Can a desert city be liveable? Dubai scales green spine concept as developers eye ‘eco-friendly’ projects in harsh climate

Envisioned as a 64-kilometre corridor that people can easily walk and bike on, the development aims to challenge conventional urban planning norms in the Middle East and shift the residents of the metropolis away from their old habits, including heavy car use. 

Design plans for the urban initiative, unveiled in July this year by developer URB, have attracted media attention, although some are sceptical if it will inspire similar projects adopting sustainable practices, in a city more known for opulent luxury real estate and towering skyscrapers. 

Dubai and other Gulf states have been hit by extreme weather events in recent months. In April, extreme rainfall in Dubai triggered the worst flooding in over seven decades in one of the world’s most advanced but arid cities. 

In the summer that just passed, residents in the city have had their limits pushed with heat and humidity. According to data from the United States-based weather reports, there were days when Dubai’s heat index neared the 60-degree-Celsius mark in July and August. 

Across the Middle East, infrastructure developers that have started to adopt construction practices to minimise their environmental impact now have to think about how to make their design more climate-resilient. For example, a smaller-scale initiative known as the ‘Sustainable City’ launched almost seven years ago in the outskirts of Dubai housing 3,000 residents and which is designed as a working model for future cities, has been replicated in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Similar ‘Sustainable City’ projects are planned in Abu Dhabi and Oman. 

Dubai’s ‘Sustainable City’ reports a 78 per cent lower carbon footprint per capita, and 40 per cent less water consumption compared to regional averages. Every ‘Sustainable City’ has a green spine lined with vegetable gardens and integrated with a wastewater treatment system. 

The Eco-Business Podcast speaks to Marwa Nahlawi, general manager at Diamond Developers, the firm behind the ‘Sustainable City’ project, to discuss what liveability and true sustainability mean for Dubai and cities in the Middle East. 

Tune in as we discuss: 

• The challenges and opportunities of sustainable infrastructure planning in the region’s harsh climates 
• How the ‘green spine’ concept works
• The importance of creating holistic sustainable design to build a sense of community
• Replicating ‘Sustainable City’ across the Middle East

It has been a hot summer and there are a lot of conversations on the built environment and what the Middle East needs to do in a warming climate. What are some of the key sustainable development trends you are seeing in the region?

Overcoming heat is on the list of challenges we face in this part of the world. There is a lot more talk about tackling this challenge from a design perspective of how we build, as well as on how we can create cooler micro-climates. 

We need to find ways to keep the outdoor areas cool so we can enjoy these spaces more. And that is very challenging in the Middle East. It’s usually associated with higher costs so it is about finding solutions that are more commercially feasible. 

More people are adopting solar technology. Solar has been around for decades but we are only seeing some organisations and developers adopting it. They see it as something new here. 

Tell us more about micro-climates. How much of a difference can paying attention to that make? 

We need to make sure that even if you are walking outside, you are not walking under the sun all the time. We need shading from buildings and trees. Additionally, we will not have any tarmac roads in the ‘Sustainable City’. Roads are made of interlocking pavers and that helps as they don’t absorb so much heat. 

As reference, we measured the ambient temperature on the streets a few years ago. We took the temperatures in Sustainable City and outside of Sustainable City, on a highway. Within the city, it was 50 degrees Celsius in August, and 70 degrees Celsius outside. That is a big difference. 

The different measures, when combined together, make it more bearable in the summer. I’m not going to lie. It’s still hot, but there is a difference. 

The interlocking pavements are also more permeable so when it rains, a lot of the water is absorbed into the ground and the entire city “slopes” towards the green spine in the middle. You might see the rest of Dubai still flooding, but Sustainable City is dry again because the entire city acts like a sponge. We did not need to build a underground stormwater infrastructure system so there was cost savings. 

What are other challenges to developing a sustainable city in the desert? How have you overcome them? 

Landscape is the biggest challenge. If we were developing a sustainable city in a landscape that was naturally green, that would make things a lot easier. You know you need the greenery for shading, for carbon absorption, for the connection with nature. There is no escaping it. 

But in the desert, you need to do it in a way such that you are not wasting too much water. Creating a beautfiul, lush, exotic forest in Dubai is the opposite of sustainable, because of the amount of water needed. We have to be careful about where we put the vegetation, how much to put and what types of vegetation are needed. We would prioritise native plants. 

We use the term “productive landscape”. The landscapes are productive in that they are not there because they look nice. They serve a purpose other than just beautification. They provide shade and some trees are planted because they bear fruit which can be eaten. For example, we have pomegranate trees that are not native to the United Arab Emirates but are known to fix the nitrogen levels in the soil. When we do decide to have open spaces with a lawn, which uses up a lot of water, we make sure these are in areas which will be used. They are not in “dead spaces”. We also integrated smart irrigation systems [into the design] to minimise use of water. 

Another challenge we have is deciding what technologies to adopt and what not to. This is to create the Sustainable City at a cost lower than what is on the market, since people always say sustainability come at a cost. We set out to debunk that myth. That is not true, or it doesn’t have to be that way. So the numbers had to make sense and the project has to work out for us economically. 

Sometimes there are amazing technologies or ideas out there that are new but not commercially viable, so we would not adopt them. Because then someone would have to bear that cost – either us or the end user. We have to find the balance between low tech and high tech solutions. 

Airconditioning is a big cost for households in Dubai. I think it makes up about 70 to 80 per cent of people’s utility bills. Does switching to solar help cover the cost of energy? 

Firstly, we need to design the houses, the buildings and the city in a way that it requires less energy to cool, to light, to operate. We pay a lot of attention to the envelope of the building to make sure it is not overheating. It is being designed to keep out the sun and the heat. This is demand side management. 

Next, we consider renewable energy sources. That’s where solar comes in. How much solar coverage will depend on where you are building the Sustainable City, because every emirate has different laws and regulations regarding solar power production. In Dubai, we were the first development to have a net metering agreement with Dubai Electric and Water Authority (DEWA) and energy is fed back into the grid. We don’t make money off this, but our utility bills are subsidised because of this arrangement. 

The solar panels on the rooftops of houses can cover about 40 per cent of energy needs, but airconditioning takes up about 70 per cent of average energy consumption. Personally, I switch off my airconditioning at the end of November and it does not come back on until end March. The most I’ve ever paid during those months is about 50 dirhams (US$13.60) a month. In the winter, you can do this and “zero” your bills. In the summer, it’s more challenging. 

Solar technology is also evolving and now in Sustainable City, we have three generations of different solar panels installed, depending on when the building was constructed. The newer ones are a lot more efficient and cheaper. Solar is a much more viable solution now than it was 10 years ago. Previously for developers, it did not make sense as it didn’t maximise their profits. 

Since the Sustainable City was built in Dubai 10 years ago, we have not seen more of such initiatives in the Middle East. Why? 

The Sustainable City is a proof of concept. We replicated it in Sharjah and we are doing it again in Abu Dhabi and Oman. 

What impact did you see from the rains and floods in April earlier this year?

The houses in Sustainable City were built about 10 years ago so we had some leakage. For some houses, water seeped through the roofs and made its way into the homes. Some fish in the overflowing lakes ended up in swimming pools because the city is sloping towards the green spine which is most permeable. Children found them the next morning and put them back into the lake. We saw more water than we normally would, but there were no actual flooding. 

Outside the city, for places with tarmac and asphalt roads, the water is not absorbed. So a capable gutter system and stormwater system is needed to absorb all the water. 

There have been news of a 64-kilometre green spine being developed in Dubai. You mentioned the green spine in Sustainable City. Tell us how the concept works. 

The green spine is a recurring theme in all our masterplans. It is about being smart about where vegetation is placed. The spine acts as a connector, for example connecting the residential clusters with the school and mixed use areas. There is a jogging track, a sports course, a gym and biodomes where we grow our own produce. There are the water bodies, which are lakes with treated water. The irrigation lines run out of the lakes. The spine is also like a social hub. People go for walks and meet there. Children play there, as well as in the small pocket parks in the residential clusters. 

The landscape of the Sustainable City looks a little different. It does not look as pristine as other living communities in Dubai. We let it grow wild a bit. We encourage the thriving of biodiversity in the spaces. 

Are we seeing more of such developments in Dubai and in wider UAE? What is your take on the trend? 

There is a lot of talk about these plans and projects are being unveiled. I would love to see them materialise and real action taken to create more walkable and climate-resilient spaces. 

What we have done in Sustainable City is not rocket science. It isn’t something no one else can do. Anyone can install solar panels or create green spaces. But the way we put things together was unique and that was what stood out. We are seeing some of these elements now in other developments. You hear of more development projects speaking about creating spaces that enhance wellness and promote healthier lifestyles. These are social sustainability initiatives that should be embedded in our DNA and we are seeing that being replicated in other communities. 

There are also communities with dedicated pedestrian zones. We would like to see more of these initiatives here and globally. 

What is your take on green building standards in the UAE? Do they help developers build more sustainably?

I think they are great to have. We use them as checklists. But the general perspective of sustainability is still very focused on the environment, and we have been trying to get people to think more holistically about sustainability over the last 10 years. 

It should be about social sustainability, about creating spaces that appeal to people. It is not enough to just create spaces that are good for the environment. Living needs to be affordable, so the projects must be done in a way that is commercially viable. So I think the standards still lack this holistic perspective. 

Tell us more about this holistic approach. 

I grew up in Dubai. I’ve lived in gated communities before, and I can honestly say I have never felt the sense of community the same as I felt it in The Sustainable City. It actually feels like a village, and that is by design.

In Sustainable City, in terms of environmental sustainability, we have tackled food production, energy, water, mobility and connectivity, and waste management. But we also designed the city so that each community will have a school that is accessible, and children do not have to cross any roads. My youngest son who is three years old can ride his bicycle to nursery school on his own. There is nowhere else in Dubai you can do that and not worry for the safety of your child. 

We take care of where we place the amenities to ensure there is engagement among the community. Your neighbour could be your colleague. My kids play with my colleague’s kids because we are in the same neighbourhood. So we make sure the “live, work, thrive” elements work. 

For the other projects such as Sharjah Sustainable City and the Sustainable City Yiti in Oman, what have you done differently? 

You cannot copy and paste everything. It depends on the geographical location, where you are building the city. In Sharjah, there is a smaller expatriate community and a larger local community, as compared to Dubai. So we were asked to design it in a way where the backyard of the house opened up to pedestrian trails if you had your car parked at the front door. There is a focus on new technology, so the sustainability strategy was developed a little later. 

The feedback that we are getting is that residents are happy there. The houses were designed a little differently but with the same type of environmental goals we had. There is also a green spine, so that is replicated. 

In Oman, the plot is a lot bigger and that gave us a lot more opportunities to do things differently. In Dubai, we grew leafy greens and in Oman, we plan to grow so that the produce can cover 70 per cent of the residents’ calorie needs.  We are looking into vertical farming. The agritech sector is now growing at an exponential rate and we are able to grow the plants we couldn’t five or 10 years ago now, with the right climate and the right settings. 

There is a fishing village on the site so we want to partner the fishermen there. The seafood could come directly from the sea. 

Are you working on developing sustainable cities outside of the Middle East? Are you also considering an initial public offering of the business? 

Yes we are. We are in talks different entities across the world. I cannot talk in detail about these projects but they include organisations from the United States, Cyprus and from other parts of Europe. We are also looking East. We are open to exploring any opportunity with anyone who wants to develop a Sustainable City in another part of the world. Our dream is to see the concept replicated everywhere. It would be exciting to do that.  

On the IPO, there have been talks but there isn’t a definite timeframe. It is possible, but it won’t happen right now. 

The transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.