Personal Rapid Transit For Heathrow Airport, Dubai Financial Center

Heathrow Airport and Dubai Financial Center are moving forward on robotic vehicle transit technology called personal rapid transit (PRT) with the aim of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

1 minute read

October 21, 2005, 8:00 AM PDT

By steve raney


Heathrow Airport and Dubai Financial Center are moving forward on robotic vehicle transit technology called personal rapid transit (PRT) with the aim of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions

The British Airport Authority (BAA) is investing $13.1M for a 25% interest in PRT maker Advanced Transport Systems (ATS). Applications of PRT at Heathrow promise to reduce passenger transfer time from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 from 75 minutes to 10 minutes. In Dubai, a planned 1.2km PRT network will connect with the planned Dubai LRT station via express moving walkways.

Leading New Urbanist Peter Calthorpe has recently advised Dubai and has also called for new transit circulation technology "that offers fundamentally different choices in mobility and access" as a complement to existing smart growth tools. At the June 2005 Pasadena CNU Conference, Calthorpe lamented "90-year-old transit technologies," calling for "elevated, electric, small-vehicle" transit.

Thanks to Steve Raney

Friday, October 21, 2005 in London Daily Telegraph

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.