Rail Planning and Projects Development, Roads and Transport Agency (RTA), said the RTA is developing such a project — known as Union Oasis — near Union Station in Deira. Her comments came during her presentation to the Mena Transport Congress and Exhibition in Dubai, which ends on Wednesday.
The project, to be built under a public-private partnership model, will be within walking distance and adjacent to the station. It will consist of four towers, including a hotel, offices and underground shops and facilities in basement levels linked to the station, which itself is underground, she added.
Other action areas as potential TODs have been assessed, including three stations along Al Nahda Road; three along Salah Al Deen Road; and the area around ADCB station. These areas are currently “characterised by low urban densities and lack of proper land use around the metro stations”, her presentation showed.
“RTA and the concerned government authorities will encourage the urban regeneration of the surrounding areas according to the TOD principles,” it added.
Al Osaimi said the Dubai 2020 Urban Master Plan stresses TOD principles to be considered at the land-use planning, zoning and strategy levels. Dubai Municipality is the main authority spearheading the integration of TOD principles in the master plan, she added.
The RTA is involved in the Union Oasis project because the land of the site of the project happens to belong to RTA, Al Osaimi pointed out. The other potential TODs will attract interest from the private sector, she added, who will seek to take advantage of the proximity of the stations and special zoning rules.
In the case of the Union Oasis project, it is estimated that car trips to the site will fall by 50 per cent as people will opt to use the metro and other transit options.
