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Integrated Framework for Enhancing Liveability and Ecological Sustainability in UAE Communities

Author

Listed:
  • Mhd Amer Alzaim

    (Engineering Systems Management, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O Box 26666, United Arab Emirates)

  • Mariam AlAli

    (Engineering Systems Management, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O Box 26666, United Arab Emirates)

  • Yara Mattar

    (Engineering Systems Management, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O Box 26666, United Arab Emirates)

  • Fatin Samara

    (Department of Biology Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O Box 26666, United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

Urban growth is vast in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to economic development, and there is a need to consider liveability and sustainable ecosystems for future urban expansion. Promising strategies for sustainability focus on minimizing a building’s effects on the environment and improving residents’ quality of life, which is important in the desert and when confronting the issues of water and climate change. Sustainable practices that impact the livelihood of people in the UAE include factors such as walkable areas, open space, policing, healthcare, education, housing, and ensuring friendly transport that enhance the overall quality of life of residents in the region. Recognizing and appreciating the UAE’s cultural values is crucial when incorporating these aspects, allowing references to the nation’s character when creating communal areas. The primary research included quantitative surveys of three identified communities, composed of fifty participants each, where the findings indicate partial to full compliance, with 85.7% of the liveability indices being about public transport and green space. Through this analysis, liveability and sustainability principles need to be trialed and incorporated into future urban development to embrace the ecology as well as the inhabitants. To realize these targets, the proposed study adopted a four-part approach. Initially, an analysis of related studies concerning the UAE or the Gulf area was carried out to obtain important liveability and quality-of-life factors. A total of 6 dimensions and 51 indicators were extracted from the literature to inform the next stage. Subsequently, the authors identified and evaluated the design of three chosen communities in various cities in the UAE concerning liveability and sustainability indices. Consequently, a conceptual redesign of a typical community was made, illustrating the improved quality of life and sustainability. Lastly, a survey with respective facets from an urban planning architect and environmental scientist cum environmental economist was conducted to evaluate the practicality of the proposed design. This research gives a comprehensive picture of how liveability and sustainable ecosystem concepts need to be implemented in the UAE urban context and offers a direction to develop lively, context-specific, culturally attached, and sustainable urban environments for the present day and for the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Mhd Amer Alzaim & Mariam AlAli & Yara Mattar & Fatin Samara, 2024. "Integrated Framework for Enhancing Liveability and Ecological Sustainability in UAE Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-34, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:22:p:9872-:d:1519403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chuloh Jung & Jihad Awad, 2023. "Sharjah Sustainable City: An Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach to Urban Planning Priorities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, May.
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    1. Mohamad A. Sayed Ahmed Sayed Abdulrahman & Fikri T. Dweiri, 2025. "Development of an Agile and Sustainable Framework for Resilient and Inclusive Public Transport Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-27, May.

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