Ajman: Ajman aims to become a ‘15-minute city’ by enabling pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users to reach almost all services in the city within 15 minutes.
The Municipality and Planning Department in Ajman on Sunday announced the initiative. Dr Mohammed Ahmed bin Omair Al Muhairi, Executive Director of the Infrastructure Development Sector in the department, said the initiative is in line with the department’s 2030 strategy, which seeks to achieve sustainable development.
The concept is based on four pillars of proximity, diversity, density and location. Dr Al Muhairi said the concept has been applied in many developed countries of the world and has proven successful in achieving the desired goals.
The department will work on implementing the concept in a manner that suits the nature of the emirate of Ajman, in cooperation with strategic partners in the public and private sectors, in addition to involving the community. The idea is minimise distances between homes, parks, offices, restaurants and schools.
‘Positive lifestyle change’
The executive director said the “positive lifestyle change” will encourage people to walk and use public transport, as well as electric bicycles on provided paths. Work on the needed infrastructure and legislation to support the goal is already underway.
Electronic maps that assess and locate the main activities of any point in neighbourhoods and determine the options available for accessing these activities, as well as the time taken to do so, are being prepared.
