Abu Dhabi

Skyline and Beach

Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi

The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.

January 17, 2018 - Quartz

Hyperloop

Hyperloop Readies For BIG Debut in the UAE

A test of a "fully-operational" Hyperloop transportation system is scheduled to take place next week in the United Arab Emirates.

November 5, 2016 - ArchDaily

Abu Dhabi

Planning for an Eco-Friendly City in the Desert

Building a new eco-friendly city in the middle of a country so reliant on fossil fuels is no easy task, but development is well underway for Masdr City to rise in the UAE

June 6, 2016 - Public Square

Abu Dhabi Planning Charrette

Abu Dhabi is updating its strategic development plan. Consultant Todd Litman reports on the city's recent urban planning charrette.

September 27, 2013 - Todd Litman

Abu Dhabi Forges Ahead With Plans to Create a Cultural World Capital

Abu Dhabi today reaffirmed its commitment to completing the long-delayed project to build a $27 billion cultural and tourism project known as Saadiyat Island.

January 25, 2012 - The New York Times

Urban Eye Candy: Best City Time Lapse Videos

Eric Jaffe at Atlantic Cities assembles his collection of the best time lapse videos of cities.

December 24, 2011 - Atlantic Cities

Connecting Residents With Services in Abu Dhabi Master Plan

The revitalization master plan for two older neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi includes creating "new roads, clinics, schools, police stations and neighborhood centers" and making them easily accessible to residents.

July 26, 2011 - The National

Abu Dhabi Looks Ahead to 2030

Abu Dhabi has released a new 20-year plan. It planners argue that it will be flexible enough to withstand changes in the global economy, should they come.

July 1, 2011 - Times of Oman

The State of Development in Abu Dhabi and Doha

Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, offers this lengthy look at the state of development and design in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

November 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Giant Ferrari Logo Emblazoned on Abu Dhabi Desert

Ferrari has built an enormous Formula 1 race track and amusement park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Metropolis Magazine reviews the in-your-face architecture.

November 24, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine

Trouble in Masdar City

Kiran Stacy looks at some of the challenges facing what is intended to be the world's first carbon-neutral city.

November 4, 2010 - Financial Times

Abu Dhabi Eyes Tram Network by 2014

Feasibility studies underway in Abu Dhabi predict that a new light rail tram network could be operational by 2014.

October 21, 2010 - Arabian Business

Reconsidering Masdar

Nicolai Oursoussoff says Masdar, the eco-city being developed near Abu Dhabi, is "something more daring and more noxious" than we think.

September 27, 2010 - The New York Times

Masdar Highlights Policy Shift Away From Autopia

Robert Wright describes the policy shift already underway in planning for cities of the future. He reports that "as energy becomes more expensive, cities will have to be much more compact, easier to navigate by bike and on foot."

September 11, 2010 - Financial Times

Abu Dhabi Uneasy About its Role in New Movie

The new "Sex and the City" movie was set -- but not shot -- in Abu Dhabi. Now officials there are trying to decide whether or not to release the film to local audiences, as the city tries to control its brand and image.

May 18, 2010 - Associated Press

A Middle Eastern Oasis for Sustainable Transportation

Like the U.S. in the mid-20th Century, much of the growth in Abu Dhabi over the last 35 years has catered primarily to the automobile. But new plans are re-wiring the city to make Abu Dhabi's streets more hospitable to pedestrians.

March 22, 2010 - Gary Toth

A Close-Up Look at Masdar's Eco-Village

The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is the first building to be completed in this ambitious, carbon-neutral city in Abu Dhabi. Thomas Lane of Building takes a tour.

February 1, 2010 - Building

Public Gets Rare Charrette in Abu Dhabi

In a region where public participation is often excluded from the planning process, urban planners are hosting a charrette in Abu Dhabi.

January 26, 2010 - Al Bawaba

New Urbanism in Abu Dhabi

While Dubai's fantastical Burj Khalifa is mostly empty and development has ground to a halt, Abu Dhabi continues to develop - and smartly, says Philip Langdon.

January 21, 2010 - New Urban News

Stepping Forward on Abu Dhabi's Art Island

Construction is underway on Saadiyat Island. The atoll off the coast of Abu Dhabi is seen by developers as a new artistic oasis in the middle east. But some question whether the plan will pay off.

August 26, 2009 - Telegraph

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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.