ABU DHABI // New neighbourhoods would have to meet green-space requirements, have shorter streets and put buildings a set distance from public transit depots under guidelines released yesterday by city planners.
There are plans to turn the guidelines into regulations by April 2009, which would force contractors to comply with them.
The Estidama initiative, devised to make Abu Dhabi the sustainability capital of the Middle East, drew up the guidelines. Estidama was launched in May to complement Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, the capital's blueprint for development over the next two decades.
The guidelines will be tested soon, said Falah al Ahbabi, the general manager of the Urban Planning Council, which is taking part in the initiative along with developers, the construction industry, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Municipality.
"The testing period is very important," he said. "Awareness is very important to let the market understand that there is a huge initiative coming from the Government."
Among the key proposals are minimum space requirements to support green areas.
"We're suggesting that for every 1,000 people, there will be two hectares of open green space," said Salem al Qassimi, an associate planner with the UPC.
To control urban sprawl and promote mixed-use districts, each development should also have "at least three different types of buildings - whether residential, institutional, commercial or retail", Mr Qassimi said.
Residential streets could be no longer than 170 metres to encourage walking. Developments would have to be within 350 metres of mass-transit stations.
Mr Qassimi said building designs should also include more features of traditional Arab architecture. "We're looking at having more Arab features within the city to build its character again."
Preserving heritage sites is also given high priority, and landscapers would be instructed to plant more native greenery.
Mr Ahbabi added that the Estidama programme has devised the first ratings system for sustainable construction tailored specifically to the Middle East.
"When we founded Estidama eight months ago, we looked at most of the common green building standards, such as the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] programme in the US," he said. "We looked at what is suitable for our environment, plus we changed what was not applicable to where we live."
A major emphasis is on water conservation and solid-waste management. For example, at least 40 per cent of water for landscaping would have to be derived from grey water - waste water commonly collected as runoff from washing.
The programme also wants to conserve energy at the community level by encouraging green roofs to cool buildings naturally and curb the use of air conditioning.
"Green roofs also encourage social activity, so it's an environmental sustainability as well as a social sustainability factor," Mr Qassimi said.
While Dubai's green building rules have caused some confusion among some contractors, Mr Ahbabi said developers in the capital were well aware of the Estidama guidelines and some have even asked whether they could apply the standards now.
"The news has been spreading. We've been sending newsletters to them and all the major players do know about Estidama and are fully very supportive of it."
The release of the guidelines yesterday was the second of Estidama's three phases. In May, Estidama launched its ratings system for buildings, which awards up to five "pearls" to developments based on their environmental footprints. A third set of standards, for existing buildings, is expected in November and would become mandatory regulations by January.
mkwong@thenational.ae
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
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Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
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Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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