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In partnership with the Western Region Development Council (WRDC) and Western Region Municipality (WRM), the sessions will be organised for individual settlements of the Al Gharbia region with local Government authorities along with its residents and will be the next step towards formulating the urban framework, Plan Al Gharbia 2030.
"Plan Al Gharbia 2030 is aligned with the broader strategic objectives of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 and is aimed at developing an overall regional vision for Al Gharbia and its settlements,"said H.E. Falah Mohammad Al Ahbabi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.
He further added, "Plan Al Gharbia 2030 will eventually not only be a model sustainable development which accommodates appropriate growth and offers a high quality of life, but will also preserve its traditional Arabic, Bedouin and Islamic rural culture, character, lifestyle and heritage."
The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), in partnership with the Western Region Development Council (WRDC) and Western Region Municipality (WRM) had led the charrette process in Al Gharbia on November 16, 08, which involved leadership and representatives from the Abu Dhabi Government and a team of multi-disciplinary experts in urban design, planning, architecture, environment, infrastructure, and transportation.
Charrette is a creative process used by design professionals to develop urban and regional plans, consisting of a series of workshops and professional planning sessions, by utilising the most current demographic and economic studies.
"Collaboration with the citizens of the region for the comprehensive formulation of the urban framework plan is one of the key fundamental principles followed by UPC. The planning process that subsequently ensues, aims at incorporating most of the views and desires expressed by the residents during the initial sessions. The public consultation sessions beginning on August 03 are primarily meant for the residents of all the settlements in Al Gharbia and we encourage them to actively participate in this important planning process," added Al Ahbabi.
In line with Estidama, which means 'sustainability' in Arabic and is Abu Dhabi's contribution to the global discussion on how to create more sustainable communities, and global enterprises, Plan Al Gharbia 2030 will be unveiled in November 2009 and will be founded on key environmental, cultural, social and economic sustainability principles.
As a next step, following direction from the outcomes of each workshop, conceptual plans for the region and each settlement will be drafted and reviewed by stakeholders before the final plan is formulated. The findings and conclusions of the November 2008 charrette follow up workshops with local government authorities and discussions with Al Gharbia residents and stakeholders will form the basis of Plan Al Gharbia 2030.
"We are designing urban structures that reflect a creative contribution of our people. Our Aim is to manage and meet immediate needs without compromising the assets and potential of the Emirati's future generation. Determining regional and settlement level land use and recommending patterns of transportation, infrastructure, government services, health care and ecological protection will be an integral aspect of Plan Al Gharbia 2030," concluded Al Ahbabi.
The Western Region Municipality has also recently announced its plans to undertake a Dhs4bn revamp to improve the living conditions in 3,200 dwellings across the Western Region in coordination with Abu Dhabi Centre for Houses and Utility Developments.
Settlements anticipating significant growth will be the first to undertake detailed physical framework plans. Each detailed plan will include phasing so that progress can be undertaken to address infrastructure, housing and other needs while planning is ongoing. Development guidelines drafted in these plans will ensure proper implementation and allow for review and assessment in each community.
The public consultation sessions in Al Gharbia will begin from August 9, 09 and following is a detailed schedule of the consultation session proposed for the Al Gharbia region.
Posted by Rana Mesbah
