Abu Dhabi UPC Urbanism & Mobility Training

Pedestrian infrastructure - Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi

In September 2017 Tapestry Director Elizabeth Reynolds prepared and delivered urbanism training to graduates working at the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC). The training was arranged by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) and part of ten modules intended to help young professionals from a range of built environment disciplines to understand contemporary issues in urbanism.

Three modules were taught in an interactive workshop setting:  Transport and Urban Mobility; Implementation Strategies; and Elements of a Successful City. Key themes included mobility as service; electrification and automation of vehicles; the catalytic effect of introducing new forms of transport; retrofitting cities with new infrastructure; techniques for delivering major projects tools for reimagining places; and defining quality of life in cities.

A design workshop session applied these themes to local case studies including the area surrounding the Louvre Museum on Saadiyat Island and Mina Zayed opposite (where a comprehensive redevelopment was recently announced by Modon).