Running head: SMART DUBAI STRATEGIC PLANNING

Smart Dubai Strategic Planning

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Smart Dubai strategic plan

Introduction

The paper shall address the impact of the means of transportation in Dubai on the

environment. In the current times, the population has increased, leading to more land use and

economic development. The past and present situations in Dubai shall be evaluated and an

opinion made.

Past situation

Al-Mehairi, in his works, indicates that Dubai was not effective in pollution control. He

indicated that the Environment & Safety Department has been ineffective in monitoring the

aspects of pollution in the country. Sometime back, traces of heavy metallic particles could be

seen by the roadsides of Dubai. For the last 25 years, the country suffered from various forms of

pollution, which included air, noise, and water. More private vehicles on the roads for leisure

constitute a significant source of pollution in Dubai. Bekele (2013) emphasized the need for

strategies in the development of urban centers so that the growth will not adversely affect the

quality of life of people in the region.

The present

Bekele further explains that the United Arab Emirates, just like other developed nations,

there is still a great need for quality public delivery transport systems, which is of great interest

to the city planners and the government. Transport systems need to be efficient so that vehicles

use minimum time in traffic, reducing air and noise pollution. Abdul Fatah & Alkhateeb (2017)

suggested that the country should use the Intelligence Transportation Systems (ITS) and the

Transit Signal Priority (TSP). Other countries, such as the United States, were using these
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technologies, which have worked excellently in the control and reduction of traffic congestion in

the major urban centers. The technology is able to detect the number of vehicles stuck in a

particular section of the city and determine which vehicles in which section needs to be given

priority to move. Traffic is controlled automatically and simultaneously in a manner that ensures

that vehicles are not trapped in traffic for extended periods emitting gasses and sound that

pollutes air and sound, respectively.

Conclusion

Strategic planning of a busy urban area such as Dubai is of great significance for a

number of reasons. When vehicles get trapped in traffic for too long, they will emit gasses and

pollution in the air. Pollution creates unfavorable conditions in a city, which makes it

undesirable for visitors. When a city has efficient transport system activities such as commerce

can easily happen, thus contributing to the economic development of the city and the nation at

large. Another factor of consideration in the strategic planning of Dubai in the rapid growth in

population. A higher population in Dubai will lead to environmental effects with regard to

pollution. There will be more waste in disposing of, the number of commuter vehicles will also

increase, and this leads to pollution in the air, water, and land pollution. Smart strategic planning

in Dubai should address issues on improving infrastructure and making the city a better place for

everyone living in it and attract more people to engage in commerce.

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References

Al-Mehairi, J. M. (1970). Some aspects of environmental problems caused by transport in Dubai:

a geographical perspective. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment, 18.

Worku, G. B. (2013). Demand for improved public transport services in the UAE: A contingent

valuation study in Dubai. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(10), 108.

Al Khateeb, H., & Abdulfatah, A. (2017). The impact of transit signal priority: case study in

Dubai, UAE. In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 120, p. 07009). EDP Sciences.