Author(s)

P. Nadali, R. M. Thomas, H. Taleb

Abstract

As communities are being developed in Dubai there is an urgent need to consider aspects of sustainability since the country has one of the highest per-capita levels of resource consumption and carbon footprint. The aim of this study is to use an existing project – Dubai’s first sustainable city – to analyse it and then rebuild its concepts of sustainability by improving social and environmental dimensions with respect to international standards. The analysis and findings prove that it is essential to adapt sustainability from initial development of the project and enable inhabitants to adapt it as a lifestyle rather than construing it an ‘add-on’ criterion at a superficial level. Simulation of energy consumption and carbon footprints were carried out to support the research through journal articles.

Keywords

sustainable urban design, urban planning, Dubai Sustainable City, energy performance, carbon footprint, urban densification, urban equity, sustainable suburban development