DSUD discussion focuses on challenges of CBD development

They were participating in a round-table discussion on challenges facing the development of Central Business Districts (CBD) Sunday during the second day of the forum.

Chaired by Prof. Charles Campbell, who as a consultant has been involved in Dubai's town planning projects for the past 16 years, the session brought together Dr. Mary Neumann, Principal of the Canada-based Mary Neumann & Associates, David Mangin of the Paris-based SEURA, Dr. Andrew MacMillan, Emeritus Professor of Architecture at University of Glasgow, Dr. Maher Stino, Professor or Urban Design & Landscape Architecture and United Nations Town Planning Expert , Egypt , Prof. Stephen Hamnett, Professor of Urban & Regional Planning, University of South Australia, and Prof. Kun Lim, former master planner of Federal City of Putrajayah and director of the Kuala Lumpur Monorail Project, Malayaisa.

Prof. Stephen Hamnett noted that government should be involved in CBD rehabilitation process, especially by offering financial assistance to low-cost housing schemes for limited income earners.

"Dubai has to maintain its complex diversity while redeveloping the CBDs. Preserving and enhancing the diversity is a challenge for the city. But, this is very important for the incredibly exciting tourist hotspots within the CBD," he said.

Dr. Mary Neumann felt that, while redeveloping CBDs, much significance should be attached to traditional buildings given their attraction to tourists and the fact that heritage forms part and parcel of the CBDs.

"The real strength of a downtown is that it acts as a connecting link between people. It is, therefore, much more important to maintain that link while thinking of rehabilitating the CBDs,"

she said.

David Mangin emphasized on the need to lay down a master plan for CBD Development especially for the neighbourhoods while Prof. Kun Lim opined that new life should be injected to the city centre by adding facilities that help people lead a comfortable life such as introducing the park & ride facilities and integrating various modes of public transport.

The session was attended by senior officials from federal and local government departments including Ministry of Education, Roads and Transport Authority, Development Board as well as semi-government establishments and private sector.

Other sessions of the day included a presentation on the "Rehabilitation of Dubai CBD Area" by Dr. Hamid Hatal, Planning Specialist at Dubai Municipality's Planning and Survey Department. He said that the Municipality's CBD development plan envisages development of public squares and public spaces to enhance the urban fabric of the area, and provide recreational spaces, and improve the opportunities to attract people.

"The plans also seeks to improve the Street Furniture and upgrade road and pedestrian crossings network in order to maximize its efficiency. Revision of zoning and building regulations as well as regulation of types and patterns of roads and advertisement signs are also in the plan in order to provide a harmonious urban typology with respect to the CBD's historical and traditional characteristics,"

said Dr. Hamid.

Two student teams presented their project work on the Dubai CBD development which included those of the South Australia University and the Chinese Tongji University.

The South Australian University 's project noted that while the CBD currently thrives under unique circumstances, there are also challenges and uncertainties. Firstly, the intensive labour required by existing trading activities has led to residential overcrowding and a poor standard of living for the expatriate workers based there. Transport routes are congested and there is a lack of amenity in the built form.

"These conditions, as they stand, are not in keeping with Dubai 's advanced, world city identity. Secondly, given the difference in economic profile between the study area and greater Dubai, the future of the area's current economic base may be precarious. Could the existing way of life in the CBD be engulfed by the activities and associated land uses so lucrative elsewhere in Dubai ?," the project noted.

The project team took the view that the existing character of the CBD, based on its trading port activities and bustling working population, represents an element of the history of Dubai that is worth preserving. The strategies for urban development, the team proposed, sought to enhance and capitalise on the uniqueness of this area in relation to greater Dubai , whilst addressing the challenges currently experienced. The design propositions incorporate sustainable future development that uses the existing urban grain to inform urban and architectural design.