Conference on sustainable development to discuss CBD planning

Abdulla Abdulrahim, Director of Planning & Survey Department, said that the conference would discuss many topics on how to protect the cities and develop them.

He noted that rehabilitation of CBDs in Deira and Bur Dubai assumes much significance due to their unique architectural characteristics and economic aspects.

"Restoration of their architectural and social characteristic is very important in order to keep pace with the city's fast urban development and its busy economic activities, especially as they are a destination of businessmen, traders and shoppers alike from both inside the country and abroad. Restoring CBDs has become a source of concern for many of the cities worldwide and it has been discussed in detail in planning researches and studies. Because of the emergence of new communities and cities, old cities have partially lost their social and economic characteristics. Knowing other cities' expertise in this field will have a huge impact on finding solutions for local planning issues," he said.

He explained that the Planning and Survey Department at Dubai Municipality has formed a special task force to develop an urban structure incorporating unique positional and environment characteristics of the CBDs in Deira and Bur Dubai.

This is done in the form of introducing special planning, building and monitoring legislation for the area as well as by enhancing efficiency of the road net work and beautifying the open areas in between the buildings so that they fit in the modern urban fabric of the area thereby turning it into an ideal environment for work and business activities. This will, in turn, boost the private sector and enable it to play an effective role in accomplishing the municipality's vision of creating an excellent city that provides the essence of success and comfort of living.

He said that the conference organising committee had invited six groups of students from local, regional and international universities to present their urban planning projects for CBDs. The winners will be chosen by professionals, specially invited to the conference.

The conference will discuss some of the research by the best professionals in the field of city development. In addition, Dubai Municipality will also present a paper on the same subject.