An ambitious plan to turn several historic Dubai neighbourhoods into car-free zones could significantly improve quality of life, residents and experts have told The National.
The Super Block project, unveiled on Thursday, aims to transform key areas into pro-pedestrian areas with more greenery, shared public spaces and greater opportunities for social interactions.
While more details on when the plan will be implemented are yet to be revealed, historic and residential areas such as Al Fahidi, Abu Hail, Al Karama and Al Quoz Creative Zone will be the first to benefit from the initiative.
Gulshan Kavarana, an art teacher who works with Emirati artists in a studio in Tashkeel, Al Fahidi, welcomed the move. She said it would draw more people to the heritage district on Dubai Creek which is home to historic houses, art galleries and museums.
“Tourists are here from 7am and after that it’s non-stop with tourists coming in throughout the day,” she told The National. “I hope the new plan makes the walking areas really cool so we get visitors all through the summer. Then we could get tourists the whole year round in to this space and our studio.”
Ms Kavarana, a special needs advocate, also called for ramps to be built in the planned pedestrian zones to enable easy access for people with disabilities, the elderly and families with young children in strollers.
“They are making an effort to renovate Al Fahidi, and when they add ramps it will be amazing to access the villas that are old,” she said. “We have ramps built in our studio so it’s easy for people to move around. It should be the same not just in this area but all across Dubai.”
How the plan could change appearances
Al Karama is already known as a lively shopping district. Huge murals adorn the walls, people sit at cafes sipping karak chai, while some residents play cricket and badminton. It is hoped the plan could encourage this and increase the number of green areas.
“I have always felt Karama has fewer parks,” said Dr Madhu Mathews, who owns a dental clinic in the neighbourhood. “We don’t have a walking or running track nearby that is continuous. It’s very important to have pedestrian zones and also green areas. When I go to the park, I feel recharged – the greenery makes a big difference.”
Dr Mathews’ clinic is a seven-minute walk from his home, but he usually runs in a park near the Clock Tower that is about 15 minutes away by car.
Parking is an issue in the Karama district. Spaces fill up quickly in the mixed-use area of office and residential buildings. “If there is multistorey parking then people can access many areas that are a 10 to 15-minute walk away,” Dr Mathews said. “Patients don’t mind walking if [there are] clean pedestrian paths. People actually appreciate it now if you ask them to walk. They like walking if the area is well maintained.”
Safer streets
Road safety and public transport experts also welcomed the plan. Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of RoadSafetyUAE, said it was “fantastic”.
“Traffic is building up and people feel concerned,” he said. “The initiative ticks a lot of boxes such as quality of life, sustainability, reducing emissions, taking vehicles off the road and increasing road safety.”
He said the last report from his group showed that UAE motorists appreciate road infrastructure improvements in Dubai, but overall concern over dangerous driving and commute times has increased.
Business still needs to be supplied with goods and cities may never be totally car-free, Mr Edelmann noted, but the plan is more about creating a different vision. “It is about a high-level vision that cascades down to further projects,” he said. “There is nothing wrong with aspiration.”
Paulo Anciaes, a senior researcher in transport at University College London, said in most cities where this type of policy was implemented, there was a “dramatic increase in pedestrian flows and in the use of streets as social spaces”.
Economic boost
“Pedestrian-friendly areas are also good for business, because the higher influx of people leads to an increase in revenue for local shops, restaurants and cafes,” Mr Anciaes said.
He said these policies did not imply banning all cars and he pointed to a similar initiative in Barcelona, which studies have shown could prevent 700 premature deaths each year by reducing air pollution, noise, heat and by increasing physical activity.
He cautioned that good public transport links were often required in residential neighbourhoods to encourage people away from car use. It is also important not to divert traffic into other areas as drivers use alternative routes, or cruise to find a parking space. “This has been the case of some (but not all) traffic restriction policies in some residential areas in the UK,” said.
“Pedestrian-friendly shopping streets also need to provide something attractive in order to be competitive,” he said. “For example, some pedestrian shopping streets in US cities declined because they could not compete with large shopping malls, which provided better parking space and more attractive spaces to walk.”
The car-free move comes just weeks after Dubai unveiled major plans to become a “pedestrian-friendly” city. The Dubai Walk project includes more than 3,000km of new walkways and 110 new bridges and tunnels.
“There is no going back in terms of a car-centric city, but we can reduce the footprint and impact of cars … by connecting neighbourhoods and getting people to walk,” Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture and urbanism at Abu Dhabi University, told The National at the time.
“City authorities are trying to change tactics,” said Prof Kyriazis. “More and more are trying to turn the priority to ones that need it – such as walking and cycling. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of these cities.”
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Huddersfield Town permanent signings:
- Steve Mounie (striker): signed from Montpellier for £11 million
- Tom Ince (winger): signed from Derby County for £7.7m
- Aaron Mooy (midfielder): signed from Manchester City for £7.7m
- Laurent Depoitre (striker): signed from Porto for £3.4m
- Scott Malone (defender): signed from Fulham for £3.3m
- Zanka (defender): signed from Copenhagen for £2.3m
- Elias Kachunga (winger): signed for Ingolstadt for £1.1m
- Danny WIlliams (midfielder): signed from Reading on a free transfer
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
