Abu Dhabi: An online street design tool that has seen more than 17,000 users since its launch in 2012 has been enhanced and relaunched by Abu Dhabi’s urban strategist, the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC).

The upgrade allows users to include the underground elements, such as the utility corridors, in addition to above-ground features when developing a cross-section of a street during the conceptual stages, officials explained at a media briefing held in the capital today (April 13) as part of Cityscape Abu Dhabi. It also adds imperial measures and right-hand drive features.

Design guidelines

“In essence, designers can do away with the hassle of using AutoCAD, and simply use the application to develop an entire street cross-section. The main advantage is also that any features that contradict the emirate’s design guidelines are immediately highlighted so that the designer can make the necessary changes instead of waiting to hear back from the UPC,” said Maryam Al Daheri, senior planning professional at the UPC.

The urban street and utility design tool incorporates all the requirements of Abu Dhabi’s Urban Street Design Manual, which was introduced in 2012, along with the standards of the Utility Corridors Design Manual launched in 2014 and the Public Realm Design Manual. In addition, designers can now choose between different elements to see the impact of street design on the environment, through the Estidama (sustainability) feature. For instance, they can select between 300 species of local trees to see how using a particular one will affect water consumption during the street’s lifetime.

Standards

A number of new streets in Abu Dhabi have been designed under this set of guidelines, including the Shaikh Zayed Street, as well as those in Emirati neighbourhoods within Al Sila in Al Gharbia, Ayn Al Fayda in Al Ain and Watani in Abu Dhabi city.

“We have so far been extremely pleased to note that 50 per cent of our users have been from outside the UAE, notably the United States. This indicates how our standards, which the tool incorporates, match international design guidelines,” Al Daheri told Gulf News.

Last year (2015), the UPC announced that some of Abu Dhabi’s new streets were also featured as benchmarks in a new design guide being developed by the United States-based National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), which studies traffic and road systems in major cities worldwide.