Khaleejtimes: Soft mobility like buggies, scooters and bicycles will be available for tenants and visitors

A human-centric city, accessible only by pedestrians with no cars or heavy vehicles, the Expo City Dubai will carry forward the sustainability legacy of Expo 2020.

An official on Monday said the city would be environment-friendly and car-free with buggies to be used to transport residents and visitors.

Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said Expo City would be fully pedestrianised, and cars would not be allowed as tenants can use soft mobility options.

Earlier, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the transformational plan for the Expo 2020.

The Expo site is being transformed with a major overhaul to its legacy plan and will be branded as Expo City Dubai.

Al Khatib said the Expo team is reviewing the plan to make it an integrated city that meets all the needs of the residents.

"The first change is that the city will be pedestrianised without cars. We are looking at different ways of soft mobility like buggies, scooters and bicycles etc. We will also encourage public transportation and as well as more and more integration of metro station," he said.

 He said the parking strategy is being devised that will make it easier for residents and visitors to move with ease.

Free of single-use plastic

"Expo Dubai is set to be a vibrant, human-centric smart city driven by sustainability innovation, education and entertainment. Built around the principles of sustainability and home to more than 120 LEED certified buildings, Expo City Dubai is designed as a blueprint for 'green' urban planning," he said.

Al Khatib added that 80 per cent of Expo-built infrastructure is to be retained and repurposed.

"Expo City Dubai will be free of single-use plastic and retain 80 per cent of infrastructure and buildings that have been constructed, including 123 LEED-certified buildings, epitomising the highest levels of sustainable design, construction and operations. It will also be the first WELL-certified community in the region, demonstrating the built environment's positive impact on health and wellness."

Al Khatib noted that health is also prioritised with 10 km of cycling tracks, five kilometres of running tracks and 45,000 sqm of parks and gardens have been planned for the City.

Country pavilions to be retained
He added social and cultural attractions, including Al Wasl Plaza and Terra, will continue to be the focal point of the City and many country pavilions, including the UAE and huge-popular Saudi Arabia, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Egypt and Luxembourg, will be retained.

“Expo city will also feature a variety of exciting attractions, offices, leisure facilities, food and entertainment venues, exercise grounds and retail options. We are committed to creating an urban community that will play a pivotal role in Dubai's evolution. It will also continue to be the best in class destination for visitors,” Al Khatib said during the press conference on Monday.

He further revealed that Expo City will play an integral role in the future development of the Dubai 2040 master plan.

“Strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Expo City will be one of the five urban centres pinpointed in the master plan.”

Price of attractions

Sholto Douglas-Home, chief marketing, communications and sales officer at Expo 2020 Dubai, said each attraction in the Expo City would be priced individually.

“We will announce ticket prices for individual attractions at the appropriate time. All the pricing will be accessible as we have a few months to understand what would be the realistic price of the entertainment venues and attractions,” he said.

 Douglas-Home added that businesses would find the association with Expo venues very attractive.