Awards
Planning Institute of British Columbia Award, 2008
Canadian Institute of Planners Award, 2008
Busby Perkins+Will recently developed a an urban structure framework plan for the city of Abu Dhabi, in conjunction with Larry Beasley, former Head of Planning for the City of Vancouver, and Civitas Urban Design and Planning.
The capital city of the United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi - controls more than 10% of the world's proven oil reserves. Discovered in the late 1950s, these reserves, and the income they provide, have had a profound effect on the city: 50 years ago, the majority of citizens lacked access to health care, education, electricity and running water; today, the city is a bustling modern capital, with planned development for the next decade exceeding $100 billion USD in value. As a result of this rapid transformation, the city is in urgent need of a plan to direct future development: current development patterns have created significant urban sprawl, produced transportation and infrastructure challenges, and threatened the ecologically sensitive mangroves that surround the island.
The planning process began in December of 2006 with a series of preparatory studies: an economic analysis; an infrastructure review; an environmental audit; a transportation summary; an assessment of existing built form, development patterns, and open space distribution; and a broader examination of the challenges and opportunities facing the city. In February of 2007, the team conducted a five-day charrette with planners and rulers from Abu Dhabi and a group of international experts, developing three large-scale plans based on the preparatory studies' projections. Following the charrette, these concepts were combined and distilled, resulting in the framework for an additional charrette in March. This charrette included planning exercises at the regional, district, and individual block levels, and the development of a policy framework for how the city will handle growth over the next 25 years.
Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 centered on two major moves: the extension of the downtown area, which focused on Suwwah Island, and the creation of the Abu Dhabi Capital District, which will eventually house 450,000 residents and major federal government institutions.
Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 was presented to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority at the end of June 2007. It was immediately published by the Urban Planning Council and adopted as official government policy. Several development initiatives and a comprehensive master plan of the city are currently underway based upon Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.
