Expo City Dubai will continue on the environmental legacy of Expo 2020 by being a human-centric city accessible only by walkers with no cars or large vehicles.
On Monday, a city official stated that the city would be environmentally friendly and car-free, with inhabitants and tourists being transported by buggies.
Expo City, according to Ahmed Al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer of Expo 2020 Dubai, will be totally pedestrianized, with no automobiles allowed because tenants will be able to use soft mobility options.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, has already unveiled the Expo 2020 transformational initiative.
The Expo site is being rebranded as Expo City Dubai after undergoing a substantial revision of its legacy plan.
The Expo team, according to Al Khatib, is examining the concept to make it an integrated city that meets all of the people’ needs.
“The first change is that the city will be pedestrianized without cars. We are looking at different ways of soft mobility like buggies, scooters, and bicycles, etc. We will also encourage public transportation and as well as more and more integration of metro station,” he said.
According to him, a parking strategy is being developed to make it easier for residents and visitors to move around.
Free of single-use plastic
“Expo Dubai is set to be a vibrant, human-centric smart city driven by sustainability innovation, education and entertainment. Built around the principles of sustainability and home to more than 120 LEED certified buildings, Expo City Dubai is designed as a blueprint for ‘green’ urban planning,” he said.
Al Khatib also stated that 80% of the infrastructure created for the Expo will be maintained and repurposed.
Health is also a priority, according to Al Khatib, with 10 kilometers of bike tracks, five kilometers of jogging tracks, and 45,000 square meters of parks and gardens planned for the city.
Country pavilions to be retained
He went on to say that the City’s social and cultural attractions, such as Al Wasl Plaza and Terra, will remain the focal point, and that several country pavilions, such as the UAE and hugely popular Saudi Arabia, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Luxembourg, will be retained.
“Expo city will also feature a variety of exciting attractions, offices, leisure facilities, food and entertainment venues, exercise grounds and retail options. We are committed to creating an urban community that will play a pivotal role in Dubai’s evolution. It will also continue to be the best in class destination for visitors,” Al Khatib said during the press conference on Monday.
“Strategically located between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Expo City will be one of the five urban centres pinpointed in the master plan.”
Price of attractions
“We will announce ticket prices for individual attractions at the appropriate time. All the pricing will be accessible as we have a few months to understand what would be the realistic price of the entertainment venues and attractions,” he said.
Each attraction in the Expo City, according to Sholto Douglas-Home, chief marketing, communications, and sales officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, would be priced separately.
Businesses would find the link with Expo venues particularly appealing, according to Douglas-Home.