By Neil Halligan www.arabianbusiness.com
Dubai Municipality has drawn up plans to expand Dubai so it can accommodate four times as many people, it was revealed on Monday.
Assistant director-general Abdullah Rafia told a conference urban planners have completed a blueprint for the city to house 9.5 million people, the National reported. At present, Dubai’s population stands at just 2.1 million.
Rafia said: “We have already designed the urban design for the whole of Dubai. The urban area of Dubai will consist of one-third of the area of the emirate of Dubai and its maximum capacity will hold over 9.5 million people,” according to a report in the National.
Cities across the world, including Dubai, are having to contend with rapid population growth and urbanisation, delegates heard, and Rafia added: “Fortunately, here in Dubai, all of the population is urban. Our urban design needs to be sustainable – to have a design that limits sprawl but considers the impact [of population growth].” More info
