Baniyas-South Wathba to develop oldest housing areas

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) unveiled on Sunday the Baniyas-South Wathba Revitalisation Master Plan, which aims to develop areas that are home to around 69,000 capital residents. Developed by the UPC, in close coordination with Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) and key stakeholders, the plan covers the areas of Baniyas, South Wathba and Al Nahda, one of the oldest Emirati communities in the UAE. The overarching concept of the master plan is to focus on “creating a sense of community by developing a hierarchy of district, neighbourhood and local centres to provide services for residents,” the UPC said in a statement. New plots for Emirati housing will be allocated and existing homes will be revitalised to improve the quality of housing to meet the needs of the residents, it added. The concept for the new housing types have been driven by a traditional fareej neighbourhood design concept that is both environmentally and culturally sustainable. “Our leadership’s commitment reflects the importance of the suburbs as a key area for the city’s Emirati population growth over the next 20 years. Baniyas-South Wathba remains one of the largest and most ambitious opportunities for sustainable urban revitalisation in Abu Dhabi,” said Falah Al Ahbabi, general manager of the UPC. “The UPC is ensuring that the creation of a cohesive urban fabric will provide the opportunity for communities to be transformed into vibrant living areas, with a strong sense of belonging and coherence.” Streetscapes throughout the community will be revitalised to provide well-connected, safe and comfortable routes for walking and cycling, and the community will be serviced internally by public transit along with new regional connections to facilitate local movement network, the UPC statement noted. “Baniyas-South Wathba comprises some of the Emirate’s oldest housing communities with their own individual characteristics.” From / Gulf Today