Lifestyle Desk, Delhi Magazine: Dubai could boast of another attraction in the future. The URB company plans to build a 93-kilometer-long covered corridor around the city, which would serve cyclists and pedestrians for walking, and at the same time would motivate the locals to travel more environmentally without cars. An enormous glass tube would be complemented by a number of plants.
According to the developer URB, the project called The Loop would be the world’s smartest infrastructure for cycling, walking or running. “The project aims to make Dubai the best connected city in the world in terms of moving by bike or on foot,” the company’s head, Baharash Bagherian, told CNN.
The massive structure would surround Dubai all around, providing the city with a green corridor through which residents and tourists could move between neighborhoods. “In Europe, most people walk or cycle to work. Our goal is for 80 percent of Dubai residents to use a bicycle on a daily basis,” Bagherian explained the plans.
So far only on paper
Dubai is currently mainly connected by a dense network of multi-lane roads and metro lines, but the city is not very suitable for walking, at least not within the wider center. “The whole world is moving towards a greener economy. And the strongest economies will be those that are able to move towards sustainability as soon as possible with projects like this,” Bagherian says.
Together with URB, he plans to implement another “green” project, which would relate to agriculture and ecotourism. The so-called Agri Hub would serve as a place for more ecological farming, but would also offer spaces for education and the like.
Both projects are currently in the research and development phase. If approved, The Loop is expected to cover Downtown Dubai, Meydan, Expo City or Academic City.