URB, a global leader in developing sustainable cities, has unveiled a new cycling master plan that will develop Dubai into the world’s most cycle friendly city by 2040, surpassing Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

In a city in which travelling by car is currently the most convenient form of transport, a paradigm shift in urban mobility is in planning.

The ‘Dubai Cycle City 2040’ study envisions various types of cycling infrastructure, which also includes The Loop, a 93 km cycling highway. The new study is planned to flip the mode of transport in Dubai, allowing residents to cycle or walk to key services and locations in the city within minutes.

By 2040, Dubai’s car-centric population is expected to more than double, reaching 8 million urban dwellers. Dubai’s urban evolution and sprawl have made cars a necessity for travel and thus an indispensable part of the everyday lifestyle.

As such, flipping the mode of travel towards cycling requires more than a new way of thinking in mobility, it requires entrepreneurship.

Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB, explains how the Dubai Cycle City initiative is evolving to become a new benchmark in urban entrepreneurship.

“Our role as urban planners has evolved to become changemakers. It is no longer about just planning new sustainable cities. It is about planning new types of assets for existing cities with a sense of purpose, to make them more sustainable. It is about becoming an agent of change. The Dubai Cycle City 2040 is an embodiment of that entrepreneurial spirit.”

Since unveiling The Loop in early 2023, URB has developed further proposals for a complete cycling network in Dubai, consisting of various types of cycling infrastructure. The aim is to make Dubai the best city for cycling, surpassing existing renowned cycling cities, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen.

Currently, in the research stage, the project aims to create the smartest and most connected cycling infrastructure in the world.

In addition to shifting the primary mode of transport to walking and cycling for the majority of Dubai’s residents, ‘The Dubai Cycle City 2040’ also aims to provide additional utilities and amenities to various neighbourhoods, such as urban agriculture, social spaces, sports facilities etc. The study aims to accelerate Dubai’s 20-minute city initiative, as well as its 2040 master plan goals. – TradeArabia News Service